Google Ads for Small Business: Step-by-Step PPC Campaign Setup, Budgeting & Cross‑Platform Ads

📖 Reading time: 14 minutes

Key Takeaways

• Start with search intent: Launch a Search campaign to capture ready-to-buy users, then layer remarketing and social ads.
• Two simple budget formulas: Goal-driven (CPA × Conversions) and market-driven (CPC × Clicks) keep spending aligned with outcomes.
• Structure = savings: Tight ad groups, relevant ad copy, and strong landing pages improve Quality Score and lower CPC.
• Track before you scale: Set up GA4, Google Ads conversion tracking, Meta Pixel and CAPI before serious spend.
• 90-day roadmap: Learn in days 0–30, optimize in 31–60, automate and scale in 61–90.

Table of Contents

• Quick Overview — Who This Is For
• Goals, KPIs & Campaign Brief
• Why Start with Google Ads
• PPC Setup — 10-Step Checklist
• How to Set Budget for Google Ads
• Facebook & Instagram for SMEs
• Measurement, Tracking & Analytics
• Optimization Roadmap (30/60/90)
• Budget-Friendly Tactics
• Common Pitfalls & Compliance
• Templates & Resources
• Pricing & Next Steps
• Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Overview — Who This Is For

This guide is built for owners and marketers at small businesses, local services, and lean e‑commerce teams who need a clear path to launch google ads for small business, set smart budgets, and add Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ads later. For foundations, see how Google Ads works, a practical small business primer, and a step-by-step beginner’s guide.

Outcome: You’ll leave with a complete PPC campaign setup for small business, landing page checklist, tracking plan, budgets, and a 30/60/90‑day roadmap.

Goals, KPIs & Campaign Brief

Goal = business outcome (leads, sales, calls, store visits). Choose matching objectives in Google Ads and Meta to guide delivery. Reference: Google Ads objectives.

Key PPC KPIs: CTR, Conversion rate, CPA/ROAS, Impressions/Reach. Benchmarks vary, but a 2–5% Search CTR and 3–5% conversion rate are typical starting targets per this small business guide and this practical walkthrough.

• Low CPA/high ROAS: exact/phrase match, high‑intent keywords, tight geos, strong landing page
• More volume: cautiously broaden match types, expand geos/devices, increase budget

Copy‑and‑fill Brief: Goal, KPIs (Target CPA/ROAS), budget (monthly/daily), geo, service/offer, conversion actions, seed keywords, audiences (in‑market/remarketing), landing URL, reporting cadence. See examples in this setup guide.

Download: Campaign Brief + KPI Template (Google Sheet) – pre-filled with example values and formulas.

Why Start with Google Ads

Search captures high intent — users are already looking for your service. Begin with Search; add Display/remarketing and Performance Max once conversions are consistent. Learn more about campaign types in this campaign type overview and Google’s own guide.

• Google (Search/Shopping): demand capture, bottom‑funnel
• Meta (Facebook/Instagram): demand generation, top/mid‑funnel

Simple account structure: One campaign per main goal; 5–10 tightly themed ad groups; 10–20 closely related keywords each; start with phrase/exact match and early negatives. This improves Quality Score and CPC per these best practices and this small business guide.

PPC Setup — 10-Step Checklist

1) Create account & settings: Correct time zone, currency, billing; link Merchant Center if e‑commerce. See this beginner’s guide and official docs.

2) Objective & campaign type: Start with Leads/Sales → Search. Reference: setup walkthrough.

3) Keyword research: Use Keyword Planner; favor long‑tail, high intent. Start with phrase/exact; add negatives (free, jobs, DIY, cheap). Complement paid with SEO using this SEO for small business guide. More tips in this setup guide.

4) Ad groups & RSAs: 10–20 close keywords per ad group; 1–2 RSAs with 8–10 headlines and 3–4 descriptions. Swipe ideas in these templates.

5) Landing page & tracking: Message match, one primary CTA, proof, fast mobile UX. Install gtag/GA4; set conversion events and import into Google Ads. CRO tips in this CRO playbook and tracking steps in Google’s guide.

6) Bidding for small budgets: Begin with Manual CPC or Maximize Clicks. After ~20–30 conversions in 30 days, test Maximize Conversions → Target CPA/ROAS. See beginner tips.

7) Negatives, geo & schedule: Add negatives early. Target your profitable radius/cities; run ads when you can answer leads. Practical examples in this guide.

8) Quality Score quick wins: Tight themes, keyword‑rich ads/landing pages, fast sites, clear offer. Aim for 7/10+ as suggested in these tips.

9) Policy & assets: Review restricted content policies, avoid misleading claims, prep creatives and a privacy policy. See policy checklist.

10) QA & go‑live: Verify conversions, budgets, negatives, locations; monitor first 48–72h. A simple overview is in this quick guide.

Download: 10‑Step PPC Campaign Setup Checklist (PDF) — use as your launch QA.

How to Set Budget for Google Ads

Goal‑driven budgeting: Monthly Budget = Target CPA × Desired Conversions. Example: $50 CPA × 10 leads = $500/month (~$17/day). More in this beginner’s guide and this budgeting primer.

Market‑driven budgeting: Monthly Budget = Est. CPC × Desired Clicks. If CPC=$2 and you want 250 clicks, plan ~$500/month; at 4% CVR expect ~10 conversions (CPA ≈ $50). See formulas in this guide.

