--- name: ads description: "Use this skill when the user needs to run Google Ads, write ad copy, select keywords, optimize CAC/LTV, or manage a small paid acquisition budget. Covers Google Ads strategy, keyword selection, ad copywriting, and conversion tracking for bootstrapped SaaS." --- # Paid Acquisition & Ad Copy Paid acquisition amplifies what's already working. If your landing page doesn't convert organic traffic, ads won't fix it. This skill helps you run profitable Google Ads on a small budget — from campaign setup to weekly optimization. ## Core Principles - Paid acquisition amplifies what's already working. If your landing page doesn't convert organic traffic, ads won't fix it. - Start with the highest-intent keywords. People searching for "[Competitor] alternative" are closer to buying than people searching for "what is [category]." - Small budgets demand focus. $10-20/day on 5-10 exact-match keywords beats $100/day spread across 500 broad-match keywords. - Test the message, not the channel. If Google Ads doesn't work at $10/day, the problem is usually your ad copy or landing page, not the channel. - CAC must be less than 1/3 of LTV from day one. If the math doesn't work at small scale, it won't work at large scale. - Every dollar should be traceable to a conversion. If you can't track it, don't spend it. ## Prerequisites (Before Spending a Dollar) - [ ] Landing page converts organic visitors at 2%+ (signup rate) - [ ] Analytics tracking working (can attribute signups to source) - [ ] Payment flow works (can track ad spend → signup → payment) - [ ] You know your activation rate (what % of signups become real users) - [ ] You have a rough LTV estimate (even if based on pricing × estimated retention) If any of these are missing, fix them first. Ads on a broken funnel is burning money. ## Google Ads for SaaS ### Campaign Structure for Solo Founders Start with ONE campaign, 2-3 ad groups: ``` Campaign: [Product Name] — Search Budget: $10-20/day Bidding: Maximize conversions (once you have 15+ conversions) OR Manual CPC to start (set bids at $2-5 range) Network: Search only (NOT Display, NOT Search Partners) Location: Countries where your ICP lives Ad Group 1: Competitor Keywords (highest intent) Keywords: [competitor name] alternative [competitor name] vs [competitor name] pricing switch from [competitor name] [competitor name] review Ad Group 2: Problem Keywords (high intent) Keywords: [specific problem] tool [specific problem] software how to [solve specific problem] best [category] for [audience] [category] for small teams Ad Group 3: Solution Keywords (medium intent) Keywords: [category] software [category] platform [category] app online [category] tool ``` ### Keyword Strategy **Match types (start narrow, expand later):** - **Exact match** `[keyword]`: Start here. Only shows for this exact search. - **Phrase match** `"keyword"`: Add after exact match proves profitable. - **Broad match**: Avoid until you have significant conversion data and use Smart Bidding. **Negative keywords (add immediately):** ``` free open source tutorial how to build DIY jobs hiring salary reddit github course template (unless you sell templates) ``` **Finding keywords:** - Google's autocomplete: Type your problem and see what Google suggests. - "People also ask": Search your main keyword and mine the related questions. - Competitor's meta keywords (view source on their pages). - Google Keyword Planner (free with a Google Ads account). - Your own customer conversations — what words do they use to describe the problem? ### Ad Copy That Converts **Google Search Ad structure:** ``` Headline 1 (30 chars): [Primary benefit or problem] Headline 2 (30 chars): [Differentiator or social proof] Headline 3 (30 chars): [CTA with specificity] Description 1 (90 chars): [Expand on benefit, address objection] Description 2 (90 chars): [Proof point + CTA] ``` **Templates by ad group:** Competitor keywords: ``` H1: Tired of [Competitor]? H2: [Product] — Built for [ICP] H3: Try Free — No Credit Card D1: [Specific advantage over competitor]. Switch in minutes, not days. D2: Join [X] teams who switched from [Competitor]. Start free today. ``` Problem keywords: ``` H1: [Problem] Solved in Minutes H2: [Product] for [Audience] H3: Start Free — Setup in 5 Min D1: Stop [painful manual process]. [Product] [specific outcome] automatically. D2: [Social proof]. Free plan available. No credit card required. ``` Solution keywords: ``` H1: [Category] Built for [ICP] H2: Simple, Fast, Affordable H3: Free Plan Available D1: [Product] helps [audience] [achieve outcome]. [Key differentiator]. D2: Trusted