Google Ads for beginners: your first campaign, step by step

Google Ads show up while people search for something specific, which is what sets them apart from Facebook and Instagram ads: the customer already has a need. If someone searches “real estate marketing company in Egypt” or “dentist in New Cairo”, your ad can appear at that moment.

This guide is for beginners: the campaign types, a first Search campaign step by step, and what drives cost. If you are deciding between Google and Facebook, read Google Ads vs Facebook Ads.

Google Ads campaign types

• Search: text ads in search results. The best start for any business that wants leads or calls.
• Performance Max: one AI-driven campaign across Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail and partner sites. It needs solid tracking and conversion data.
• YouTube (Video): awareness and retargeting.
• Demand Gen and Display: images and video on YouTube, Gmail and partner sites, for reach and retargeting.

For beginners: start with Search only, then try Performance Max once you have real conversions.

Your first Search campaign, step by step

1. Open a Google Ads account in Expert mode so you control the settings.
2. Set up tracking first: link GA4 or the Google Ads tag and define the conversion (form, call, WhatsApp click).
3. Pick the goal and type: Leads or Sales, with a Search campaign.
4. Location and language: the cities you serve; Arabic and English.
5. Budget and bidding: a daily budget you can sustain; start with Maximize Clicks or Maximize Conversions.
6. Keywords: one ad group per service, each with closely related keywords.
7. Ads: headlines with the service, location and benefit; descriptions with the offer and a call to action.
8. Assets: sitelinks, phone number, location and callouts.

Choosing keywords

• Start with buying-intent words: “company”, “price”, “book”, “near me” and the area name.
• Use Keyword Planner inside Google Ads for ideas and expected cost.
• Cover different spellings: people search in colloquial Arabic, English and with typos.
• Add negative keywords from day one: “free”, “jobs”, “pdf”, “course” if you don’t sell courses.

What Google Ads cost in Egypt

Google usually charges per click (CPC) and has no minimum budget, though a very small budget takes long to gather data. Cost is set by auction; the main drivers are:

• Competition: real estate, medical and education keywords cost more.
• Ad and page quality (Quality Score): relevant ads and a fast, clear landing page lower cost.
• Location and season: Greater Cairo and seasons such as Ramadan cost more.
• Match type: broad keywords bring many clicks, not all useful.

The best way to estimate cost for your industry: Keyword Planner, then the first two weeks of a real campaign.

Beginner mistakes

• Running without conversion tracking, so you never know which keyword brought a customer.
• Sending ads to the homepage instead of the service page.
• Very broad keywords with no negatives.
• Changing settings daily before the campaign has enough data.
• Ignoring calls and WhatsApp as conversions.

Frequently asked questions