How to Run Google Ads for Your Business (UK – 2025 Guide)
Step-by-Step Instructions for UK Small Businesses, Startups & Local Brands
Thinking of running Google Ads for your UK business but not sure where to begin? You're not alone. With online competition growing in 2025, a well-run Google Ads campaign can bring in real leads and sales — without wasting your budget.
In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to run Google Ads in 2025 — from campaign setup to keyword selection — tailored for UK entrepreneurs, service providers, and eCommerce stores.
📚 Quick Navigation – How to Run Google Ads for UK Businesses (2025)
- Step 1: Skip Smart Campaign & Create Your Google Ads Account Properly
- Step 2: Choose Your Campaign Objective (But Don’t Let Google Decide Everything)
- Step 3: Choose the Right Campaign Type
- Step 4: Select Your Campaign Goals (Google Ads Search – UK 2025)
- Step 5: Choose Your Bidding Strategy
- Step 6: Choose Network Settings for Your Google Ads Campaign (UK 2025)
- Step 7: Add Keywords & Create Your First Ad
- Step 8: Create Compelling Ad Copy & Boost with Ad Extensions
- Step 9: Launch Your Campaign & Track Every Click with Analytics
Step 1: Skip Smart Campaign & Create Your Google Ads Account Properly
When you first sign up for Google Ads in the UK, you're greeted with a “Smart Campaign” setup. While this sounds convenient, it limits your targeting, bidding, and creative control. Instead, click "Set up an account only" at the bottom to unlock full campaign options. This is essential if you want to run real Search, Display, or Video campaigns that work for small businesses and agencies.
Screenshot: Skip Smart Campaign by clicking “Set up an account only” to use full Google Ads features.
Google Ads Campaign Goals Explained
| Goal | What It Does | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Purchases | Track completed sales or transactions from your ads. | E-commerce & product websites |
| Submit Lead Form | Generate leads through contact, signup, or quote forms. | Service businesses, agencies, local trades |
| Phone Call Leads | Drive direct calls from ads to your business number. | Consultants, clinics, local services |
| Page Views | Increase traffic to product or article pages. | Bloggers, content marketing |
| Brand Awareness | Show your ad to a broad audience to build visibility. | New brands or product launches |
Don’t worry too much about selecting the “perfect” goal right now — once you’ve skipped Smart Campaigns, you’ll be able to configure your real campaign types in the next step.
Step 2: Choose Your Campaign Objective (But Don’t Let Google Decide Everything)
Before you land on this screen, make sure you’ve entered your basic details — like business name, website URL, and billing information (either pre-pay or post-pay mode). This ensures you don’t get stuck or confused during the setup.
Google Ads now prompts you to choose a campaign objective like “Sales,” “Leads,” or “Website Traffic.” While these may sound helpful, they automatically apply a lot of Smart features in the background — limiting your control.
📸 Screenshot: Campaign Objective screen in Google Ads UK – Step 2
If you’re serious about learning Google Ads properly or want to follow this blog step-by-step, click on:
“Create a campaign without guidance”.
This option unlocks full access to all campaign types (Search, Display, Video, Shopping, etc.) and gives you precise control over targeting, bidding, keywords, and more.
🔍 What Do These Objectives Actually Do?
| Objective | What It Does | Recommended? |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | Promotes online or in-store purchases using Smart bidding. | ❌ Limited control |
| Leads | Focuses on getting sign-ups, calls, or form fills — with Smart automation. | ⚠️ Okay for beginners |
| Website Traffic | Brings people to your website based on their interests or queries. | ⚠️ Some automation applied |
| App Promotion | Promotes app installs and pre-registration. | ✅ If you have an app |
| Local Store Visits | Drives visits to physical locations via Google Maps + Search. | ✅ For retail stores |
| Create campaign without guidance | Gives full manual access to campaign type, bidding, keywords, and more. | ✅ Recommended for full control |
✅ Pro Tip: Choose “Create a campaign without guidance” to avoid hidden automation and build a proper ad structure — just like a professional PPC expert would.
Step 3: Choose the Right Campaign Type
After selecting your campaign objective, you’ll be asked to choose a campaign type. This is a crucial step because the format you choose determines where and how your ads will appear. For most beginners and service-based UK businesses, the "Search" campaign is the ideal starting point as it shows text-based ads directly on Google Search results.
Screenshot: Select your campaign type – choose “Search” for most service-based businesses.
