Google Ads Account Structure: How to Set It Up for Maximum Performance

In the competitive world of online advertising, the success of your campaigns can often come down to Google Ads account structure.

Many business owners, especially those new to PPC, struggle with optimizing their account to generate high-quality traffic and conversions.

The good news?

With a proper Google Ads account structure, you can drive better results and save time managing your campaigns.

But how should you structure your Google Ads account for optimal performance?

Customer Struggles: Common Google Ads Pain Points

Scrolling through marketing forums, it’s clear that many marketers share the same frustrations:

How do I organize my campaigns without wasting money on the wrong keywords?

How do I balance search, shopping, and display without making the setup too complex?

And how do I create campaigns that actually convert?

Let's dive into how you can solve these problems by building a Google Ads account structure that works. Here's everything you need to know to turn your Google Ads into a well-oiled machine.

Why Google Ads Account Structure Matters

Before we dig into the specifics, let's talk about why structure is so critical.

1. Faster Learning: With a simplified structure, Google’s machine learning algorithms can gather data faster and optimize campaigns more efficiently. This leads to better performance over time.

2. Better Performance: A clean structure allows you to easily identify trends and tweak campaigns for better ROI.

3. Ease of Management: No more spending hours sorting through tangled campaign names or inefficient setups.

4. Improved Budget Allocation: You can easily shift resources to the highest-performing campaigns.

By optimizing your Google Ads account structure, you set the stage for greater success. Now, let's look at how you can structure your account using proven strategies.

Core Pillars of Google Ads Account Structure

The best-performing Google Ads accounts have a few things in common—they keep things simple, focused, and adaptable. Here are the core pillars you should focus on:

1. Separate Campaigns for Different Objectives: One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is trying to cram all their goals into a single campaign. Split your campaigns based on their specific goals. For example, you can have separate campaigns for "Always On" efforts (continuous promotion) and "Sales" or "Promotional" campaigns that have specific start and end dates.

2. Use of Multiple Campaign Types: Google Ads offers different campaign types such as Search, Shopping, Performance Max, and Display. Use these strategically:

   • Search: Focus on non-branded core keywords and competitor terms. Use dynamic campaigns to target relevant pages.

   • Shopping: Essential for eCommerce businesses—catch-all campaigns and product-specific ones work best.

   • Performance Max: Focus on service or product categories with detailed asset groups.

   • Display and YouTube: Increase budgets for top-performing audiences or during promotions.

3. Asset Groups and Audience Segmentation: Rather than over-segmenting, focus on combining audience data with strong asset groups. This allows for better targeting while avoiding keyword duplication or inefficiencies. Keep the audience data simple but specific.

Example: A local electrician can set up a Search campaign targeting mobile devices for call ads. The keywords might focus on "electrician near me" for quick emergency services, while a Performance Max campaign could target broader service categories like "home renovations" for higher-value leads.

Best Practices for Structuring Campaigns

Now that you know the importance of structure, let's explore a few best practices for your campaigns:

1. Don’t Over-Segment: There’s no need to break up campaigns by match types or small variations of keywords. Google’s machine learning can do much of the heavy lifting for you, optimizing based on audience behavior.

2. Combine High-Performers: Segment only if it adds value to the campaign. For instance, if certain keywords have vastly different conversion rates, you might create separate ad groups for better optimization. But don’t overdo it.

3. Maximize Performance Max: Use this newer campaign type to handle multiple placements at once (Search, Display, YouTube, and more). Focus on creating detailed asset groups for each product or service category. Include different types of creative, such as images and videos, to help Google find the best placements.

4. Leverage Negative Keywords: While over-segmenting is a no-no, using negative keywords strategically will help eliminate irrelevant traffic and keep your campaigns efficient.

5. Internal Linking: When setting up campaigns, don’t forget to include links back to relevant pages on your site. If you have a blog post explaining your services, link it from your landing page. This improves SEO and user experience.

Key Strategies for eCommerce vs. Service-Based Businesses

E-Commerce Businesses Google Ads Account Structure

For eCommerce businesses, the primary focus is usually on selling products and driving transactions directly through your ads. This type of business thrives on Shopping, Performance Max, and Display campaigns, with a lesser emphasis on traditional search-focused setups. Here’s how you can make it work:

1. Use Shopping Campaigns as a Catch-All

   • Purpose: Shopping campaigns are perfect for showcasing products directly to potential customers who are actively searching for them.

   • Strategy: Start with a catch-all campaign that includes all high-performing product categories. This approach covers broad intent searches and drives overall awareness and sales for your entire product range.

   • Pro Tip: Consider transitioning your most successful product categories to Performance Max campaigns to refine targeting and maximize ROAS (Return on Ad Spend).

   • Bonus: Implement a Targeted Shopping Campaign for abandoned carts and similar audiences. Targeting these groups ensures you capitalize on high-intent users, converting them into customers.

2. Leverage Performance Max for High-Value Product Categories

   • Purpose: Performance Max campaigns allow you to target multiple Google networks (Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail) under one roof.

   • Strategy: For eCommerce businesses, this is ideal for individual service or product category campaigns. Focus on high-value products, and use Asset Groups based on specific sub-categories. This helps in capturing intent across different platforms.

   • Asset Groups Should Include:

     • Targeted Ad Copy tailored to each product or service.

     • Engaging Images and Videos showcasing the product.

     • Remarketing Audiences, particularly for users who have already interacted with your brand but haven’t converted yet.

