SEO & Marketing
Setting Up a Google Ads Campaign: The Complete Checklist
Setting up a Google Ads campaign properly means getting goal, structure, keywords, ads, tracking, and landing page right, in the correct order. This checklist walks through the setup step by step.
Short answer
Setting up a Google Ads campaign properly follows a fixed order: define the goal and conversion, set up tracking before launch, build the account structure around your offer and search intent, start keywords with phrase and exact match, write ads with the search term in the headline, check the landing page for message match and load time, and ride out the one- to two-week learning phase. After that, weekly maintenance matters: exclude search terms, sharpen ads, and measure cost per conversion against the goal. The biggest lever is tracking and structure, not budget.
What's involved in setting up a Google Ads campaign?
Setting up a Google Ads campaign in the interface takes twenty minutes. Setting it up properly takes one to two weeks, because the real work happens before the first click: defining the goal, account structure, keyword research, ad copy, conversion tracking, and the landing page. This checklist follows exactly the order in which we set up campaigns at Maluure.
Anyone who skips these steps and jumps straight into the interface pays for the learning phase twice: once with budget, once with a rebuild. So, in order.
Kernaussage
The order is the whole point: goal and tracking first, then structure and keywords, then ads and landing page, and only then budget. Any campaign built the other way around optimizes for clicks instead of leads.
Step 1: Define the goal and the conversion
Before anything is created, it must be clear what the campaign is supposed to achieve. "More leads" isn't a goal; "ten qualified leads a month at a maximum of €60 per lead" is. Budget, bidding strategy, and measurement follow from that.
Decide which action counts as a conversion: form, call, appointment booking, purchase. Everything else (page views, time on page) is at most a secondary conversion and must not feed bid management.
Step 2: Set up conversion tracking
Tracking comes before the campaign, not after. Without accurately measured conversions, neither you nor Google's algorithm knows what's working. In concrete terms:
- Link GA4 and Google Ads, so goals can be imported.
- Set up conversion actions cleanly: form submission, phone number click, appointment confirmation, each with a realistic value.
- Set up Consent Mode, so measurement stays GDPR-compliant while modeled conversions remain possible [1].
- Test before launch: trigger every conversion yourself once and check that it registers in the account.
Step 3: Account structure and campaign architecture
The account structure follows your offer structure, not the other way around. What works well:
- One campaign per service area or region, so budgets can be managed separately.
- Ad groups organized by search intent, not internal department logic. "Google Ads agency Cologne" and "What does Google Ads cost" don't belong in the same group.
- Keep brand campaigns separate, so cheap brand clicks don't flatter the performance of the more expensive generic campaigns.
| Level | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign | one topic, one budget, one bid goal | "Web design Cologne, Search" |
| Ad group | one search intent, 5–15 keywords | "web design agency cologne" |
| Ad | 2–3 responsive search ads per group | Headlines with search term + benefit |
| Keywords | Phrase and Exact, Broad only with data | [web design agency cologne] |
Step 4: Keyword research and match types
Keyword research doesn't start in the Keyword Planner, it starts with the question of what your customers actually type. The Planner then supplies volume and cost-per-click data [2]. Important:
- Start with Phrase and Exact. Broad Match only works once there's enough conversion data in the account. At the start, Broad mostly buys wasted spend.
- Negative keywords from day one. Job-related terms, "free," "DIY," competitor names, depending on the offer. The list grows weekly from the search terms report.
- Separate purchase-ready terms from research terms. "Agency Cologne" and "what does it cost" are different intents with different cost-per-click and belong in different campaigns.
Step 5: Writing ads
Responsive search ads consist of up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, from which Google builds combinations. For this to work:
- The search term appears in at least two headlines, ideally in position one.
- Every headline works on its own, because the order varies.
- One clear benefit per ad group, no buzzword collection. "Fixed price offer within 48 hours" beats "individual and professional."
- Fill out assets completely: sitelinks, snippets, callouts, prices, call asset. Assets cost nothing and make the ad bigger.
The best ad answers the search query literally. Someone searching "web design Cologne fixed price" and seeing exactly those words in the headline clicks. Creativity is secondary in search ads, relevance beats everything.
