Launching a Google Ads campaign without a structured process leads to wasted budget, poor targeting, and missed optimization windows. This SOP provides a systematic approach to campaign setup, from account structure and keyword selection through ad creation, bidding configuration, and the critical first-week monitoring period. Follow these steps to launch campaigns that are set up for long-term success from day one.
Pre-Launch Planning
Goals and KPIs
Define campaign objectives and success metrics before touching the Google Ads interface. Every campaign should have a primary KPI (cost per acquisition, return on ad spend, or cost per lead) and a target value for that metric. Without clear goals, optimization becomes guesswork.
Document these pre-launch essentials:
- Campaign objective: Lead generation, e-commerce sales, brand awareness, or app installs
- Target CPA or ROAS: Based on historical data or business unit economics
- Monthly budget: Sufficient to generate statistical significance within 2-4 weeks
- Geographic targeting: Markets, cities, or radius targeting around physical locations
- Timeline: Launch date, initial learning period, and first optimization checkpoint
Account Structure
Plan your account structure before creating campaigns. Group keywords into tightly themed ad groups that share clear intent. The structure should mirror how users think about your products or services, not your internal organizational chart. Each ad group should contain 5-20 closely related keywords with consistent landing page alignment.
Keyword Research and Selection
Building the Keyword List
Use Google Keyword Planner, your SEO keyword data, and competitor analysis to build the initial keyword list. Prioritize high-intent keywords — terms that signal readiness to take action. Commercial and transactional queries ("hire SEO agency Vancouver," "buy CRM software") typically convert at higher rates than informational queries ("what is SEO").
Match types matter significantly. Start with phrase match and exact match for core terms to control spend while the campaign learns. Broad match can be added later once you have conversion data to feed Smart Bidding. Always launch with a robust negative keyword list to prevent irrelevant clicks from consuming budget.
Negative Keyword Strategy
Build a comprehensive negative keyword list before launch. Include competitor brand terms (unless running a conquest campaign), informational modifiers ("free," "how to," "what is"), irrelevant industry terms, and job-related queries ("salary," "jobs," "career"). Add shared negative keyword lists at the account level for terms that apply across all campaigns.
Ad Creation
Responsive Search Ads
Create at least two responsive search ads (RSAs) per ad group. Provide 10-15 unique headlines and 4 descriptions that cover different value propositions, features, and calls to action. Pin your most important headlines to position one to ensure brand and keyword relevance appears consistently.
Effective ad copy elements include:
- Primary keyword in at least 3 headlines
- Unique value proposition that differentiates from competitors
- Specific numbers — pricing, percentages, ratings, or timeframes
- Clear CTA — "Get a Free Quote," "Start Your Trial," "Book a Consultation"
- Trust signals — awards, certifications, years in business, or review counts
Ad Extensions
Configure all relevant ad extensions before launch. Sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, call extensions, and location extensions increase ad real estate and provide additional conversion paths. Extensions typically improve CTR by 10-15% and contribute to higher Quality Scores.
Landing Page Alignment
Every ad group should point to a dedicated landing page that matches the ad's promise and the user's intent. Generic homepage links waste budget and kill conversion rates. The landing page headline should echo the ad headline, the content should address the keyword's intent directly, and the conversion action should be immediately accessible.
Verify landing page readiness using our Landing Page Build and Launch Checklist. Ensure conversion tracking is properly configured before launching — running ads without tracking is spending blind.
Bidding and Budget Configuration
For new campaigns without historical conversion data, start with Manual CPC or Maximize Clicks bidding to gather initial data. Once you have accumulated 30-50 conversions, switch to a conversion-based bidding strategy like Target CPA or Maximize Conversions. Automated bidding requires data to function effectively — feeding it too early produces erratic results.
Set daily budgets at the campaign level and monitor the learning phase closely. Google may spend up to twice the daily budget on any given day while optimizing delivery. Ensure monthly budget caps account for this variability.
Launch and First-Week Monitoring
After launch, monitor the campaign daily for the first seven days. Check for disapproved ads, irrelevant search terms, budget pacing issues, and Quality Score flags. Add negative keywords aggressively based on the search terms report — the first week typically reveals the most irrelevant queries.
Key first-week checkpoints:
- Day 1: Verify ads are serving, tracking is firing, and no disapprovals exist
- Day 3: Review search terms report and add initial negative keywords
- Day 5: Check Quality Scores and adjust underperforming ad copy
- Day 7: Evaluate initial CPC, CTR, and conversion rate against benchmarks
Do not make dramatic bid or budget changes during the first two weeks unless something is clearly broken. The Google Ads algorithm needs time to learn. Resist the temptation to over-optimize before sufficient data has accumulated.