Google Ads First Week Action Plan: 7 Days to Launch Success

Morning: Account Configuration

Task 1: Account Settings (30 minutes)

• Set correct time zone (matches your business hours)
• Set correct currency (can't change later)
• Configure billing with backup payment method
• Set up 2-factor authentication
• Review and accept terms

Task 2: Link Essential Accounts (45 minutes)

• Google Analytics 4 (critical for tracking)
• Google Tag Manager (for conversion tracking)
• Google Search Console (for keyword data)
• Google Merchant Center (if e-commerce)

Afternoon: Conversion Tracking Setup

This is the most important task of Day 1.

Task 3: Define Your Conversions (30 minutes)

Identify what counts as success:

• Primary: Purchase, lead form submission, phone call
• Secondary: Add to cart, newsletter signup, page engagement

Task 4: Implement Tracking (2 hours)

For each primary conversion:

• Create conversion action in Google Ads
• Set conversion value (actual or average)
• Install tracking code via GTM
• Test tracking is firing correctly

Day 1 Checkpoint:

• ☐ Account configured correctly
• ☐ All accounts linked
• ☐ Primary conversion tracking live
• ☐ Test conversion recorded

Morning: Seed Keyword Generation

Task 5: Brainstorm Seed Keywords (1 hour)

List every term your ideal customer might search:

• Product/service names
• Problem-describing terms
• Solution-seeking terms
• Brand names (yours)
• Industry terminology

Task 6: Keyword Planner Research (2 hours)

For each seed keyword:

• Enter in Google Keyword Planner
• Review volume and competition
• Note suggested keywords worth targeting
• Export promising keywords

Afternoon: Keyword Qualification

Task 7: Classify Keywords by Intent (2 hours)

Intent Level	Keywords	Action
High Intent (prioritize)	"buy [product]", "[product] pricing", "[service] near me"	Include
Medium Intent	"best [product]", "[product] reviews", "[product] vs [competitor]"	Consider
Low Intent (avoid initially)	"what is [product]", "how to [topic]"	Exclude

Task 8: Finalize Initial Keyword List (1 hour)

Select 15-30 exact match keywords:

• Focus on high-intent only
• Remove anything with unclear intent
• Group into 2-3 themes

Day 2 Checkpoint:

• ☐ 50+ keywords researched
• ☐ Intent classified for each
• ☐ 15-30 high-intent keywords selected
• ☐ Keywords grouped by theme

Morning: Campaign Architecture

Task 9: Define Campaign Structure (1 hour)

Recommended First Campaign:

Campaign: Non-Brand Search
├── Ad Group 1: [Primary Theme]
│   └── 5-10 exact match keywords
├── Ad Group 2: [Secondary Theme]
│   └── 5-10 exact match keywords
└── Ad Group 3: [Third Theme]
    └── 5-10 exact match keywords
        

Task 10: Create Campaign in Google Ads (1 hour)

• Select "Search" campaign type
• Set conversion goal (from Day 1)
• Name campaign clearly (e.g., "Non-Brand Search - [Product]")
• Set location targeting (where you serve customers)
• Set language targeting
• Keep audience observation only (no targeting yet)

Afternoon: Ad Group Setup

Task 11: Create Ad Groups (2 hours)

For each ad group:

• Name descriptively (match keyword theme)
• Add 5-10 exact match keywords
• Set up negative keywords (shared list)

Task 12: Build Initial Negative Keyword List (1 hour)

Add negatives proactively:

• free
• jobs, careers, hiring
• how to, tutorial, DIY
• cheap (if not your positioning)
• download (if not offering downloads)
• [competitor names] (if not brand bidding)

Day 3 Checkpoint:

• ☐ Campaign created with correct settings
• ☐ 2-3 ad groups built
• ☐ Keywords added to each ad group
• ☐ Negative keyword list started

Morning: Headline Development

Task 13: Write Headlines (2 hours)

For each ad group, create 15 unique headlines:

Category	Count	Examples
Keyword-focused	3-4	Include exact keywords
Benefit-focused	3-4	"Boost Team Productivity 40%"
Social proof	2-3	"Trusted by 10,000+ Teams"
Action-oriented	2-3	"Start Your Free Trial Today"
Differentiators	2-3	"No Credit Card Required"

Afternoon: Description and Extensions

Task 14: Write Descriptions (1 hour)

Create 4 descriptions per ad group:

• 90 characters each
• Expand on headline promises
• Include call-to-action
• Add urgency where appropriate

Task 15: Set Up Ad Extensions (1 hour)

• Sitelinks (4 minimum): Direct to key pages
• Callouts (4 minimum): Short benefit statements
• Structured snippets: List features or services
• Call extension: If phone leads valuable
• Location: If local business

Task 16: Assemble Responsive Search Ads (1 hour)

Create 1 RSA per ad group:

• Add all 15 headlines
• Add all 4 descriptions
• Pin critical elements if needed (sparingly)
• Preview combinations

