How to set up a Google Search ads campaign
Set up conversion tracking first, then build a Search campaign with a few tightly themed ad groups, each with a handful of keywords, a responsive search ad that repeats the searcher's words, and a landing page that matches. Add negative keywords from day one, set a daily budget you're comfortable losing while you learn, and check the search terms report every week.
Why it matters
Search ads reach people at the moment they're looking for what you sell: 'AC repair Al Barsha', 'wedding photographer Jaipur'. That intent is why search is often the first paid channel that pays back for a local or service business.
It's also easy to waste money. Broad keywords without negatives match searches you never wanted ('free', 'jobs', 'DIY'), and campaigns without conversion tracking optimise for clicks instead of customers.
A small, tidy campaign that you check weekly usually beats a big, sprawling one. Most of the gains come from cutting waste, not from clever settings.
How to do it by hand
Set up conversion tracking
In Google Ads, create conversions for the actions that matter: form submissions, calls from ads, WhatsApp clicks or purchases. Use the Google tag or import from Google Analytics. Without this, Google can't tell good clicks from bad ones.
Choose a few tight themes
Make one ad group per service and intent, such as 'AC repair' and 'AC gas refill', rather than one group for everything. Each group gets 5 to 15 closely related keywords in phrase or exact match to start.
Write responsive search ads
Give each ad group up to 15 headlines (30 characters each) and up to 4 descriptions (90 characters each). Repeat the search words in a few headlines, add your price or offer, proof (reviews, years, guarantees) and a clear next step.
Add negative keywords
Start a list of words you never want: jobs, salary, course, free, DIY, second-hand, competitor names if you don't want them. Add it to the campaign before launch.
Set location, schedule and budget
Target only the areas you serve, choose 'presence' (people in the area) rather than interest if you're local, and set a daily budget you can afford for a month of learning. Start with a simple bidding strategy such as Maximise conversions.
Check search terms every week
Open the search terms report, add irrelevant searches as negatives, and move strong new searches into their own keywords. Pause ad groups that spend without converting after a fair test.
How to do it in Wirk
- Integrations → Google Ads → Continue with Google, and pick the account.
- Automate → Workflows → Google Search campaign: fill in the product or landing page, target market, daily budget and goal.
- Review the ad groups, keywords, responsive search ads, sitelinks, callouts and negative keywords.
- Approve it in Approvals. Approving creates the campaign paused; turning it on is a separate approval.
- Ads → Campaigns → Turn on. Spend stays inside the ad spend limit set in Settings → Ads & inbox.
Example output
Example for a sample business
One ad group: keywords, negatives and a responsive search ad
CoolBreeze AC Services, an air-conditioning repair company in Dubai
An ad group for urgent AC repair in two areas they serve, with a landing page for those areas.
| Keyword | Match type |
|---|---|
| ac repair al barsha | Exact |
| ac repair jumeirah village circle | Exact |
| ac not cooling dubai | Phrase |
| emergency ac repair dubai | Phrase |
| ac technician near me | Phrase |
jobs, salary, vacancy, course, training, free, diy, how to fix, second hand, used, buy ac, price list
AC Repair in Al Barsha & JVC AC Not Cooling? Same-Day Fix Technician at Your Door Today AED 99 Visit, Waived If Fixed 90-Day Warranty on Repairs Rated 4.8 by Dubai Customers Book on WhatsApp in 1 Minute Gas Top-Up and Leak Repair
Licensed technicians in Al Barsha and JVC. Most repairs done on the first visit. Clear prices before we start. AED 99 call-out, waived if you go ahead with the repair.
Written by our team for a sample business, not generated by Wirk
Template to copy
Ad group plan
Ad group: [service + intent] Landing page: [page that matches this service and area] Keywords (5–15, phrase or exact): [ ] Negatives: jobs, salary, course, free, diy, [your own] Headlines (up to 15, max 30 characters): [search words] / [price or offer] / [proof] / [speed] / [next step] Descriptions (up to 4, max 90 characters): [what's included + proof] / [price clarity + next step] Conversion tracked: [form / call / WhatsApp click / purchase]
Common mistakes
Launching without conversion tracking
Google's automated bidding learns from conversions. Without them it optimises for clicks, which are not the same as customers.
Broad match with no negatives
Broad match can work with good data and a tight budget, but with no negatives and no history it often spends on unrelated searches.
Sending every ad to the home page
If the search is 'AC gas refill', the page should be about AC gas refills, with the price. A general home page makes people hunt and leave.
Changing everything every day
Daily edits to bids and budgets keep the campaign learning and never settling. Make changes weekly, based on the search terms and conversions.
Questions and answers
How much should I spend on Google Search ads?
Start with a daily budget you can afford for a month of learning, and look at the cost per click for your keywords in Keyword Planner. You need enough budget for a reasonable number of clicks per day to learn which keywords convert.
Which match type should I start with?
Phrase and exact match give you more control when you're starting with little data. Broad match can work later, once conversion tracking is in place and you have a strong negative keyword list.
How long before I know if it's working?
Give a new campaign a few weeks before judging it, and look at conversions and cost per enquiry rather than clicks. Check the search terms report weekly from the first week.
Should I bid on my own brand name?
Often yes if competitors bid on it, since brand clicks are usually cheap and protect your top spot. If nobody else shows up for your name, you can test turning it off.