• Starter: $10–25/day (test 5–10 keywords)
• Growth: $25–100/day (add remarketing; test automation)
• Scale: $100+/day (add P‑Max, Shopping, cross‑platform funnels)

Rules of thumb: $5–10/day per campaign minimum; run 2–4 weeks before big changes; scale winners by ~20% increments; keep budgets per campaign for control.

Copy: Budget Calculator (Google Sheet) — plug CPA, CPC, and CVR to get daily/monthly budgets.

Facebook & Instagram for SMEs

Use Meta to generate demand (awareness, engagement); use Google to capture demand (ready-to-buy). See funnel mapping in this overview and campaign picks in this guide.

• Top: Awareness/Reach/Traffic
• Middle: Engagement/Video Views/Lead Gen
• Bottom: Conversions/Catalog Sales

Instagram creative tips: vertical 9:16 video, hook in 3s, captions on, short 15–30s, one CTA. Facebook: benefit-led copy, clear headline, strong CTA. Tactics summarized in this playbook.

Cross‑platform play: Prospect on Meta → Retarget on Google (Search/Display) → Scale with P‑Max/Shopping. For social posting cadence that supports ads, see this social media playbook.

Measurement, Tracking & Analytics

Google: Install gtag or GTM, set up GA4, define conversions (forms, calls, purchases), link/import into Google Ads. Reference: official tracking guidance. Step-by-step GA4 help: this small business guide.

Meta: Install Pixel, set standard events, implement CAPI for better match, verify domain. See this setup guide. For full dashboards and attribution notes, review this analytics guide.

Reporting rhythm: Evaluate on 7–30 day windows; watch trends in conversions, CPA/ROAS, CTR and CVR. Avoid reacting to single‑day swings. Practical rules in this article.

Optimization Roadmap (30/60/90)

Days 0–30 (learn): Daily checks for errors; gather 50–100 clicks/ad group before judging; test 2–3 ad variants; pause irrelevant queries. See this beginner’s guide.

Days 31–60 (optimize): Raise budgets 10–20% on winners; add remarketing; start landing A/B tests. Benchmarks and ideas in this guide.

Days 61–90 (scale): Test Max Conversions/Target CPA; add P‑Max and Shopping (if eligible); audit negatives and low‑volume terms. Steps detailed in this roadmap.

• A/B ideas: Headlines (Buy Now vs Get Quote), CTAs (Book Today vs Get Pricing), short vs long landing pages, in‑market vs custom intent audiences

Budget-Friendly Tactics

Long‑tail + negatives: Specific intent terms often have lower CPC and better CVR; add negatives like free, cheap, jobs, DIY to cut waste as suggested in this article.

Geo & dayparting: Target only profitable areas; run ads when you answer calls; test pausing low‑performing days. Tips in this guide.

Remarketing & lists: Segment 7/30‑day visitors and past buyers, tailor offers, and build lookalikes. Learn more in this small business overview. For automation and email nurtures that complement ads, see this automation guide and this email guide.

Leverage organic: Boost top organic posts with $5–$20; repurpose helpful content as landing pages. More tips in this resource.

Common Pitfalls & Compliance

• No clear goals: Fill the brief first.
• Budget too small for CPCs: Use goal‑ and market‑driven formulas.
• Too broad keywords: Start phrase/exact; refine search terms weekly.
• Missing tracking: Install GA4/gtag + Pixel/CAPI before spend.
• Ignoring Quality Score: Tight themes, relevant copy, fast pages.
• Over‑optimizing early: Wait for sufficient data (200+ impressions or 50+ clicks).

Review ad policies (restricted content, truthful claims) and ensure site privacy policy and contact details. Policy checklist: small business guide.

Templates & Resources

• Budget Calculator (Sheet): inputs CPA/CPC/CVR to suggest daily/monthly budgets. See calculator approach and beginner worksheet.
• PPC Setup Checklist (PDF): expanded 10‑step QA.
• Ad Copy Swipe File: 20 headlines, 10 descriptions, 8 social captions.
• Audience Templates: in‑market interests, remarketing windows, lookalike %s.
• 30/60/90 Plan (PDF): weekly tasks and targets.

Download: 10‑Step Setup Checklist • Copy the Budget Calculator

Further reading: Google Ads basics, small business guide, practical setup and budgeting, and campaign types.

Pricing & Next Steps

• DIY: $300+/mo ad spend + your time; launch in ~1 week with this guide.
• Consultant: $50–$100/hr; setup 10–20 hrs; $300–$1k/mo ongoing.
• Agency: $1k+/mo management + media; cross‑channel scaling.

Decision guide: Low time/high budget → agency; medium time/budget → consultant; high time/low budget → DIY. See comparisons in this overview.

Action: Fill the brief, copy the budget calculator, set up tracking, and launch your first Search campaign this week.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the minimum daily budget for a useful test?

Plan for $10–25/day if CPCs allow; $5–10/day is an absolute starter. Source: beginner’s guide.

How long until I see results?

With tracking in place, expect first conversions in 1–2 weeks; evaluate stability after 2–4 weeks. See expectations in this guide.

Should I choose Google or Facebook first?

Start with Google Search to capture active intent; add Facebook/Instagram for awareness and retargeting. Rationale in this small business overview and Google’s guide.

When do I switch to automated bidding?

After ~20–30 conversions in 30 days, test Maximize Conversions, then Target CPA/ROAS as volume stabilizes. See these tips.