The First Steps of an AdWords Campaign

133 Replies

AdWords can be tricky. Especially, if you have never worked with online advertising before.
Fortunately for me, I was lucky enough to have worked with Facebook’s Power Editor for a year, before I ended up in the situation where AdWords was suddenly my responsibility in the company I worked for.

So, what did I do?

I went straight to Youtube. I can’t count the things I’ve learned on Youtube. If you have time for tutorial videos on Youtube that is most definitely a good way to go. I can especially recommend this video: Insights on the AdWords Auction

After many hours on Youtube and about 6 months of using AdWords, many of my inital questions have been answered and others have arosen. AdWords simply keeps on changing.

Anyway, here is my guide on how to get through the first steps of an AdWords campaign. Some of my take-aways are probably not best practice. Maybe something has changed over time, or maybe I simply just got it wrong from the start (please speak up if you know better alternatives).

All right, let’s go:

1. If you are in doubt about how to navigate. For a simple usage of AdWords, just click on “campaigns” in the top of the screen. This is usually where you want to be.

Campaigns - navigation

2. When creating a normal AdWords campaign (click the red button that says “campaign+) you should only use “Search Network Only”. I say normal, because usually people associate AdWords with the ads that come up when doing a google search, and that is exactly what the Search Network is. The “Display Network” is other pages like online newspapers and review websites. The two networks are different and requires different ads, therefore you should keep them separate (click on the picture to amplify it).

Search network - adwords

3. When choosing location, you want to think about your target audience. Do you want to pay, so that people in Canada can see your ad, or is your ad only relevant for people living in Vancouver? It’s one of the more simple elements.

4. Language is a bit tricky, because Google doesn’t distinguishdi between the written words but between domains. So, if you choose English your ad will appear on the English version of google.com/ca, and if you choose French, your ad will appear on the French version of google.com/ca.

Google francais

5. When you are new to AdWords, and you choose your Bid Strategy, you always want to choose the manual bidding. If AdWords were to optimize your campaign effectively, it would need a substantial account history.
It doesn’t really matter what Default bid you choose, because you will optimize your bid for each individual keyword.
You should optimize it every day, based on the suggested bid that you can find in the keyword planner:

Keyword plannerKeyword planner suggestions
Budget pr. day is tricky. Normally you don’t want to miss any clicks, which means that you never want to reach your budget pr. day, BUT when you have a limited budget that will not be the case. Set a budget, so that the campaign can run for at least 10 days.

6. Ad Extensions is always a good idea since they are opportunities to give more information, and at the same time make your ad more visible.
The extensions are “Shipping info” and “Product Ratings”. Without those to extensions the ad would have been much smaller and would have had less info, which in the end increases the chance of a good landing-page experience.

ad extensions

133 thoughts on “The First Steps of an AdWords Campaign”

    1. mad academy

      “Very informative post, Marcus! The way you explained Search Network vs Display Network is spot on. At Mad Academy https://madacademy.in/, we also guide students through setting up Google Ads campaigns with hands-on training. This article will definitely help learners understand the basics better.”

      Reply ↓
  3. Azpirantz Technologies

    Your guide on starting an AdWords campaign is incredibly helpful! The step-by-step breakdown makes it easy to understand, especially for beginners. Your insights simplify a complex process, making digital advertising more accessible. Thank you for sharing such valuable knowledge!

    Reply ↓
  4. Roshan Kumar

    Great breakdown of the key steps in setting up an AdWords campaign! Your insights on manual bidding and campaign structuring are especially useful for beginners. Thanks for sharing this valuable guide!

    Reply ↓
  8. Oleh

    Great breakdown of the essentials! Setting clear goals and understanding your target audience really are the foundation of any successful AdWords campaign. I especially appreciate the emphasis on keyword research and proper account structure – skipping those often leads to wasted budget. Would love to see a follow-up on how to optimize campaigns after the first month of data rolls in! https://mgroupweb.com/

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  12. Sportsnba

    Now you’re handling AdWords like an NBA player stepping up under pressure—think Tyrese Haliburton taking charge and delivering when it counts

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  13. AVS ORCHAD

    Great insights on getting started with Google AdWords — it’s true that the platform can feel overwhelming at first, especially with its constant updates and evolving features. The step-by-step approach you’ve outlined, from using the Search Network to targeting specific locations, is practical and helpful for beginners.

    I can totally relate to this process while working on the digital marketing for AVS Orchad, a premium residential project. Like you mentioned, location targeting played a huge role for us. Since AVS Orchad is situated in a specific city zone, it made more sense to narrow our ad reach to people within a 15–20 km radius who are actively looking for 2BHK and 3BHK flats. Targeting broader regions like all of Canada or India would have wasted valuable ad spend on irrelevant impressions.

