- Getting Started Fast
- Choosing Campaign Settings
- Creating an Ad and Keywords
- Setting Up Billing
- Summary
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Choosing Campaign Settings
Campaign settings are global settings for your entire campaign, which will include at least one ad and at least one keyword. The most important setting of all is your daily budget; try to decide what you can afford to experiment with before you get into the exercise of changing the settings.
Follow these steps to create your campaign settings:
If you're not there already, go to AdWords, and click the Campaigns tab to see the screen shown in Figure 3.1.
The Campaigns tab appears with a Welcome to AdWords! heading.
AdWords offers you answers to common questions, a Beginner's Guide, and more in the Learn More area.
- If you like, take the time to learn more. Consider leaving the check boxes checked under Would You Like Extra Help? You will receive emails for ideas, special offers, and newsletters—you can always unsubscribe later if you choose.
Click the Create Your First Campaign button.
A screen like the one shown in Figure 3.2 appears.
Figure 3.2 Create settings for your first campaign.
Set the campaign type.
Campaign types are described in detail in Lesson 4, "Identifying Your Target Markets for AdWords." You can also learn about them by hovering your mouse over the question mark next to the Load Settings prompt, as shown in Figure 3.2.
I recommend that you consider setting your first campaign for Search Network Only. This setting makes ads appear when users do a Google search, and is easiest to understand. It also runs up your bill more slowly than other, broader options.
- Enter a name for your campaign. Enter a name that will distinguish your campaign. If you later find yourself creating several similar campaigns, you can change the names as needed to show both similarities and differences.
Choose the ad location and language. Choose from among the locations given by clicking a radio button, or click the Select One or More Other Locations link to choose a particular location.
I recommend that you consider setting your first campaign for a small geographic area that you understand very well, such as the area immediately around your home or business. The area you choose should be one that's likely to be highly interested in your initial ad. This enables you to make sure that your advertising works for a well-known, prime audience before you spend very much money.
If you choose Select One or More Other Locations, an interactive map like the one shown in Figure 3.3 will appear. Use it to select the specific locations you want.
Figure 3.3 Google lets you select a location and more.
Google suggests that you select areas at least 10 miles in diameter. See Lesson 6, "Deciding Where to Show Your Ads," for details on geo-targeting.
If you want to choose a language, click the Edit link next to Languages. Then choose a language.
The Languages choice means that your ad will display only for users who have chosen to use Google in a language that's the same one that you choose. In most areas, if you choose a language that isn't the default language for using Google in that area, you'll get very little traffic.
If you want to choose which networks to use, next to the Networks prompt, click the Let Me Choose radio button, as shown in Figure 3.4. Then choose whether to use Google search, search partners, or the Google display network.
Figure 3.4 Your budget is the key consideration.
I recommend selecting only Google search for now because it's the easiest to understand and experiment with. See Lesson 4 for more about these options. Google recommends that you choose All Available sites, but I recommend beginning with Google Search as you'll spend less money while you're still on the steepest part of the learning curve.
If you want to choose which devices to use, next to the Devices prompt, click the Let Me Choose radio button. Then click the radio button to choose Desktop and Laptop Computers, for traditional computers, or iPhones and Other Mobile Devices with Full Internet Browsers, for smartphones. To fine-tune mobile options further, click the Advanced Device and Carrier Options link.
I recommend choosing the default, All Available Devices, for your first campaign. If you want to manage your money carefully, choose the Desktop and Laptop Computers option, optimize your results there as described throughout this book; then create a separate campaign for mobile devices and optimize that separately.
Choose your bidding option.
I recommend leaving the default choice in place, Automatic Bidding to Try to Maximize Clicks for Your Target Budget.
Enter your daily budget.
I recommend entering an amount that's significant enough to allow for some clicks, but not so significant as to seriously dent your pocketbook. You might try a fairly low amount such as $10 a day.
Consider entering other options: the position preference and delivery method (see Lesson 7); ad extensions such as location, site links, and phone number (see Lesson 8); and advanced settings for the schedule, ad delivery, and demographic bidding (see Lesson 9).
I recommend not changing these options for your initial campaign.
Review your choices. When you're happy with them, click the Save and Continue button.
The Create Ad and Keywords screen will appear, as described in the next section.
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