If you’re new to Google Ads, you might feel a little overwhelmed by all the options, settings, and strategies available. The good news is that starting your first campaign doesn’t have to be complicated. With a clear step-by-step plan, you can set up ads that actually reach the right people, bring in traffic, and generate leads or sales.

What’s New in Google Ads for 2025? The Rise of AI

Before we dive in, it’s important to understand that Google Ads is more intelligent than ever. The biggest trend for 2025 is the deep integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Here’s a quick look at what that means for you:

AI-Powered Campaigns: Google is heavily pushing automated campaign types like Performance Max, which uses AI to find your ideal audience across all of Google’s channels (Search, Display, YouTube, etc.). While we’ll start with a more fundamental campaign type, it’s good to know this is the future.

Smarter Bidding: AI-driven “Smart Bidding” strategies automatically optimize your bids to help you achieve your goals, like maximizing conversions or clicks.

Conversational Ad Setup: Google is rolling out a new chat-based campaign creation process where you can simply describe your business and goals, and AI will suggest entire campaigns for you.

With that in mind, let’s get started on building your foundational knowledge and your first campaign!

This guide will walk you through every stage of building your first Google Ads campaign in 2025.

Step 1: Create Your Google Ads Account (and a Pro Tip)

First things first, you’ll need a Google Ads account.

1. Go to the Google Ads website and click “Start now.”
2. Sign in with your existing Google account or create a new one.

Pro Tip: Google will try to guide you into a “Smart Campaign” setup. For more control and to learn the platform properly, look for a button that says “Switch to Expert Mode” or something similar. This will give you access to all the features and settings we’ll be discussing.

Step 2: Define Your Campaign Goal

Before you even log into Google Ads, be clear on what you want to achieve. Do you want more website traffic, leads, phone calls, or online sales? Google Ads will ask you to choose a goal, and this will shape how your campaign is structured.

Example goals:

Drive traffic to your website

Goal: Get more people to visit your website.

How it works:
Google Ads shows your ads to users who are likely interested in your products or services. When they click the ad, they’re taken to your website. This is useful for increasing visibility, brand awareness, or guiding users to specific pages (like a product or service page).

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Generate sign-ups for a newsletter

Goal: Encourage users to subscribe to your email list.

How it works:
Ads are designed to lead users to a landing page with a sign-up form. The messaging focuses on the benefits of subscribing (e.g., exclusive offers, updates, or content). This helps build a direct communication channel with potential customers.

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Sell products directly from an online store

Goal: Increase online sales.

How it works:
Google Shopping or Search ads show your products with images, prices, and links. Users can click and buy directly from your site. These campaigns are optimised to target users who are ready to make a purchase.

Step 3: Choose Your Campaign Type

Based on your goal, Google will suggest different campaign types. Here are the most common:

• Search: Text based ads that appear on Google search results pages.
• Display: Image based ads that appear on websites across the internet.
• Video: Video ads that run on YouTube.
• Shopping: Product listings that appear on Google Shopping.
• Performance Max (PMax): An all in one campaign type that uses AI to run ads across all of Google’s channels.

For beginners, we highly recommend starting with a Search campaign. It’s the most direct way to reach people who are actively looking for what you offer.

Step 4: Set Your Budget and Bidding Strategy

Budget: You’ll set a daily budget, which is the average amount you’re willing to spend per day. Google may spend more or less than your daily budget on any given day, but it won’t exceed your monthly charging limit. Start with a budget you’re comfortable with you can always adjust it later.

Bidding: This tells Google how you want to spend your money. For beginners, a good starting point is the Maximize clicks bidding strategy. This will help you get as much traffic to your website as possible within your budget.

Step 5: Campaign Settings (Location, Language, Ad Schedule)

Location: Target the specific geographic areas where your customers are. You can target countries, regions, cities, or even a radius around a specific address.

Language: Select the languages your customers speak.

Ad schedule: You can choose to run your ads on specific days and at certain times.

Step 6: Keyword Research: The Heart of Your Campaign

Keywords are the words and phrases people type into Google. You’ll bid on these keywords to have your ads show up.

• Think like your customer: What would they search for to find your product or service?
• Use Google’s Keyword Planner: This free tool within Google Ads will help you discover new keywords and see their search volume and estimated cost.
• Keyword Match Types:
  • Broad Match: Shows your ad for a wide range of related queries. Use with caution as it can lead to irrelevant clicks.
  • Phrase Match: Shows your ad for queries that include the meaning of your keyword.
  • Exact Match: Shows your ad for queries that are the same meaning as your keyword.

For beginners, starting with a mix of phrase match and exact match keywords is a good strategy.

Step 7: Create Compelling Ad Copy

Your ad is what will convince people to click. In 2025, you’ll be using Responsive Search Ads (RSAs). With RSAs, you provide multiple headlines and descriptions, and Google’s AI will mix and match them to create the best ad for each search.

• Headlines (up to 15): Make them catchy and include your keywords.
• Descriptions (up to 4): Provide more detail about your offer and include a strong call-to-action (e.g., “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” “Get a Free Quote”).

Step 8: Set Up Ad Groups

Ad groups are used to organize your keywords and ads into common themes. For example, if you sell shoes, you might have ad groups for “running shoes,” “men’s dress shoes,” and “women’s sandals.”

A good rule of thumb is to have 15-20 closely related keywords per ad group.

Step 9: Review and Launch!

Take a final look at all your campaign settings. Check your budget, targeting, keywords, and ad copy. Once you’re happy with everything, click “Publish campaign.”

Congratulations, your first Google Ads campaign is now live!

After the Launch: What’s Next?

Your work isn’t done once the campaign is live. Now it’s time to monitor your performance and make optimisations. Keep an eye on key metrics like:

• Clicks: How many people are clicking on your ads.
• Impressions: How many times your ads are being shown.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of people who click your ad after seeing it.
• Cost Per Click (CPC): The average amount you’re paying for each click.

Conclusion

Launching your first Google Ads campaign in 2025 is an exciting step toward growing your business. By following this guide, you’ve set a solid foundation for success. Remember to be patient, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to experiment.

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