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  17. AVS ORCHAD

    This post perfectly captures the experience of diving into AdWords for the first time—confusing at first, but incredibly powerful once you start learning the system. At AVS Orchad, we’ve had a similar journey while promoting our residential project online. While our focus is on showcasing premium 2 & 3 BHK homes in a serene and connected location, learning how to position those offerings through Google Ads has been key to reaching our audience effectively.

    Like the author, we also turned to YouTube tutorials and community forums to understand how the AdWords auction works. It’s interesting how just navigating to the “Campaigns” tab can open up insights on performance, budget control, and targeting.

    In real estate, especially for a lifestyle project like AVS Orchad, visibility is everything. And AdWords has helped us generate qualified leads from people actively searching for new homes. While we may not be experts yet, we’ve seen firsthand how ongoing learning and small experiments can significantly impact engagement and conversions.

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  34. Ben Gross

    Great breakdown for beginners diving into AdWords! I really liked your step-by-step format—it’s super helpful for those just starting out. If anyone here is also exploring ways to enhance their digital campaigns further, check out this article: A Quick Guide To Using AI For Social Media Marketing
    . It’s a good complement to this post and shows how AI tools can streamline and improve your social media strategies too.

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  35. AVS ORCHAD

    What really stood out was your point about targeting the right location and language — that’s so important, especially for real estate projects like AVS Orchad. For instance, if AVS Orchad is targeting homebuyers in Bangalore or a specific metro region, running ads across all of India (or globally) would just burn the budget without results. Precision is key!

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  38. AVS ORCHAD

    One key takeaway from your post that I completely agree with is separating the Search Network from the Display Network. When promoting AVS Orchad, we focused on Search Network ads to directly target homebuyers actively searching for terms like “2 BHK flats near me” or “luxury apartments in [City Name].” It helped us reach more relevant users and maintain a better ROI.

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    AdWords can feel overwhelming at first, but this guide simplifies the basics. Loved the emphasis on ad extensions and keyword optimization.Tech/Fintech/Digital Marketing visit-https://www.akacorptech.com/

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  48. ISO 27001 Services

    Really practical and beginner‑friendly guide to AdWords—especially love the tip to start with Search Network only, manual bidding, and daily budget planning. Clicking into the Campaigns tab really can demystify everything. Thanks for the clear direction!

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  58. Akacorptech

    Great breakdown for beginners! I like how you emphasized starting with “Search Network Only” — too many new advertisers waste budget mixing search and display without tailoring their ads. Keeping them separate is smart.

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  61. Irfan

    The First Steps of an AdWords Campaign.” It’s a helpful guide, especially for beginners like me. I’m currently working on My First AdWords Campaign, so understanding how to define goals, choose the right keywords, and set a budget is extremely valuable. I also appreciate the emphasis on writing compelling ad copy and tracking performance through analytics.

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  77. Nagaraju

    Really liked how the article focuses on basics like starting with the Campaigns tab, choosing the Search Network, setting location and language, and using a controlled daily budget, which are still essential first steps even in today’s Google Ads interface. At DJ Marketing Hub, the same fundamentals are used when launching new lead‑generation campaigns for local clients before moving into more advanced automation or scaling.​

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    Really helpful breakdown of the first steps in setting up an AdWords campaign, especially your focus on starting from the Campaigns tab, using “Search Network Only,” and controlling the daily budget in the early days of a new account. At DJ Marketing Hub, the same fundamentals are followed when launching local lead-generation campaigns for clients before testing advanced bidding strategies or automation. This kind of clear, practical guidance makes it much easier for beginners to move from theory to real, results-driven Google Ads setups.

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    Great guide! Laying a strong foundation with keyword research, clear goals, and well-structured campaigns is key to AdWords success. Following these first steps carefully can make a big difference in driving targeted traffic and maximizing ROI.

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  93. VehicleFix

    Great overview of the fundamentals! I like how this post emphasizes starting with clear goals, keyword research, and audience intent before spending a single dollar. Too many campaigns fail because these early steps are rushed. A solid foundation really does determine long-term AdWords success

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  94. Rajesh

    A solid reminder that the groundwork of an AdWords campaign—research, goals, and structure—matters more than quick wins. Well explained and very practical

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  95. Teju

    This is a really practical and approachable guide for anyone just starting with Google AdWords. I appreciate how you break down the steps — from choosing the Search Network and setting location/language targeting to manual bidding and daily budget management — in a way that’s easy to follow and actionable. Your tips on using YouTube tutorials and taking the time to learn firsthand really resonate, especially for beginners who can feel overwhelmed by AdWords. Thanks for sharing your experience and making the basics much more accessible!

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  96. Ganesh

    Nice and honest content. Many people struggle with AdWords in the beginning, and it’s good to see how prior experience with Facebook ads made the transition easier. This blog gives confidence to new marketers.

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  98. P, ganesh

    Thanks for breaking this down in such a practical way. Your transition from Facebook Power Editor to AdWords makes a lot of sense, and the advice feels experience-based, not textbook theory. The mention of the AdWords auction video is super helpful—definitely going to check that out. Keep sharing insights like this!
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