Google Ads Strategy Builder
Conversation Starter
Use AskUserQuestion to gather initial context. Begin by asking:
"I'll help you create a Google Ads strategy that drives profitable customer acquisition.
Please provide:
- Business Type: What do you sell? (Product, service, SaaS, e-commerce, lead gen)
- Target Customer: Who are you trying to reach? (B2B/B2C, demographics, job titles)
- Monthly Budget: What's your starting budget? ($1K, $5K, $10K+)
- Goal: What's the primary objective? (Leads, sales, signups, demo requests)
- Current State: Have you run ads before? What worked/didn't work?
- Key Competitors: Who are you competing against in search?"
Research Methodology
Use WebSearch extensively to find:
- Current Google Ads benchmarks for their industry (CPC, CTR, conversion rates)
- Competitor ad copy and landing page strategies
- High-intent keywords in their space
- Google Ads best practices and recent algorithm changes
Strategy Framework
1. Campaign Architecture
| Campaign Type | % of Budget | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Brand Search | 10-15% | Protect, high ROAS |
| Non-Brand High Intent | 50-60% | Primary driver |
| Competitor | 10-15% | Conquest |
| Retargeting | 15-20% | Conversion lift |
| Awareness | 0-10% | Scale phase only |
See references/templates.md for detailed architecture diagram.
2. Keyword Strategy
Categories to research:
- Brand: [brand name], [brand] + review, [brand] + pricing
- High Intent/BOFU: best [category], [category] software, [competitor] alternative
- Competitor: [competitor name], [competitor] pricing
- Research/TOFU: what is [category], how to [solve problem]
For detailed BOFU keyword generation, use bofu-keywords skill.
Match type strategy (2026):
Google has broadened match behaviors—exact match now triggers close variants and related terms, phrase match overlaps heavily with broad.
| Match Type | When to Use | Keywords per Ad Group |
|---|---|---|
| Exact | High-intent precision, control | 5-10 keywords |
| Phrase | Skip in new campaigns—redundant in 2025 | N/A |
| Broad | Discovery, conversational queries | 1-2 phrases (3-5 words each) |
Recommended mix: ~70% exact match (control) + ~30% broad match (discovery)
Ad group structure:
- One theme per ad group (e.g., all "knee sleeves for running")
- Maximum 20 keywords per ad group
- Build negative keywords aggressively (block: "DIY", "repair", "free", "job")
See references/templates.md for keyword tables and negative keyword list.
3. Ad Copy Framework
RSA Structure: 15 headlines (30 char) + 4 descriptions (90 char)
Headline categories:
- Value proposition: "[Main Benefit] in [Timeframe]"
- Social proof: "Trusted by [X]+ Companies"
- CTA: "Get Your Free [Offer]"
- Features: "[Key Feature] Built-In"
- Urgency: "[X]% Off - Limited Time"
Required extensions:
- Sitelinks (4-6): Pricing, Features, Case Studies, Free Trial
- Callouts: Free Trial, No Credit Card, 24/7 Support
- Structured snippets: Types, Services
See references/templates.md for complete ad copy library.
4. Audience Strategy
Search (Observation Mode First):
- In-Market: +20-30% bid adjustment
- Custom Intent: Build from competitor URLs + keywords
- Remarketing: +50-150% based on recency
Retargeting segments:
- Hot (7 days): "Still thinking about [Product]?"
- Warm (30 days): "[Offer] - Limited Time"
- Abandoners: "Complete your signup"
5. Landing Page Requirements
Message match matrix:
| Ad Theme | Landing Page | Headline |
|---|---|---|
| "[Category] software" | /lp/category | "The [Category] That [Benefit]" |
| "[Competitor] alternative" | /lp/vs-competitor | "Why Teams Switch" |
Checklist:
- Headline matches ad copy
- Single, clear CTA above fold
- Trust badges visible
- Mobile-optimized, <3s load time
6. Bid Strategy Phases
| Phase | Timeline | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | Weeks 1-4 | Manual CPC / Max Conversions |
| Optimize | Weeks 5-8 | Target CPA |
| Scale | Week 9+ | Target ROAS |
Budget rules:
- Never pause Brand
- Shift budget from losers weekly
- Scale only after CPA stabilizes
7. Tracking Setup
Required conversions:
- Primary: Lead submit, Demo request, Trial signup, Purchase
- Secondary: Pricing page view, Feature page view
Setup checklist:
- GA4 linked to Google Ads
- Enhanced conversions enabled
- Audiences synced
- GTM conversion tags firing
8. Optimization Cadence
Ongoing roadmap (keyword research is never "done"):
| Phase | Timeline | Focus | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | Weeks 1-2 | Data gathering | Launch campaigns, gather data, add obvious negatives |
| Refine | Weeks 3-4 | Search term mining | Review search term reports, add top performers as exact match |
| Optimize | Month 2 | Match type tuning | Refine negatives, adjust match types based on data |
| Scale | Month 3+ | Expansion | Build new themed ad groups from emerging patterns |
Daily/Weekly/Monthly actions:
| Frequency | Actions |
|---|---|
| Daily | Check spend pacing, pause broken ads |
| Weekly | Search terms → negatives, pause losing ads, adjust bids |
| Monthly | Full audit, new ad tests, competitor research |
| Quarterly | Strategy review, budget planning |
Output Format
# GOOGLE ADS STRATEGY: [Company Name]
## Executive Summary
[2-3 sentences on strategy and expected results]
## Campaign Architecture
[Structure + budget allocation]
## Keyword Strategy
[Full keyword list by campaign]
## Ad Copy Library
[Headlines, descriptions, extensions]
## Audience Strategy
[Targeting + bid adjustments]
## Landing Page Requirements
[Structure + message match]
## Bid Strategy & Budget
[Phased approach + allocation]
## Tracking & Measurement
[Conversion setup + KPIs]
## Optimization Playbook
[Schedule + troubleshooting]
## Implementation Checklist
[ ] Week 1: Set up tracking + build campaigns
[ ] Week 2: Launch Brand + High Intent
[ ] Week 3: Launch Competitor campaign
[ ] Week 4: First optimization review
[ ] Month 2: Switch to automated biddingQuality Standards
- Research benchmarks: Use WebSearch for current industry CPCs and CTRs
- Copy-ready: All ad copy ready to paste into Google Ads
- Compliant: Follow Google Ads policies (no superlatives without proof)
- Data-driven: Every recommendation backed by logic or data