Google Ads Launch Kit: Your Complete First Two Weeks

Critical Settings Most Advertisers Miss

Google Ads hides powerful settings behind defaults designed for beginners. Taking control of these five settings immediately separates professional advertisers from amateurs.

Setting #1: Disable Display Network in Search Campaigns

The Default Problem: When creating search campaigns, Google automatically enables the Display Network with a "Recommended" label.

Why This Hurts:

• Your text-based search ads appear on visual display placements
• Mixed messaging between search intent and display placements
• Diluted campaign performance metrics

How to Fix: Campaign Settings → Networks → Uncheck "Google Display Network"

Setting #2: Configure Auto-Applied Recommendations

Google can automatically implement certain recommendations without your approval.

Keep Enabled	Disable Immediately
Use Optimized Ad Rotation	Add Responsive Search Ads (may include inaccurate info)
Upgrade Your Conversion Tracking	Improve Responsive Search Ads (may misrepresent offer)
	Remove Redundant Keywords (too aggressive)

Setting #3: Use Keyword Match Types

Avoid the campaign-level setting that applies broad match to all keywords automatically.

Recommended Starting Mix:

• 70% phrase match (core strategy)
• 20% exact match (high-value terms)
• 10% broad match (discovery—use sparingly)

Setting #4: Configure Conversion Counting

Conversion Type	Counting Setting
E-Commerce Purchases	Multiple (each purchase is real revenue)
Lead Generation	Single (form submitted 3x isn't 3x more valuable)

Setting #5: Disable Optimized Targeting Initially

Don't enable optimized targeting on Day 1. Wait until you have 100+ conversions for the algorithm to have data to identify patterns.

Why This Decision Is Critical

Campaign objectives cannot be changed after launch. Selecting the wrong objective means creating an entirely new campaign and losing valuable optimization data.

The Seven Objective Options

1. Website Traffic (Avoid)

• Optimizes for clicks, not conversions
• Attracts "clicky" users who rarely convert
• Only use if you truly can't implement conversion tracking

2. Create Campaign Without Goal's Guidance (Rarely Use)

• Removes all guardrails
• Only for highly unconventional use cases

3. App Promotion

If promoting a mobile app: use this. If not: don't.

4. Local Store Visits (Physical Locations Only)

• For businesses where customers come to you
• Not for service businesses that travel to customers
• Requires Google Business Profile

5. Awareness and Consideration (Large Budgets Only)

• Brand building, not immediate conversions
• Requires sustained significant budgets
• Small businesses should focus elsewhere

6. Sales (Immediate Purchases)

Use when:

• Customers can complete purchase in one session
• Journey: Ad → Website → Cart → Checkout → Purchase
• You can track the entire journey

7. Leads (Lead Generation)

Use when:

• Goal is to capture contact information
• Sales happen offline or through follow-up
• You track form submissions, calls, or quote requests

Modern vs. Legacy Structure

Legacy Approach	Modern Approach
Many campaigns, many ad groups	Fewer campaigns, consolidated ad groups
5-10 keywords per ad group	15-25+ keywords per ad group
Split by exact/phrase/broad	Mix match types in same ad group
Maximize control	Maximize algorithm learning

Recommended Structure by Business Type

E-Commerce:

• Brand Shopping campaign (high priority, brand exclusions)
• Non-Brand Shopping / Performance Max
• Brand Search campaign
• Non-Brand Search (by category if needed)

Lead Generation:

• Brand Search campaign
• Non-Brand Search (by service type if varied)
• Performance Max (after 50+ monthly conversions)

Local Business:

• Brand Search campaign
• Service + Location Search campaign
• Local campaigns (if physical visits matter)

Essential Separation Rules

• Always separate: Brand vs. Non-Brand
• Consider separating: Different services with different CPAs
• Avoid over-separating: Match types into different campaigns

Bidding Strategy Selection

New Accounts (No Conversion History):

Strategy	When to Use
Maximize Clicks	First 2-4 weeks to build data
Manual CPC	If you want full control initially

Accounts with Data (30+ Conversions/Month):

Strategy	When to Use
Maximize Conversions	Growing volume, flexible on CPA
Target CPA	Specific cost per acquisition goal
Target ROAS	Revenue-focused (e-commerce)

Launch Checklist

• ☐ Conversion tracking verified (test transaction/submission)
• ☐ Display Network removed from Search campaigns
• ☐ Auto-apply recommendations configured
• ☐ Match types properly set (not all broad)
• ☐ Conversion counting configured correctly
• ☐ Location targeting set to "Presence only"
• ☐ All ad extensions enabled
• ☐ Universal negative keywords added
• ☐ Budget set appropriately for your goals
• ☐ RSAs have minimum 5 headlines, 4 descriptions

First Week After Launch

• Day 1: Verify ads are serving, no disapprovals
• Day 2-3: Check search terms, add negatives
• Day 4-5: Review initial performance, adjust bids if manual
• Day 6-7: Analyze device/location/time data

Mistake 1: Accepting All Defaults

Google's defaults favor Google's revenue. Review every setting before launching.

Mistake 2: Too Many Campaigns Too Soon

Start with 2-3 campaigns maximum. Add complexity only when you have data to justify segmentation.

Mistake 3: All Broad Match Keywords

Without match type formatting, all keywords become broad match. Start with phrase and exact match.

Mistake 4: Skipping Conversion Tracking Verification

Make a test conversion before launching. Broken tracking wastes your entire budget.

Mistake 5: Setting Unrealistic Budgets

Problem	Result
Budget too low	Not enough data to optimize
Budget too high	Wastes money during learning phase

Recommendation: Start with 10-20x your target CPA as daily budget.

Mistake 6: Making Changes Too Quickly

Give campaigns 7-14 days before major changes. Algorithms need time to learn.

Mistake 7: Ignoring Search Terms Report

Review search terms within the first week. Add negatives immediately for irrelevant queries.