Google Search Ads
The highest-intent paid traffic that exists. When someone searches for exactly what you sell, right now, Google Ads puts you at the very top of the results — above every organic listing on the page.
- Create a Google Ads account in Expert Mode with correct settings
- Set up a tightly targeted Search campaign that won't burn your budget
- Understand keyword match types and why the wrong choice is expensive
- Build a negative keyword list before going live — the most important budget protection
- Write effective ads and know how to review performance weekly
The moment someone is ready to book — be there
Everything in Courses 01–05 has been about building visibility and nurturing people over time. Google Search Ads do something completely different: they put you in front of people who are actively searching for what you sell right now , at the exact moment they're closest to booking.
Someone who types "luxury Maldives holiday agent UK" into Google is not browsing casually. They have intent, they have a budget in mind, and they're evaluating their options. Appearing at the top of that search — above every organic result — is worth paying for.
At £100–£150/month you cannot compete on broad terms like "cheap holidays" — the OTAs spend millions on those. But on specific, niche searches where you're a genuine specialist, even a modest budget will generate meaningful enquiries. The key is being tight, targeted, and disciplined. This course shows you exactly how.
Paid ads appear above every organic result — including the OTAs
The first thing a searcher sees is paid ads, not organic results. When your ad appears at the top for a specific search, you get the click before anyone else — including booking.com, Expedia, and every competitor who hasn't run ads. The quality of your targeting determines whether those clicks turn into enquiries.
What you need
- A Google account — the same one you used for Google Business Profile is fine
- A credit or debit card for billing — you won't be charged until ads go live
- Your Travelgenix website URL — your ads will send clicks here
- A clear idea of your 1–2 main specialisms — the tighter your focus, the better the results
- Google Analytics already installed on your website (ask your Travelgenix team if unsure)
Read this before you spend a single penny
Google Ads can waste money very quickly if set up incorrectly. The most common mistake is using the wrong keyword match types — Google will show your ad for irrelevant searches and burn through your entire monthly budget in days. Follow every step in this course carefully, especially Steps 6 and 7. Never set and forget — check your campaign weekly, especially in the first month.
Setting up your first Google Search campaign
Create your Google Ads account in Expert Mode
Go to ads.google.com and click "Start now." Sign in with your Google account.
When Google asks you to create your first campaign immediately — stop. Look for the link at the bottom of the screen that says "Switch to Expert Mode" and click it. This is critical. The simplified setup hands Google too much control over your budget and targeting. Expert Mode gives you full control.
Set up billing and add a monthly spending limit
Go to Tools (the spanner icon) → Billing → Payment Settings. Add your card details. Then look for "Account budget" or "Monthly spending limit" and set it to your total monthly budget — £120, £150, whatever you've decided.
This is your safety net. Google will not charge you more than this amount in any calendar month, no matter what happens with your campaign settings.
Create your first campaign — choose Search only
Click + New Campaign. Select "Leads" as your campaign goal. Select "Search" as the campaign type.
On the next screen you'll see tickboxes for network expansion. Untick both "Google Search Partners" and "Google Display Network." You want your ads to appear on Google Search only — the most controlled and relevant placement for a small budget.
Set your location targeting correctly
Under Locations, enter United Kingdom. Then look for "Target" options and change it from "Presence or interest" to "Presence" only.
This ensures your ads only show to people physically located in the UK — not people who just mentioned "UK" somewhere in their search. This single setting prevents a significant amount of wasted spend.
Set your daily budget and bidding strategy
Daily budget: divide your monthly budget by 30.4. For £120/month: £120 ÷ 30.4 = £3.95/day. For £150/month: £4.93/day. Enter this number in the daily budget field.
Bidding strategy: select "Manual CPC"(Cost Per Click). Untick "Enhanced CPC" if it appears. Manual CPC keeps you in complete control of what you pay per click. Automated bidding strategies — "Maximise clicks," "Target CPA," etc. — spend small budgets very aggressively and unpredictably. Avoid them until you have at least 3 months of conversion data.
Choose your keywords — tight and specific
For a budget of £100–£150/month, focus on one clear theme — your strongest specialism. 8–15 keywords maximum. Specific, intent-rich phrases work far better than broad ones at this budget level.
Examples for a Maldives specialist:
- luxury maldives holiday agent uk
- maldives holiday specialist
- maldives overwater villa packages
- bespoke maldives honeymoon
- maldives travel agent
Understanding keyword match types — this is the most important technical concept in Google Ads:
| Match Type | How to write it | What it means | Use it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad Match | maldives holiday | Shows for anything loosely related — "holiday jobs in Maldives," "Maldives weather," completely irrelevant searches. Burns budget fast. | ❌ Never on a small budget |
| Phrase Match | "maldives holiday" | Shows when your phrase appears within a search. Good balance of reach and relevance. | ✅ Yes — use this |
| Exact Match | [maldives travel agent uk] | Only shows for that exact search (or very close variants). Maximum control, lowest volume. | ✅ Yes — use this |
Add negative keywords — do this BEFORE going live
Negative keywords are searches you don't want to pay for. This step is non-negotiable on a small budget. Go to Keywords → Negative Keywords and add the following before your campaign goes live:
🚫 Add these as negatives immediately
Also add as negatives: any competitor brand names, any destinations you don't sell, any holiday types you don't offer.