🧭 Campaign Type Comparison Table:
| Campaign Type | Where Ads Show | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Search | Google Search results (text ads) | Leads, service businesses, high-intent keywords |
| Performance Max | Search, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Discover | eCommerce, broad reach, automation |
| Display | Google Display Network sites & apps | Brand awareness, remarketing |
| Shopping | Google Shopping listings | Product-based businesses (requires Merchant Center) |
| Video | YouTube ads | Brand storytelling, engagement |
| App | Google Play, YouTube, Display | App downloads & installs |
| Demand Gen | YouTube, Discover, Gmail | Visual campaigns with product/service awareness |
For this guide, we’ll proceed with the Search Campaign, which allows you to show your ad when someone types relevant keywords into Google — ideal for generating leads or website visits from ready-to-convert users.
Step 4: Select Your Campaign Goals (Google Ads Search – UK 2025)
Now that you've selected the campaign type as Search, the next step is to define the results you want from this campaign. This helps Google optimize your ad delivery through Smart Bidding.
Make sure to enter your website URL, then carefully select the goals based on what matters most to your UK business. Whether you're looking for purchases, form submissions, or page views, this step will guide Google's AI to show your ads to the most relevant audience.
📸 Screenshot – Enter your website URL and pick the primary goals like Page Views, Leads, or Purchases.
📸 Screenshot – Scroll through detailed goal options and turn on Enhanced Conversions for better tracking.
🔍 Common Google Ads Goal Options (UK Businesses)
| Goal | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Page View | Optimizes ads for users likely to view key pages on your website (e.g. product pages, blogs). |
| Purchase | Targets people most likely to complete purchases on your online store or site. |
| Form Submission | Focuses on users who are likely to fill out contact or lead capture forms. |
| Signup | Shows ads to users who are likely to register for newsletters, trials, or accounts. |
| Quote Request | Targets users looking to get a quote for your services—great for agencies and B2B. |
Step 5: Choose Your Bidding Strategy
Google Ads offers different bidding strategies based on your campaign goals. For beginners in the UK, it’s usually best to start with “Conversions” or “Clicks” depending on whether your goal is leads or traffic. You can change this later as your campaign gathers more data.
Screenshot – Step 5: Selecting a bidding strategy like Conversions, Clicks, or Value in Google Ads (UK 2025)
| Bidding Strategy | What It Does | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Conversions | Automatically adjusts bids to get more leads, purchases, or form submissions. | Lead generation, eCommerce checkouts, service-based UK businesses |
| Conversion Value | Maximizes the total value of conversions (useful for high-ticket sales). | Large eCommerce stores, high-value product sales |
| Clicks | Gets as many clicks as possible within your budget. | New websites, blog traffic, brand awareness |
| Impression Share | Shows your ad at the top of search results more frequently. | Local services, branded search campaigns, visibility goals |
Pro Tip: If you're just starting out, select “Conversions” to let Google optimize for leads or purchases. You'll need to set up conversion tracking for this to work effectively.
Step 6: Choose Network Settings for Your Google Ads Campaign (UK 2025)
In this step, you'll decide where your ads will appear. Google gives you two key network options: Search Partners and Display Network. It's important to choose carefully to avoid wasting ad budget.
Screenshot: Google Ads network settings during UK campaign setup (Search Partners vs Display Network)
💡 What Should You Select?
- ✅ Google Search Partners: Keep this enabled. It shows your ads on partner sites like YouTube search, Amazon search results, and other high-intent platforms.
- ❌ Google Display Network: Uncheck this for now. It shows your ads across random blogs, news sites, and apps — not ideal for conversion-focused campaigns.
🔍 Network Comparison Table (UK Campaigns)
| Network | What It Does | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Partners | Shows your search ads on partner websites & platforms like YouTube, Amazon, etc. | UK businesses targeting purchase-ready users with high intent |
| Google Display Network | Shows image or text ads on blogs, YouTube, apps, and news websites | Large brands, remarketing ads, or awareness campaigns — not for beginners |
Pro Tip: If you're just starting out and your goal is conversions or leads in the UK, disable the Display Network to keep your ad budget focused and efficient.
Step 7: Add Keywords & Create Your First Ad
In this step, you’ll tell Google what search terms (keywords) you want your ads to appear for. Enter your Final URL (the landing page users will visit), and let Google suggest keywords—or add your own manually for more control.
For best results, focus on high-intent keywords relevant to your business (e.g. “Shopify store setup UK”, “digital marketing agency London”). Separate keywords by commas or line breaks.