Step 6: Check or build the landing page
The click is only half the job. Before the campaign launches, the landing page must answer three questions within five seconds: Am I in the right place? What do I get? What do I do next? Check specifically for:
- Message match: the page's headline picks up the search term and the ad's promise.
- One call to action visible without scrolling, form or phone number.
- Load time under three seconds on mobile, otherwise you're paying for clicks that never see the page.
- Trust signals: references, location, real contact people.
If the existing website can't deliver that, a lean campaign-specific landing page is almost always cheaper than the wasted spend on a generic page.
Step 7: Budget, bids, and launch
At launch:
- Set the daily budget so the monthly budget isn't exceeded; Google may spend up to double that on any given day.
- Bidding strategy at the start: manual or "Maximize Clicks" with a cap. "Maximize Conversions" needs data first, otherwise cost-per-click can spike.
- Ride out the learning phase: bids and costs fluctuate in the first one to two weeks, that's normal and no reason to rebuild [3].
Step 8: The first four weeks after launch
The setup doesn't end at launch, it starts there. The weekly rhythm:
- Read the search terms report and exclude irrelevant terms, at least weekly.
- Check ad performance, replace weak headlines, not the whole ad.
- Measure cost per conversion against the goal from step 1. If the campaign is double the target value after four weeks, rebuild the structure, don't just raise the budget.
- Don't rush anything: changes take a few days to show up in the data.
Kernaussage
Anyone who works through these eight steps in order ends up with a campaign that's measurable and controllable. Anyone who skips steps 2 and 6 ends up with a campaign that spends money.
Conclusion: Structure beats budget
Setting up a Google Ads campaign properly is a craft with a clear order: goal, tracking, structure, keywords, ads, landing page, budget, maintenance. The biggest lever isn't the budget, it's tracking and structure, before a single euro is spent.
If you'd rather hand the setup to experienced hands or have your existing account checked against this checklist: we'll do the account check for free and tell you where you stand. More on our management services is on our Google Ads agency Cologne page, and the cost question is answered in the article on Google Ads costs.
We'll check your account or your planned setup against exactly this checklist and tell you what's missing. Free, with no sales pressure.
Request a free account checkFrequently asked questions
How long does it take to set up a Google Ads campaign?+
Simply creating it in the interface takes under an hour. A clean setup with research, tracking, ads, and a landing page realistically takes one to two weeks.
What does setting up a Google Ads campaign cost?+
DIY costs mainly time, about 10 to 20 hours. With an agency, setup ranges from 900 to 2,500 euros depending on scope, plus the media budget.
Which bidding strategy is right at the start?+
At the beginning, manual bidding or Maximize Clicks with a bid cap. Maximize Conversions only works once there's enough conversion data in the account.
How many keywords does an ad group need?+
Five to fifteen closely related keywords per group is a good rule of thumb. More important than the number is that all keywords share the same search intent.
What are negative keywords and why do I need them?+
Negative keywords stop your ad from showing for irrelevant searches, such as job searches or 'free' queries. Without them, you pay for clicks that never turn into customers.
Do I need a dedicated landing page for Google Ads?+
Not necessarily, but the landing page must pick up the ad's promise, load quickly, and have a clear call to action. If the existing page can't do that, a dedicated landing page is usually cheaper than the wasted spend.
How long does the learning phase last after launch?+
Google states one to two weeks, during which bids and costs fluctuate. During this time, you should observe and maintain search terms, but not make any fundamental changes.
Can I set up a campaign myself and later hand it over to an agency?+
Yes, as long as the account belongs to you. An agency can build on the existing structure and history, but usually still needs to rework tracking and account structure.
Sources
- Google: Consent Mode einrichten, Google (2025)
- Google Keyword Planner, Google (2025)
- Google Ads Hilfe: Lernphase bei automatischen Gebotsstrategien, Google (2025)
#Google Ads#SEA#Performance Marketing#Checklist
Author
Josef KujawskiManaging Director & Creative Director at Maluure
Josef leads the strategic and creative development of brands at Maluure. For over a decade, he has guided medium-sized businesses from brand positioning to digital delivery.
Managing Director of Maluure GmbH, Cologne. Specialising in corporate design, brand strategy and digital brand experiences.
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