Write your ads — Responsive Search Ads
Google uses "Responsive Search Ads" — you provide up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, and Google tests combinations to find what performs best. Headlines are 30 characters each; descriptions are 90 characters.
Write for the person searching — not for your business. Lead with what they want, not what you do.
Headline ideas:
- Luxury Maldives Specialists
- Bespoke Maldives Packages
- ATOL Protected Holidays
- No Booking Fees on Maldives
- Free Expert Advice
- Overwater Villa Experts
- Call Us Today — Free Quote
- Speak to a Real Specialist
Set up conversion tracking
Without conversion tracking, you can't tell which keywords and ads are actually generating enquiries — you're flying blind. Go to Tools → Conversions → New Conversion Action → Website.
The easiest conversion to track is a thank you page — the page someone lands on after submitting an enquiry form. Ask your Travelgenix team to add the Google conversion tag to that page. Once it's installed, Google will tell you exactly which searches led to enquiries.
Go live — then check daily for the first two weeks
Click Publish. Your ads will go live within a few hours. For the first two weeks, check your campaign every day:
- Go to Keywords → Search Terms — review every search that triggered your ad. Add anything irrelevant as a negative keyword immediately.
- Check your daily spend against your budget — if you're not spending your full daily budget, your bids may be too low or your keywords too restrictive.
- If you're spending the full budget but getting no enquiries, review your ad copy and landing page.
After 30 days, Google's algorithm will have gathered enough data to start showing your ads more intelligently. The first month is always the most manual — it gets easier.
Your weekly 20-minute Google Ads review
- Search Terms report: add any irrelevant searches as negatives. This is the highest-value 5 minutes you'll spend.
- Check key metrics: impressions, clicks, click-through rate (aim for 5%+), average cost per click.
- Pause underperformers: any keyword that has spent £5+ with zero clicks is not working — pause it.
- After 4 weeks: pause the lowest-performing ad variations and write fresh ones based on what's working.
Travelgenix tip
Your Google Ads should send clicks to specific landing pages on your Travelgenix website — not just the homepage. A click on a "Maldives holiday specialist" ad should land on your dedicated Maldives destination page, not a generic homepage. Ask your Travelgenix account manager about creating or optimising destination-specific landing pages — they make a significant difference to enquiry conversion rates.
For more experienced marketers
Add ad extensions to take up more space — for free
Ad extensions add extra lines of information below your ad at no additional cost — they make your ad larger, more visible, and more credible. Add these in your campaign settings under "Assets": Sitelink extensions(links to specific pages: Honeymoons, Ski Holidays, About Us), Callout extensions(short trust signals: "ATOL Protected," "No Booking Fees," "25 Years Experience"), and Call extensions(your phone number, clickable on mobile). Ads with extensions consistently outperform those without — there's no reason not to add them.
Run a separate brand campaign for almost nothing
Create a second campaign targeting just your business name as a keyword — e.g. [Sunshine Travel Co]. This typically costs just a few pence per click but ensures that anyone specifically searching for you (perhaps after a referral or seeing your marketing elsewhere) lands on your site rather than a competitor's ad. It also gives you full control of the message shown when people search your brand name directly.
Use the search terms data to improve your SEO
Your Google Ads Search Terms report is a goldmine of real search intelligence — actual phrases real people type when looking for what you offer. Export it monthly and look for terms you're paying for that are also worth targeting organically. If "Maldives honeymoon overwater villa 2025" is generating enquiries via ads, write a blog post or landing page targeting that exact phrase and earn that traffic for free over time.
The most expensive Google Ads mistakes
- Using broad match keywords on a small budget — your entire budget will disappear on irrelevant searches within days
- Not adding negative keywords before going live — every irrelevant click you pay for is money that could have gone to a real enquiry
- Using automated bidding strategies before you have data — "Maximise Clicks" on a £4/day budget is unpredictable and wasteful
- Sending all traffic to the homepage — a dedicated landing page for each ad theme converts at 2–3× the rate
- Setting it up once and never checking it — a campaign left unmonitored burns money silently and invisibly
Your weekly 20-minute campaign review
- Open Keywords → Search Terms. Add any irrelevant search terms as negative keywords
- Check impressions, clicks, CTR (aim 5%+) and average CPC for the week
- Pause any keyword that has spent £5+ with zero clicks this month
- Check your total monthly spend — are you on track with your budget?
- After week 4: review ad performance — pause lowest performers and test new headlines
- Monthly: check conversion data — which keywords are actually generating enquiries?
What to expect and when
| When | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Days 1–3 | Ads under review and going live. First impressions and clicks begin. Check Search Terms daily and add negatives aggressively. |
| Week 2–4 | Campaign learning. Irrelevant traffic identified and blocked via negatives. First enquiries from paid search. Expect 5–15 clicks per day on £100–£150/month. |
| Month 1–2 | Data accumulates. Google's algorithm improves targeting. CTR improves as you refine ad copy. Cost per enquiry starts to become measurable. |
| Month 3+ | A well-managed campaign at this budget should generate 5–15 quality enquiries per month. Cost per enquiry improves steadily as you pause underperformers and add negatives. |
| Month 6+ | Strong conversion data available. Consider testing automated bidding with a CPA target based on your real cost-per-enquiry data from months 1–5. |
Lesson completion checklist
📄 Download the Course 06 Workbook
Campaign setup checklist, keyword planner, negative keyword starter list, ad copy templates, and weekly review tracker.