3. Dynamic Campaigns to Target Sale Pages

   • Purpose: Drive users to specific promotions or sale events with Dynamic Search Ads that pull relevant data directly from your website.

   • Strategy: Set up dynamic campaigns that prioritize your sale pages and highlight discounted items. This is particularly useful during holiday seasons or clearance events.

   • Pro Tip: Couple these campaigns with Display Ads that aggressively push promotional images to your best-performing audiences. Display Ads work great for remarketing, keeping your brand top of mind for those who have already visited your site.

4. YouTube Campaigns to Engage a Broader Audience

   • Purpose: YouTube is perfect for engaging with potential customers in the research phase of their buyer journey.

   • Strategy: Use YouTube Ads to promote best-performing products through instructional videos, customer testimonials, or unboxing clips. Aggressively increase your budget for these campaigns during promotional periods or when launching new product lines.

   • Bonus Tip: Make sure your videos are informative but not too long—short, punchy content performs best. Test different creatives to see which resonates most with your target audience.

Service-Based Businesses Google Ads Account Structure

For service-based businesses, the focus shifts toward lead generation rather than direct product sales. Campaigns should emphasize Search, Performance Max, and YouTube, with clear attention to local targeting and keyword optimization. Let’s explore how to make this work:

1. Search Campaigns for Mobile and Phone Calls

   • Purpose: For service-based businesses, Search campaigns are the bread and butter for driving phone calls and quote requests.

   • Strategy: Set up a Search Campaign that is specifically focused on mobile devices. Use call-only ads that make it easy for users to click and connect directly with your business. Keywords should focus on urgent services (e.g., "plumber near me," "emergency electrician").

   • Targeting Keywords: Use phrases like "electrician near me" or "plumber in [your location]" to capture local intent.

   • Pro Tip: Focus on setting a goal CPA of $20 (or another amount that matches your business’s profitability) and run this campaign all year round.

2. Performance Max for Service Category Campaigns

   • Purpose: Similar to eCommerce, Performance Max is a powerful tool for service-based businesses to target multiple Google networks with one campaign.

   • Strategy: Create a Performance Max Campaign targeting broader service categories (e.g., home renovation, HVAC installation). The key here is to break down services into specific Asset Groups and ensure ad copy speaks directly to the service in question.

   • Asset Groups Should Include:

     • Images of your team at work, finished projects, or testimonials.

     • Videos demonstrating your service expertise or showcasing customer satisfaction.

     • Remarketing Audiences focused on potential customers who visited your website but didn’t convert.

   • Targeting Keywords: Use high-value terms like "home renovation services" or "air conditioning installation."

3. Seasonal and Promotional Campaigns

   • Purpose: Many service-based businesses have peak seasons (e.g., HVAC services before summer, home renovation in the spring). You need to adjust your budget and targeting around these times.

   • Strategy: Set up a Search Campaign targeting keywords specific to the season, like "air conditioner installation" leading into summer. Increase your budget aggressively during this period to capture as many leads as possible before demand slows down.

   • Pro Tip: For high-ticket services (e.g., home renovations), aim for a target CPA of $100. This might seem high, but the lifetime value of each customer will likely offset this investment.

4. YouTube Campaigns for Branding and Lead Generation

   • Purpose: YouTube offers a unique platform for service businesses to tell their story and showcase their expertise.

   • Strategy: Use YouTube Ads to promote educational content about your services. For example, a plumbing company could create short videos explaining "how to prevent home plumbing disasters" or "the benefits of regular HVAC maintenance." These ads should include a strong call-to-action, encouraging viewers to request a quote or schedule a consultation.

   • Bonus Tip: Target users based on their recent search activity. If someone has searched for "emergency electrical repair," serve them a quick, reassuring YouTube ad highlighting your services.

Comparing the Two Approaches

• eCommerce Focus: Heavy on Shopping and Performance Max, with an emphasis on showcasing products through various formats (images, video, etc.). Success is driven by product visibility and the ability to convert clicks into direct sales.

• Service-Based Focus: Relies heavily on Search and Performance Max, with a significant focus on local targeting, phone calls, and lead generation. YouTube plays a secondary role but can be a powerful tool for education and brand-building.

In both cases, Display Ads can complement your campaigns by aggressively promoting your top-performing products (eCommerce) or services (service-based businesses) to remarketing audiences or similar users.

By following these tailored strategies, whether you’re running an online store or a local service business, you can structure your Google Ads account for optimal success. Remember to continually monitor your campaigns, refine your asset groups, and keep adjusting your budget to ensure you’re getting the most out of your ad spend.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

What has worked in the past may no longer be effective. Avoid these outdated tactics:

• Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs): Google’s algorithms are smart enough to optimize for intent without isolating individual keywords.

• Match Type Specific Campaigns: Don’t segment campaigns just by match types. Let Google’s machine learning handle the specifics.

• Adding as Many Keywords as Possible: Focus on quality over quantity. Instead of trying to cover every possible keyword, stick to terms that convert.

How to Track Performance and Adapt

A well-structured account is only as good as the performance data you track. Use GA4 to connect your Google Ads data and monitor user behavior after they click. This helps you refine your structure further by identifying what’s working and what’s not.

Pro Tip: Set up automated rules in Google Ads to increase budgets for high-converting campaigns or pause underperforming ones. This way, you’re continuously optimizing your spend.

Call to Action: Ready to Transform Your Google Ads?

If you're tired of underperforming campaigns and are ready to simplify your Google Ads account structure for better results, we can help.

Contact us to learn more about how we can structure your Google Ads account for success, or book a free consultation today!