Google Ads Mission Plan

Mission profile

Establish a modular campaign architecture so each conversion signal is traceable and budget shifts can happen without downtime.

• Separate Search, Performance Max, and Display into mission groupings with shared budgets and naming syntax: [LOB]-[Geo]-[Objective]-[Stage].
• Use campaign experiments for incremental testing; reserve 10% of budget for variant flights.
• Pin hero assets in responsive formats only when compliance demands; otherwise allow ML to rotate freely.

Audience and keyword architecture

Blend automation and manual controls so search intent and audience signals reinforce each other.

• Adopt match-type pods: Exact pods for high-value queries, Phrase pods for discovery, and Broad pods with smart bidding for scale.
• Layer first-party audiences and Customer Match lists into every campaign as observation segments.
• Supply Performance Max with high-quality audience signals (remarketing lists, custom segments, product feeds) to cut ramp-up time.

Creative payload

Ensure each campaign has enough assets for Google’s combinatorial systems while retaining brand consistency.

• Responsive Search Ads: 12 headlines, 4 descriptions, include keyword variants, proof points, and compliance copy.
• Performance Max: provide at least 5 images, 5 logos, 5 headlines, 4 descriptions, and 1 short-form video or auto-generated video approval.
• Display: adopt 1x1, 4x5, and 16x9 aspect ratios plus HTML5 creative when rich interactions are required.

Telemetry and measurement

Keep bid automation anchored to high-fidelity conversions.

• Route conversions through Google Tag Manager or the gtag interface with enhanced conversions enabled when policy allows.
• Define primary vs secondary actions in the conversion manager so Smart Bidding optimizes toward the correct objective.
• Deploy offline conversion imports (OCI) for sales stages beyond the site. Automate the upload via Google Ads API or Zapier.

Optimization rituals

Schedule recurring reviews so campaign telemetry stays within mission tolerances.

• Daily: Guardrails on spend, policy issues, and sudden CPC spikes.
• Weekly: Search term analysis with negative keyword sync across match-type pods.
• Bi-weekly: Asset performance rating review, rotating in new creatives for “Low” rated elements.
• Monthly: Performance Max placement and listing group audits. Adjust budgets across mission groupings based on MER (marketing efficiency ratio).

Go / no-go checklist

• All conversions verified in Google Tag Assistant and testing environment.
• Audiences synced: Customer Match, remarketing pools, and data segments refreshed within last 30 days.
• Negative keyword lists, brand safety exclusions, and placement lists applied.
• Budget pacing dashboards wired into Looker Studio or preferred BI tool.