What you will be able to do
- Decide whether search ads suit your business and calculate a break-even and target cost per acquisition before spending
- Structure an account with focused campaigns and ad groups, choose keywords by intent and control matching with negative keywords
- Write responsive search ads and landing pages that match the searcher’s intent and address weak Quality Score components
- Set up conversion tracking with the Google tag and judge when enhanced conversions and offline imports are worth adding
- Choose between manual and automated bidding, evaluate Performance Max with care and run a weekly optimisation routine
Who it is for
- Small business owners who run, or plan to run, their own Google Ads account
- Marketers and freelancers managing modest budgets for local services, online shops or B2B firms
- Anyone who has tried Google Ads, spent money without clear results and wants to understand why
Before you start
- Basic familiarity with terms such as keyword, click and campaign, or a willingness to look them up
- Access to a Google Ads account and the ability to edit your website or landing pages, or a colleague who can
- Rough figures for your average sale value, gross margin and how many enquiries become customers
Curriculum
4 modules · 12 lessons · 4h 20m
Module 1Fit, Economics and Account Structure3 lessons · 1h
Decide whether search ads suit your business, work out what a customer is worth paying for, and build an account structure you can manage in a few hours a week.
- When search ads fit your businessSearch ads work best when people already search for what you sell; judge demand, economics and readiness before you spend.15 min · free preview · worked example · exercise
- Calculating break-even CPA and target ROASWork out the most you can afford to pay for a lead or a sale, then set targets that leave a profit.25 min · worked example · exercise
- Account structure that stays manageableOrganise campaigns by budget and goal and ad groups by tight themes, so keywords, ads and landing pages stay aligned.20 min · worked example · exercise
- Module quiz4 questions with explanations
Module 2Keywords, Intent and Ads3 lessons · 1h 5m
Choose keywords by the intent behind them, control which searches trigger your ads with match types and negatives, and write responsive search ads that earn the click.
- Search intent and choosing keywordsGroup keywords by what the searcher wants to do, and prioritise the ones closest to a purchase or enquiry.20 min · worked example · exercise
- Match types and negative keywordsUse broad, phrase and exact match deliberately, and build negative keyword lists that stop spend on searches that will never convert.25 min · worked example · exercise
- Writing responsive search adsWrite headlines and descriptions that match intent, prove your claims and work in any combination, then add assets with useful detail.20 min · worked example · exercise
- Module quiz4 questions with explanations
Module 3Landing Pages, Tracking and Bidding3 lessons · 1h 15m
Send clicks to pages that match the search, measure the conversions that matter, and choose budgets and bidding strategies that suit the data you have.
- Landing page relevance and Quality ScoreMatch each ad group to a landing page that continues the searcher’s journey, and use Quality Score’s three components to find what to fix.25 min · worked example · exercise
- Conversion tracking: Google tag, enhanced conversions and offline importsTrack the actions that matter with the Google tag, then understand how enhanced conversions and offline imports connect ads to real customers.25 min · worked example · exercise
- Budgets and bidding strategiesSet a budget that can buy enough data, and choose between manual CPC and automated bidding based on the conversion volume you actually have.25 min · worked example · exercise
- Module quiz4 questions with explanations
Module 4Search Terms, Performance Max and Weekly Optimisation3 lessons · 1h
Read the search terms report to find waste and new opportunities, judge Performance Max with care, and run a weekly routine that keeps campaigns profitable.
- Reading the search terms reportUse the search terms report to see what people actually typed, cut wasted spend and find keywords worth adding.20 min · worked example · exercise
- Performance Max: what it is and when to be carefulUnderstand how Performance Max uses automation across Google’s channels, what it needs to work and the controls to set before you trust it.20 min · worked example · exercise
- A weekly optimisation routineFollow a fixed weekly routine that checks tracking, spend, search terms, ads and bids in the right order, and record every change.20 min · worked example · exercise
- Module quiz4 questions with explanations