Day 4 Checkpoint:

• ☐ 15 headlines per ad group
• ☐ 4 descriptions per ad group
• ☐ All relevant extensions configured
• ☐ RSAs assembled and reviewed

Morning: Budget Calculation

Task 17: Calculate Starting Budget (1 hour)

Formula: Target daily conversions × Expected CPA = Daily budget

Minimum Recommendations:

• At least 10x your expected CPA per day
• Absolute minimum: $20/day for data gathering

Example:

• Expected CPA: $50
• Minimum daily budget: $500 (for smart bidding)
• Starter budget if constrained: $50/day

Task 18: Set Budget in Campaign (30 minutes)

• Set daily budget at calculated amount
• Use "standard" delivery (not accelerated)
• Plan to not change for 2 weeks

Afternoon: Bidding Strategy

Task 19: Select Initial Bidding Strategy (30 minutes)

Account Type	Recommended Strategy	Reason
New Accounts	Maximize Conversions (no target)	Lets algorithm learn, gathers data quickly
Very Limited Budget (<$20/day)	Manual CPC	More control with limited data

Task 20: Configure Bidding Settings (30 minutes)

• Select bidding strategy in campaign
• Enable enhanced CPC if using manual
• Do NOT set targets yet (no data to base them on)
• Review impression share estimates

Day 5 Checkpoint:

• ☐ Daily budget calculated and set
• ☐ Bidding strategy selected
• ☐ No premature targets set
• ☐ Settings double-checked

Morning: Quality Check

Task 21: Complete Campaign Audit (2 hours)

Review everything:

Account Level:

• Correct timezone and currency
• Conversion tracking verified (test conversion?)
• Billing configured and valid

Campaign Level:

• Correct networks (Search only, no Display)
• Location targeting accurate
• Language targeting correct
• Budget set appropriately

Ad Group Level:

• Keywords are exact match
• No duplicate keywords across ad groups
• Negative keywords applied

Ad Level:

• No policy violations flagged
• Headlines diverse and relevant
• Landing page URLs correct
• Extensions approved

Afternoon: Landing Page Verification

Task 22: Landing Page Audit (1 hour)

• Page loads in under 3 seconds
• Mobile-responsive design
• Clear headline matching ad promise
• Obvious call-to-action above fold
• Contact form works (test it)
• Phone number correct
• No broken links

Task 23: Create Monitoring Dashboard (1 hour)

• Bookmark campaign in Google Ads
• Set up custom columns (impressions, clicks, CTR, conversions, CPA)
• Configure email alerts for account issues
• Create spreadsheet for daily tracking

Day 6 Checkpoint:

• ☐ Full audit completed
• ☐ All issues resolved
• ☐ Landing pages verified
• ☐ Monitoring dashboard ready

Morning: Campaign Launch

Task 24: Launch Campaign (30 minutes)

• Final review of all settings
• Change campaign status to "Enabled"
• Verify ads start showing (check impressions within 1 hour)
• Document launch time for tracking

Throughout Day: Active Monitoring

Task 25: Day 1 Monitoring (ongoing)

Check every 2-3 hours:

• Are impressions accumulating?
• Are clicks happening?
• Any disapproved ads?
• Search terms report (what's triggering ads?)

Task 26: Quick Fixes (as needed)

Address immediately:

• Disapproved ads (fix policy issues)
• Obviously irrelevant search terms (add as negatives)
• Technical errors (tracking, landing pages)

Do NOT change:

• Bids (let algorithm learn)
• Budget (unless completely wrong)
• Keywords (wait for more data)

Evening: Day 1 Review

Task 27: End-of-Day Assessment (30 minutes)

Document in spreadsheet:

• Total impressions
• Total clicks
• CTR
• Average CPC
• Any conversions (don't expect many)
• Notable search terms

Day 7 Checkpoint:

• ☐ Campaign live and running
• ☐ Impressions and clicks happening
• ☐ No critical errors
• ☐ Day 1 metrics documented

Immediate Next Steps (Days 8-14)

Daily Tasks:

• Check performance once daily
• Review search terms every 2-3 days
• Add negative keywords as needed
• Document performance metrics

Do NOT Do Yet:

• Change bidding strategies
• Adjust budgets dramatically
• Pause keywords without 50+ clicks
• Judge campaign success (too early)

Week 2 Goals

• Accumulate 15-30 conversions
• Build robust negative keyword list
• Identify best-performing ad elements
• Prepare for first optimization cycle

Week 3-4 Goals

• Evaluate for smart bidding viability
• Consider adding Target CPA
• Test additional keywords
• Plan expansion if profitable

First Week Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Why It's Bad
Changing Things Too Fast	Wait for data
Using Broad Match Keywords	Stick to exact match initially
No Conversion Tracking	Must have from day 1
Display Network Enabled	Keep Search only
Unrealistic Budget	Too low = no data
Ignoring Search Terms	Check every 2-3 days
Setting Aggressive Targets	No targets without data