PPC Strategy: 7 Steps and a Free Campaign Plan Template
By the PNext team · Updated 26 October 2026
Most Google Ads accounts we review do not have a strategy problem in the grand sense. They have a few practical problems: the wrong searches, one ad group doing the work of ten, conversions counted twice, and a landing page that does not match the ad. Fix those and the same budget usually goes noticeably further.
This guide walks through a PPC strategy in the order we build one: goals and numbers first, then keywords, campaign structure, bidding, ads, landing pages, testing and reporting. It is written for Google Ads, but the same thinking applies to Microsoft Ads.
- ✓How to set PPC goals that mean something
- ✓Keyword and match type strategy
- ✓How to structure a Google Ads campaign
- ✓Choosing a bidding strategy
- ✓Testing and reporting
What is a PPC strategy?
A PPC strategy is the plan behind your paid search campaigns: the business goal, the searches you will pay for, how campaigns and ad groups are organised, how you bid, what your ads and landing pages say, and how you measure and improve results. A good strategy starts from the cost per lead or sale you can afford and works backwards.
- Set a target cost per lead or sale from your margins
- Choose high-intent keywords and add negatives
- Structure campaigns by goal and ad groups by theme
- Pick a bidding strategy that fits your data
- Write ads that match the search, with assets
- Send each ad group to a matching landing page
- Track conversions, test one change at a time and report on leads or sales
Set goals in money, not clicks
Clicks and impressions are easy to grow and tell you nothing about profit. Before you build anything, write down three numbers:
Target cost per lead or sale
What can you afford to pay for one lead? Work it out from your close rate and the profit from one customer.
Monthly volume
How many leads or sales do you need a month for the campaign to be worth running?
Test budget
Enough to get data: usually at least 60 to 90 days of spend, so Google’s bidding has time to learn.
If you are not sure what budget those numbers imply, our guide to how much Google Ads costs shows the calculation with industry cost-per-click figures.
Keyword strategy and match types
Start with the searches closest to a purchase: the service plus a location, “near me”, “cost”, “hire”, “best”, or a product name. Leave broad research searches like “what is” for later, or for SEO.
| Match type | What it matches | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Exact match | Searches with the same meaning as your keyword | Your proven, highest-value searches, and small budgets |
| Phrase match | Searches that include the meaning of your keyword | The core of most new accounts |
| Broad match | Searches related to your keyword, interpreted by Google | Accounts with good conversion tracking and Smart Bidding |
Whatever match types you use, build a negative keyword list from day one. Words like “free”, “jobs”, “salary”, “course” and “DIY” waste money in most service accounts. Then review the search terms report weekly and keep adding to it.
How to structure a Google Ads campaign
Structure decides how much control you have. A simple rule: one campaign per goal or budget, one ad group per tight theme, and ads written for that theme.
| Campaign type | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Search | Capturing people actively searching for your service | The starting point for almost every lead generation account |
| Performance Max | Ecommerce and accounts with strong conversion data | Runs across Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps from one campaign |
| Shopping | Product sales from a Merchant Center feed | Standard Shopping gives more control than Performance Max; see our Google Shopping ads page |
| Demand Gen | Reaching new audiences on YouTube, Discover and Gmail | Better for awareness and remarketing than for direct leads |
| Display and Video | Remarketing and reach | Rarely the first campaign for a service business |
- Example: a dental practice. Separate Search campaigns for emergency dentistry and cosmetic work, because they have very different value and urgency. Emergency runs with call ads and extended hours; cosmetic runs with a longer consultation landing page.
- Example: a B2B software company. One Search campaign for high-intent terms like “[category] software pricing”, one for competitor alternatives, and a small brand campaign to protect the company name.
- Example: an online store. Standard Shopping for the best-selling products, Performance Max for the rest of the catalogue, and Search for category terms with clear landing pages.
Choosing a bidding strategy
Google’s Smart Bidding strategies set bids automatically for each auction. They work well, but only when they have reliable conversion data to learn from.
| Strategy | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Maximize clicks | Gets as many clicks as possible for the budget | A brand-new account with no conversion data, for a short period |
| Maximize conversions | Gets as many conversions as possible for the budget | Conversion tracking works and you want to build volume |
| Target CPA | Aims for an average cost per conversion you set | You have a steady flow of conversions and know your target cost |
| Target ROAS | Aims for a return on ad spend you set | Ecommerce with accurate revenue tracking |
| Manual CPC | You set bids yourself | Very small or very niche accounts where you want full control |
A common path is to start on Maximize conversions once tracking is solid, then move to Target CPA or Target ROAS when the account has a few weeks of steady conversions. Changing strategy every few days resets the learning, so give each change time.
