Google Ads From Scratch

Google Ads is Google's advertising platform. It lets you show ads in search results, on YouTube, in Gmail, and across thousands of partner websites. You don't pay to appear: you pay for the result you choose, almost always per click (CPC).

dental implants madrid

Ad

E

Example Clinic www.exampleclinic.com

Dental Implants in Madrid — Free First Visit

Flexible financing. Over 20 years of experience. Book your appointment online.

Ad

A

Another Example Clinic www.anotherexampleclinic.com

Dental Implant from €690 — Certified Clinic

Free, no-obligation assessment and quote. Based in central Madrid.

O

oralhealth-example.org www.oralhealth-example.org

What dental implants are and how long they last

Unpaid result: it appears due to content relevance, not because of a bid.

D

dental-guide-example.com www.dental-guide-example.com

Types of dental implants: the complete guide

Organic result. Nobody paid for this position.

Results labeled Ad are paid; the rest are organic. That label is the only visible difference, but how you earn that position is very different — we'll look at that in lesson 2.

Every search triggers an auction among the advertisers bidding on that keyword. The best Ad Rank wins — not whoever offers the most money:

Try moving the controls and watch the bars — they represent each Ad Rank to scale:

The actual cost per click is usually lower than your max bid: Google charges the minimum amount needed to beat the next competitor. That's why high quality doesn't just help you win more auctions — it also lowers the cost of your own click.

Google Ads isn't a single format: choosing the right campaign type is the first strategic decision.

Everything in Google Ads follows the same four-level hierarchy, from the most general to the most specific:

Keywords are the terms you want to appear for. The "match type" decides how far a user's actual search can stray from the word you wrote — the broader it is, the more reach you get but the less control:

There are also negative keywords: terms you do NOT want to pay for. If you sell professional equipment to clinics, a typical negative would be "free" or "course," to avoid paying for clicks from people who aren't going to buy.

The Quality Score (1 to 10) we used in the lesson 2 simulator is calculated from three signals Google estimates. This example shows a real, common case: two signals are high, one is dragging the score down:

You can set the bid yourself (manual CPC) or let the system adjust it automatically toward a goal:

All your metrics fit into a single funnel. This example shows a real, modestly-sized campaign:

Minimum checklist before turning on your first Search campaign:

Without this, Google Ads only sees clicks: it has no idea which ads actually generate results. Conversion tracking connects a click to whatever happened afterward — a call, a form, or a purchase.

The most common conversion types:

• Form submission — someone requests information or a quote.
• Phone call — from the ad or from the website, using a tracking number.
• Online purchase — for stores with a shopping cart.
• Custom event — any action you define as valuable, like booking an appointment.

Extensions add extra information to your ad at no direct additional cost — and as we saw in lesson 2, they also affect your Ad Rank. There's no reason not to turn them on.

Remarketing shows your ads again to people who already visited your website but didn't convert. It's usually cheaper and more profitable than acquiring new traffic, because they already know you.

Common audience types in Google Ads:

• Remarketing — reaches people who already visited your website without converting.
• In-market segments — people actively researching products or services similar to yours, even if they don't know you yet.
• Custom segments — you define the interests or searches your ideal customer should have.
• Customer lists — you upload your own contact base to reach them again.

Before jumping into the real platform, it helps to know where everything is. The left-hand sidebar is your starting point in any account:

What you'll find in each section:

• Campaigns — an overview of results plus settings for goal, budget, and location.
• Keywords — includes the search terms report, the best source for finding new negatives (see the common mistakes section).
• Ads & assets — this is what the extensions from lesson 11 are now called inside the interface.
• Reports — pre-built and custom dashboards for tracking performance over time.

A Responsive Search Ad (RSA) supports up to 15 headlines of 30 characters and 4 descriptions of 90 characters. Google automatically combines the versions that perform best — but only if you give it good raw material.

• Include your main keyword in at least one headline.
• Add a specific benefit, not a generic one ("24-month financing" instead of "The best prices").
• Include a clear call to action: "Book an appointment," "Request a quote."
• Don't repeat the same idea across several headlines — give Google genuinely different options to work with.

Try it yourself — write your own ad and watch the character limit in real time:

Not all traffic is worth the same. You can fine-tune when, where, and on what device your ad shows up:

• Location — choose a radius or specific cities; exclude areas where you don't operate.
• Devices — adjust your bid if one device converts worse than another.
• Ad scheduling — show the ad only during hours when you can respond, especially if your conversion is a phone call.

Example: a clinic that only takes calls from 9am to 8pm on weekdays, and Saturday mornings: