Google Ads 101: A Checklist for Your First Campaign

Wish you had a cheat sheet for Google Ads? The wait is over: Here’s a checklist to get you started. You’ll level up your Shopify store’s pay-per-click (PPC) strategy in no time!

Why Google Ads?

Let’s first discuss why you need to set up a Google Ads account in the first place. Whether you’re a marketing expert or novice, you’ve likely learned Google Ads is a proven method to boost sales and brand awareness. In fact, research has found that for every $1 a business spends on Google Ads, it leads to an average of $2 in revenue. Pretty good, right? 

The Ultimate Google Ads Checklist

✅ Create a Google Ads account.

✅ Determine your campaign’s daily budget and bids. 

✅ Identify your target audience.

✅ Choose between Google Search Network or Display Network.

✅ Select your keywords.

• Check out Google’s Keyword Planner tool. 

• Review each keyword’s quality score.

✅ Set your keyword match types — “broad match,” “phrase match,” “exact match,” or “negative match.” 

✅ Create your campaign’s landing page.

• Only include one objective or offer. 

• Include a CTA.

• Optimize for mobile. 

✅ Choose which devices to target — desktop, mobile, or both? 

✅ Split your campaign into different ad groups. 

• Craft unique headlines and copy for each.

  1. Make sure it includes your keywords.

  2. Include a compelling CTA, such as “shop now” or “learn more.”

  3. Review for spelling and grammar errors.

✅ Connect your account to your analytics platform.  

✅ Set up conversion tracking for Shopify.

• Create a conversion action. (Follow these instructions.)

• Install the global site tag in your Shopify store’s theme code.

• Integrate the event snippet with your checkout page.

• Edit your event snippet so that it’s dynamic and matches each transaction’s value.

✅ Launch your campaign.

✅ Monitor your campaign. 

✅ Which ads or keywords lead to the most clicks and conversions?

• A/B test specific elements to hone in on any trends. 

• Continuously optimize your campaign. 

Just like that, you’re all set! But why stop here? Discover how AdRoll’s integration for Shopify can take your brand to a whole new world.

Last updated on October 26th, 2021.