Ads and landing pages
Responsive search ads let you write up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, and Google tests combinations. Use that room properly: headlines with the keyword, the benefit, proof (reviews, years in business, licences), the offer and a call to action. Pin only what must always show, such as a legal disclaimer.
Add the assets that make an ad bigger and more useful: sitelinks to key pages, callouts, structured snippets, call assets for phone-led businesses and location assets if you have a Google Business Profile.
Then send each ad group to a page that matches it. If someone searches “emergency plumber Houston”, the page should say emergency plumbing in Houston in its headline, show a phone number at the top and explain what happens next. A generic homepage is the single most common reason a good campaign underperforms.
Testing and reporting
Test one thing at a time
A new landing page or a new offer, not both, so you know what made the difference.
Use Experiments for big changes
Google Ads experiments split traffic between the old and new set-up, which is safer than switching everything.
Wait for enough data
A test with 12 conversions on each side is not a result. Aim for a few weeks and a clear difference.
Report on business outcomes
Leads, sales, cost per lead and revenue first. Clicks and click-through rate are diagnostic, not goals.
Feed back offline results
If sales happen on the phone or in a CRM, import qualified leads or sales so Google learns which clicks matter.
Common PPC strategy mistakes
Counting conversions twice
A form submission and its thank-you page both counted, so Google thinks every lead is two and bids accordingly.
Too many keywords, too little budget
Two hundred keywords on $40 a day means none of them gets enough data.
No negative keywords
Paying for “jobs” and “free” searches for months.
Everything to the homepage
Visitors have to hunt for what they searched for, and many leave.
Judging too early
Pausing a campaign after a week, before bidding has learned anything.
Letting the agency own the account
If you leave, you lose the history. Always keep the account in your name.
If you would like a second opinion on your own account, our PPC management team offers a free audit.
Want a PPC strategy built for your business?
We will review your account or plan, and show you the searches, structure and budget we would start with.
Choosing channels? Compare Google Ads vs Facebook Ads, and see how this plan applies to HVAC and plumber PPC.
PPC strategy examples by budget
| Monthly ad budget | Where to focus | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Under $1,500 | One Search campaign, one location, 10 to 30 high-intent keywords, phrase and exact match | Display, Performance Max and broad match until you have conversion data |
| $1,500 to $5,000 | Search by service, call assets, remarketing, a second campaign for your best service | Splitting the budget across too many campaigns |
| $5,000 to $20,000 | Search plus Performance Max or Shopping, Microsoft Ads, structured landing page tests | Changing bid strategies every few days |
| $20,000+ | Full funnel: Search, PMax, YouTube or Demand Gen, offline conversion imports, experiments | Judging channels on last click alone |
The free campaign plan template above walks through the same decisions. For costs by industry, see Google Ads cost; for platform choice, Google Ads vs Facebook Ads.
Further reading from our team: B2B PPC agency for Google and LinkedIn ads that build pipeline and ecommerce PPC agency for Shopping and Performance Max.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try a different keyword, or ask our team directly.
The plan behind your paid search: goals, keywords, campaign structure, bidding, ads, landing pages and measurement, built around the cost per lead or sale you can afford.
Set a goal and target cost per lead, choose high-intent keywords, group them into tightly themed ad groups, write responsive search ads, send each to a matching landing page, set up conversion tracking, and start with a bidding strategy that fits your data.
For most accounts with working conversion tracking, Maximize conversions to start, then Target CPA or Target ROAS once there is a steady flow of conversions.
There is no fixed number. Small budgets work best with a focused set of high-intent keywords, often 10 to 30, in a few tight ad groups.
Broad match can work well with Smart Bidding and reliable conversion data. On new or small accounts, phrase and exact match give more control.
Expect the first few weeks to be a learning period. Most campaigns need 60 to 90 days of data before you can judge them fairly.
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- 01Search terms and negatives
- 02Campaign structure
- 03Bidding and tracking
- 04Landing page fit
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