Building Google Ads Campaigns

Given a business (e.g. "residential builder in Wirral"), produce these deliverables in order:

1. Keyword list grouped into tight ad groups
2. Suggested manual CPC starting bids
3. Competitor snapshot (who's bidding, what they say)
4. 2-3 responsive search ads per ad group
5. Campaign settings (locations, budget, bidding, schedule, extensions)
6. Landing page copy matched to the top ad group's intent
7. Conversion tracking plan (calls, form fills)
8. Launch checklist

Don't wait to be asked for all of this — a request to "build a campaign for X" means produce all 8 items.

Progress:
- [ ] 1. Keyword research
- [ ] 2. Group keywords into ad groups
- [ ] 3. Estimate starting bids
- [ ] 4. Competitor research
- [ ] 5. Write ad copy
- [ ] 6. Configure campaign settings
- [ ] 7. Write landing page copy
- [ ] 8. Build landing page
- [ ] 9. Set up conversion tracking
- [ ] 10. Launch

1. Keyword Research

• Use Google Ads Keyword Planner as the primary source. Seed with the service + location (e.g. "builder liverpool", "extension builder wirral", "loft conversion cost").
• Pull search volume, competition, and top-of-page bid ranges.
• Split into three intent tiers:
  • High intent / bottom-funnel: "builders near me", "[service] quote", "[service] cost" — prioritize these, they convert best.
  • Mid intent: "[service] wirral", "residential builders [area]"
  • Broad/informational: "how to plan a house extension" — usually exclude from launch, revisit later.
• Collect negative keywords immediately: "jobs", "diy", "cheap", "free", "training", "course", competitor brand names (unless doing conquesting).

2. Group Keywords

• One tight theme per ad group (5-15 closely related keywords max).
• Group by service line, not by generic terms — e.g. separate ad groups for "New Builds", "Extensions", "Loft Conversions", "General Builder" rather than one giant group.
• Ad group name should match the exact phrase you'll use in the headline.

3. Starting Bids

• Use Keyword Planner's "top of page bid (high range)" as ceiling, "low range" as floor.
• Start manual CPC at roughly the midpoint, rounded down slightly to control initial spend.
• For competitive local trades terms, expect £2-£8 CPC; adjust based on planner data for the specific market.
• Set ad group-level default bid, then adjust individual keyword bids up for the highest-intent terms only.

4. Competitor Research

• Search the top 3-5 keywords in an incognito window from the target location.
• Record for each competitor ad: headline structure, USPs claimed (fast response, free quotes, ratings, guarantees), CTA used, and whether they use sitelinks/callouts.
• Identify the gap — what's NOT being claimed (e.g. "fully insured", "response within 24hrs") — use it as differentiation in your own ad copy.

5. Ad Copy

Structure for a Responsive Search Ad:

• Headlines (create 10-15): mix of keyword-exact ("Builders in Wirral"), USP-led ("Free Quote Today"), CTA ("Get Your Free Quote"), trust ("Rated 5 Stars"), location.
• Descriptions (2-4): lead with the offer/CTA, follow with 3-4 concrete deliverables (services, materials, process), close with a trust signal (rating, guarantee).
• Always include the domain as visible path where relevant.
• Pin the location/brand headline to position 1 only if brand consistency matters more than RSA optimization; otherwise let Google rotate.
• Add sitelinks (services, about, reviews, contact), callouts (Fully Insured, Free Quotes, 5-Star Rated, Local & Trusted), and structured snippets (Services: Extensions, Conversions, New Builds, Refurbishments).

6. Campaign Settings

• Type: Search only, no Display Network expansion.
• Bidding: Manual CPC to start (or Maximize Clicks with a bid cap) until there's 30+ conversions of data, then switch to Target CPA/tCPA.
• Locations: Target the specific service radius (city + surrounding towns), not the whole country. Use "Presence" targeting, not "Presence or Interest," to avoid irrelevant clicks.
• Language: Match the market (usually English).
• Budget: Set daily budget = (target monthly leads × estimated CPA) / 30, with buffer.
• Ad schedule: Match business hours if it's a phone-lead business, unless call tracking shows after-hours value.
• Devices: No exclusions initially; monitor and adjust bid modifiers after data comes in.
• Extensions: Sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, call extension, and location extension (if applicable) — always add all of these before launch.

7. Landing Page Copy

• Match headline to the ad's primary keyword/promise (message match is critical for Quality Score and conversion).
• Structure: Hero (headline + subheadline + trust badges) → value props (3-4 short benefit blocks) → social proof (reviews with names) → contact form → recent work/portfolio.
• Keep the form short: Name, Phone, Email, Project Details — no more than 4-5 fields.
• Repeat the phone number and CTA above the fold and again near the bottom.
• Use specific trust signals: company registration number, insurance, response time commitment, star rating — vague claims convert worse than specifics.

8. Build the Landing Page

• One dedicated landing page per major ad group/service when volume justifies it; otherwise one strong page covering all services with clear service sections.
• Ensure mobile-first design — most local service searches are mobile.
• Page load speed under 3 seconds; strip unnecessary scripts/tracking bloat.

9. Conversion Tracking

• Set up call tracking (call extension conversions + a dynamic number insertion tracking number on the landing page) — phone calls are usually the primary conversion for local trades.
• Set up form submission tracking (Google Tag / GTM trigger on form success).
• Import conversions into Google Ads before launch; mark phone calls and form fills as primary, and set appropriate conversion windows (30-90 days for high-ticket services).
• Test both tracking methods before spending live budget.

10. Launch

• Double-check: negatives added, geo-targeting correct, extensions live, tracking firing, billing set, budget set correctly.
• Launch with manual CPC or capped Maximize Clicks; monitor daily for the first week.
• Check search terms report after 3-5 days and add negatives; don't touch bids until at least 50-100 clicks per ad group.