Google Search Ad Guide

Before You Start

Gather these before you begin:

•  A clear campaign goal, such as leads, calls, or website traffic
•  The landing page you want customers to visit
•  Your target audience and customer intent
•  A starting budget
•  Your primary keywords
•  Negative keywords you want to exclude
•  Ad headlines and descriptions

1. Set Up the Playbook

Go to Google Ads > Playbooks > Create Playbook.

Basic Information (Same process as Meta Ad Playbooks!)

•  Playbook Name
•  Description (Optional)
•  Primary Language 
•  
  Collections
  (Optional)
•  Who Has Access?
  • Choose All Workspaces or Specific Locations
•  Launch Method
  • Workspace Opt-Ins: Locations review and provide their information before launching.
  • Deploy Immediately: Launch to eligible locations without an opt-in.

Budget & Schedule

•  Choose a Lifetime Budget or Daily Budget.
•  Set the Total Playbook Budget.
  •  Decide whether workspaces can set their own budget.
•  Set the Start Date and End Date.
  •  Decide whether workspaces can choose their own schedule.

Recommendation

Start with $30/day per location for 4-6 weeks,

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2. Build the Search Campaign

Campaign Setup

•  Campaign Name
•  Objective: Select Create a campaign without guidance
•  Campaign Type: Select Search
•  Networks: Choose whether to include Search Partners and or the Display Network (these are recommended)
•  Languages: Choose specific languages or use the Hub default.
•  Campaign Budget
•  Schedule

Choose Your Bidding Strategy

Choose a strategy based on what you want Google to optimize for:

Goal	Strategy
Get more conversions	Maximize Conversions
Get more conversion value	Maximize Conversion Value
Get more website traffic	Maximize Clicks
Hit a target cost per acquisition	Target CPA
Hit a target return on ad spend	Target ROAS
Control your maximum CPC manually	Manual CPC

Google Resource -

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3. Build Your Ad Group & Ads

Write the Responsive Search Ad

Each Responsive Search Ad needs:

•  At least 3 headlines (up to 15)
•  At least 2 descriptions (up to 4)
•  Relevant keywords
•  A relevant landing page

Write Headlines That Match Search Intent

Use a mix of:

• The service: "Local Dance Class"
• Location: "Dance Class in {city}"
• Benefit: "Have Fun & Build Confidence"
• Offer: "Get 20% Off Your First Dance Class"
• Call to action: "Book Your First Dance Class"

Keep headlines within the 30-character limit.

Write Descriptions That Add Context

Use descriptions to explain what customers get and why they should take action.

Keep each description within the 90-character limit.

Avoid repeating the same message across every headline and description. Give Google different combinations to test.

Choose Your Keywords

Keywords tell Google which searches can trigger your ads.

Start With Customer Intent

Think about what someone would search for when they are ready to use your service.

For example, a local dance studio might target:

• dance classes near me
• dance classes [city]
• adult dance classes [city]
• dance fitness classes [city]
• hip hop dance classes [city]
• beginner dance classes [city]
• dance class for adults

Focus on searches that show intent to take action, rather than broad topics.

Build Your Keyword List

Ask:

•  Does this keyword describe what we actually offer?
•  Would someone searching this term be a potential customer?
•  Does the keyword match the landing page?
•  Is the search specific enough to have useful intent?
•  Are there irrelevant searches we should exclude?

Avoid making the list unnecessarily broad. A smaller group of highly relevant keywords can make it easier to understand which searches are driving results.

Helpful Keyword Research Tools

- Google's free keyword research tool.

- A quick video walkthrough of how to use Google Keyword Planner.

- Find keyword ideas, search volume, competition, and related terms.

Add Negative Keywords

Negative keywords prevent ads from showing for searches that don't fit your business.

For example, a paid service might exclude searches such as:

• Free
• Jobs
• Careers
• Dance teacher
• DIY
• Competition

4. Final Review

Once everything looks correct, review the playbook and campaign settings, then create the playbook.