Screenshot: Step 7 – Add keyword phrases and prepare your ad copy
💡 Pro Tip: How to Choose the Right Keywords
- Start with 5–15 focused keywords (no broad one-word phrases)
- Use local targeting keywords (e.g., “PPC consultant Manchester”)
- Avoid overly generic terms like “marketing” or “website”
- Test different match types (broad, phrase, exact) for better control
🔍 Keyword Match Types Explained (With Examples)
| Match Type | How to Write | Example | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad Match | just type words normally | running shoes | To get max reach (not recommended for beginners) |
| Phrase Match | "keyword phrase" | "running shoes" | Shows if user types the phrase with extra words before or after |
| Exact Match | [exact keyword] | [running shoes] | Best for controlling spend and targeting specific intent |
| Long-Tail Keywords | "long keyword phrase" | "best running shoes for men UK" | Higher intent, less competition, great for UK-specific traffic |
For example, instead of just adding shoes (broad match), try
"running shoes for men" (phrase match) or [black nike trainers] (exact match) to reach customers with strong purchase intent.
Bonus: Add at least one branded keyword and one long-tail keyword to improve your Quality Score and click-through rate.
Step 8: Create Compelling Ad Copy & Boost with Ad Extensions
Once you've added your keywords, it's time to write the actual ad that will appear on Google. A well-written ad can drastically improve your click-through rate (CTR) and Quality Score. You'll need to provide:
- Headlines (Up to 15) – Short, punchy statements that grab attention.
- Descriptions (Up to 4) – Explain your offer, value, or benefit.
- Final URL – Where the user will land after clicking.
Use dynamic keywords when possible, maintain clarity, and include a clear call-to-action (CTA) like “Book Now” or “Free Quote Today”.
📝 Ad Copywriting Best Practices
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Use keywords in your headline | Use misleading or clickbait claims |
| Include pricing or offers if relevant | Leave blank headline or description fields |
| Add a clear CTA (e.g. "Start Free Trial") | Repeat the same phrase in all headlines |
For official guidance, refer to Google’s Ad Creation Guide and Ad Approval Policies.
🔗 Ad Extensions (Now Called Assets)
Ad Extensions give users more reasons to click your ad — without costing extra per click. They can increase your CTR and make your ad look more credible and informative.
| Extension Type | Purpose | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Sitelink | Add clickable links to specific pages | Use when you want to promote services like Pricing, Testimonials, or Contact |
| Callout | Add short selling points like “Free Shipping” or “UK Based” | Good for highlighting benefits or guarantees |
| Structured Snippets | Show categories like “Services: SEO, PPC, Shopify” | Helpful when you offer multiple services/products |
| Call Extension | Add a clickable phone number to your ad | Ideal for mobile users and service businesses |
Learn how to set up all types of ad extensions in this Google Ads Asset Guide.
🚀 Pro Tip:
Try to use at least 3–4 ad extensions to increase the visibility and engagement of your ads. They also make your ads take up more space on mobile!
Step 9: Launch Your Campaign & Track Every Click with Analytics
Once everything is set, go ahead and launch your campaign. But don’t stop there — the real power lies in measuring what’s working and what’s not. Tracking results helps you improve ROI, cut wasted spend, and scale what works.
Here's what you should do immediately after publishing your campaign:
- 📈 Connect Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to track user behavior after the ad click
- 🎯 Set up Conversion Tracking (form fills, purchases, signups)
- 📍 Link Google Ads to Google Tag Manager for advanced tracking & events
- 🕵️ Use UTM Parameters in final URLs to analyze campaigns inside GA4
- 📊 Monitor Performance: Track key metrics like CTR, CPC, Conversion Rate, and ROAS
Make it a habit to review your campaign data weekly. Let the ads run for at least 7–14 days before making any major adjustments.
🔗 Helpful links:
• How to Set Up Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
• How to Track Conversions in Google Ads
🎯 Wrapping Up: Launch Better Google Ads, Drive Real Results in the UK
Running Google Ads in 2025 isn’t just about getting clicks — it’s about reaching the right people, optimizing every step, and tracking what truly works for your business.
Whether you're promoting a Shopify store, launching a local service, or scaling your UK business, this step-by-step approach helps you build campaigns that convert — with confidence, clarity, and control.
Need expert help managing Google Ads, improving campaign ROI, or aligning it with your website funnel? Let’s get your strategy dialed in.
🚀 Book Your Free Google Ads Consultation →✅ Also explore our Shopify Services to boost your store’s performance, and build seamless ad-to-store journeys.
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