TL;DR
To launch your first GPT Ads campaign: enable automatically created assets in Google Ads, set up a Performance Max campaign with clear conversion goals, provide high-quality landing pages for the AI to learn from, and monitor for 30 days before scaling. The AI needs data to optimize—give it at least 50 conversions before judging performance.
Step 1: Prepare Your Foundation
Before enabling any AI features, make sure your conversion tracking is solid. Install Google Tag Manager with proper conversion actions for leads, purchases, or whatever matters to your business. The AI optimizes toward the goals you set—if tracking is broken, the AI will optimize toward the wrong things.
Next, audit your landing pages. GPT Ads generate creative based on your page content. If your landing pages are thin or unclear, the AI-generated copy will be too. Invest in clear value propositions, structured content, and fast load times before turning on AI creative.
Step 2: Enable AI Creative Features
In Google Ads, navigate to your Search campaign settings and enable “Automatically created assets.” This lets Google’s AI generate headlines and descriptions based on your landing pages and ad group themes. For broader AI control, create a Performance Max campaign—it uses AI across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Maps simultaneously.
Step 3: Set Brand Guardrails
AI-generated copy isn’t always on-brand. Set up brand guidelines in your account: add negative keywords to prevent unwanted associations, review auto-generated assets weekly, and pin any headlines or descriptions that must always appear. Google lets you pause individual AI-generated assets that don’t meet your standards.
Step 4: Configure Targeting
For your first GPT Ads campaign, start with broad match keywords paired with Smart Bidding (Target CPA or Target ROAS). The AI needs room to find converting audiences—overly restrictive targeting limits its learning. Add audience signals (your customer lists, website visitors, in-market audiences) as hints, not hard restrictions.
Step 5: Monitor and Optimize
Give the campaign 2–4 weeks to exit the learning phase. During this time, check the “Assets” report to see which AI-generated headlines and descriptions are performing. Pause anything off-brand or low-performing. After 50+ conversions, the AI’s optimization becomes reliable—that’s when you can start scaling budget.
Next Steps
Need help setting up GPT Ads the right way? Schedule a free audit with our paid media team. We’ll review your account structure, conversion tracking, and landing pages to ensure AI creative drives real results. See our full Google Ads services for ongoing management.
FAQs
How long does a GPT Ads campaign take to optimize?
Most campaigns need 2-4 weeks and at least 50 conversions before the AI's optimization becomes reliable. Avoid making major changes during this learning phase.
What budget do I need for GPT Ads?
There is no minimum, but campaigns with at least $50-100/day reach the learning phase faster. Smaller budgets work but take longer to gather enough data for AI optimization.
Can I control what the AI writes in my ads?
Yes. You can pin specific headlines and descriptions, pause AI-generated assets you dislike, add negative keywords, and set brand guidelines to keep creative on-brand.