The Essential PPC checklist for Running a Successful PPC Campaigns

PPC advertising is one of the most efficient and effective ways for a business to get itself noticed in the vast world of the internet. The popular marketing strategy stands for pay per click and refers to an advertising method through which companies may appear on the top of organic search results and pay only once a user has clicked onto their advertisement.

PPC checklist

When created right PPC can work wonders in your online marketing but if approached half-heartedly it may wind up costing your business thousands. Through our PPC guide we have currently discussed the basics behind the method and the vital steps that should be followed when preparing for and setting up your campaign.

Once you are happily prepared and have set up your campaign; there are a few things that you will need to look out for.

Have you read all terms, conditions and guidelines provided? Search engines are very particular about their rules so before you press the big button and make your campaign live; make sure you have given your advertisement the once over to ensure it complies with all rules…it will save you a lot of time and hassle.

Google ad rejection is not uncommon, the site can get picky over the smallest of details so even if you do find your campaign receiving an initial no, then try not to worry; just make the sufficient changes and you should be ready to go.

PPC Campaigns

Are you aware of just what search terms your advertisement will appear for? You would be surprised how many companies fail to fully understand the search engines and their keyword matching systems. There will of course naturally be the exact match for your search term, the broad match which will be made according to relevant phrases, a phrase match which will appear if just one of your keywords is mentioned in the search term and a negative match which you can use to ensure your ad is not used for a particular keyword. You must be aware of the search technology and just how and when your ad can appear or else you risk maintaining importance and relevance in your traffic and could blow your budget and recieve nothing in return.

Did you know that negative keywords could save you money and help your PPC campaign achieve more results? i.e. if you are offering a service and do not want job seekers coming to you then add the term ‘vacancy’, ‘recruitment’ and so on to your negative list. If you offer legal advice at a cost then add the terms ‘cheap’ and ‘free’ to your negative list to avoid receiving the wrong kind of queries…by ensuring you include negatives, your PPC campaign will have far more chance of accuracy.

Before making any PPC campaign live, ensure all rules are complied with, you are aware of all search technologies and the effect they may have on your campaign, employed negative keywords and variants and given your campaign the once over for any low quality terms. Tick all the right boxes, refine your campaign right down to a t and you can’t go wrong.

Here’s an Essential PPC Checklist to help you run a successful Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign—whether you’re using Google Ads, Bing Ads, or social media ad platforms.

PPC Campaign Checklist: Step-by-Step

1.  Define Clear Goals

Before you launch:

•  What do you want? (Sales, leads, traffic, brand awareness?)

• Set measurable KPIs (e.g., CPC, CTR, CPA, ROAS)

2.  Keyword Research & Targeting

Use tools like:

• Google Keyword Planner

• Ubersuggest

• SEMrush / Ahrefs

 Tips:

• Focus on long-tail keywords for lower CPC and high intent

• Avoid broad match keywords unless highly relevant

3.  Create a Solid Ad Copy

Make sure your ad:

• Includes target keywords

• Has a strong CTA (Call-To-Action)

• Solves a specific problem

 Pro Tip: Use emotional triggers + urgency words like “limited time,” “free trial,” “instant access”

4.  Optimize Landing Pages

• Fast-loading

• Mobile-friendly

• Keyword-aligned

• Clear CTA

• Minimal distractions

 Don’t send PPC traffic to your homepage—use custom landing pages for better conversions.

5.  Set Up Conversion Tracking

Use:

• Google Ads Conversion Tag

• Google Analytics Goals

• Facebook Pixel (for Meta ads)

 Track:

• Form submissions

• Purchases

• Button clicks

• Call tracking

6.  Use Ad Extensions (Google Ads)

Add:

• Sitelink Extensions

• Call Extensions

• Location Extensions

• Callout & Structured Snippets

 Boosts visibility and CTR.

7.  A/B Testing (Split Test)

• Test headlines, descriptions, CTAs, landing pages

• Run multiple ad variations

• Monitor performance, pause underperformers

8.  Budget & Bidding Strategy

Choose a strategy:

• Manual CPC

• Target ROAS

• Maximize Conversions

 Start small and scale based on performance.

9.  Add Negative Keywords

Avoid wasting money! Example:

• If you’re selling paid courses, add “free” as a negative keyword.

10.  Monitor & Optimize Daily/Weekly

Track:

• Click-through Rate (CTR)

• Quality Score

• Conversion Rate

• Cost Per Click (CPC)

• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

 Optimize:

• Pause bad keywords/ads

• Increase bids on high-performers

• Refresh ad creatives regularly

 Bonus Tip: Use Retargeting Ads

Use Google Display, Facebook, or LinkedIn to retarget users who didn’t convert the first time.

Would you like this checklist as a free PDF download or a Notion/Excel template to track your campaigns?

The Essential PPC checklist for Running a Successful PPC Campaigns