by [X] teams. Start free in under 2 minutes. ``` **Ad copy rules:** - Include the keyword in at least one headline (improves Quality Score). - Always mention "free" if you have a free tier or trial. - Numbers beat adjectives: "Setup in 5 minutes" beats "Quick setup." - Address one objection in the description: price, complexity, or switching cost. - Write 3-4 ad variants per ad group. Let Google optimize for performance. ### Landing Pages for Ads Do NOT send ad traffic to your homepage. Create dedicated landing pages: ``` URL structure: yoursite.com/vs/[competitor] → for competitor keywords yoursite.com/use-case/[problem] → for problem keywords yoursite.com/for/[audience] → for audience keywords ``` Each landing page should: - Match the ad's headline (message match = higher conversion). - Address the specific search intent (not generic product pitch). - Have a single CTA (signup or trial start). - Load in <2 seconds. - Include no navigation links away from the conversion goal. ### Tracking Setup **Essential tracking:** ``` 1. Google Ads conversion tracking - Signup completed (primary conversion) - Trial started (if separate from signup) - Payment completed (import from your backend if possible) 2. Google Analytics 4 - UTM parameters on all ad URLs - utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=[campaign]&utm_term=[keyword] 3. Your own database - Store utm_source on user signup record - Track: Ad click → Signup → Activation → Payment (full funnel by source) ``` ## Budget Management ### Weekly Review Ritual (15 minutes) ``` | Metric | This Week | Last Week | Target | |---------------------|-----------|-----------|--------| | Spend | | | $70-140| | Clicks | | | | | CTR | | | >3% | | CPC (avg) | | | <$3 | | Signups from ads | | | | | Cost per signup | | | <$XX | | Signups → Activated | | | >30% | | Signups → Paid | | | >5% | | CAC (paying) | | | <1/3 LTV| ``` ### Decision Rules ``` CTR < 2%: → Ad copy isn't compelling. Rewrite headlines. CPC too high (>$5 for SMB SaaS): → Keywords too competitive. Go more longtail or niche. Clicks but no signups: → Landing page problem. Check message match, page speed, form friction. Signups but no activation: → Product/onboarding problem, not an ads problem. Pause ads and fix. CAC > 1/3 LTV: → Unprofitable. Improve conversion rate, test new keywords, or pause. Everything working: → Increase budget by 20-30% per week. Don't double overnight. ``` ### Scaling Rules 1. Don't increase budget by more than 30% per week. 2. Add new keywords only after existing ones are profitable. 3. Expand to phrase match only after exact match has 30+ conversions. 4. Consider Meta/LinkedIn Ads only after Google Search is profitable. 5. Never spend more than you can afford to lose for 3 months with zero return. ## CAC Tracking ``` Simple CAC calculation: CAC = Total ad spend in period ÷ Paying customers acquired from ads in period Blended CAC (all channels): Blended CAC = Total marketing spend ÷ Total new paying customers Sustainability check: LTV:CAC ratio = LTV ÷ CAC Target: 3:1 or better Payback period = CAC ÷ Monthly revenue per customer Target: <6 months for bootstrapped ``` --- ## Setting Up a Campaign **Tell AI:** ``` Set up a Google Ads search campaign for my SaaS: - Product: [what it does] - Audience: [who it's for] - Budget: [$10-20/day to start] - Top 3 competitors: [names] - Main problem solved: [one sentence] Create: 1. Campaign structure with 2-3 ad groups (competitor, problem, solution keywords) 2. 10-15 exact-match keywords per ad group 3. Negative keyword list 4. 3 ad copy variants per ad group (with character counts) 5. UTM parameters for tracking 6. Landing page recommendations for each ad group ``` **Tell AI (for ad copy iteration):** ``` Write 4 Google Search ad variants for this ad group: - Target keyword: [keyword] - Landing page: [URL] - Our differentiator: [what makes us different] - Social proof: [user count, notable customers, specific results] Follow Google Ads limits: H1-H3 (30 chars each), D1-D2 (90 chars each). Include the keyword in at least one headline. Show character counts for each line. ``` --- ## Common Mistakes | Mistake | Fix | |---------|-----| | Running ads before landing page converts | Get 2%+ organic conversion rate first | | Broad match keywords from day one | Start with exact match. Expand after 30+ conversions | | No negative keywords | Add the standard exclusion list on day one | | Sending traffic to homepage | Create dedicated landing pages per ad group | | No conversion tracking | Set up Google Ads conversion tracking before spending | | Scaling too fast | Increase budget max 30% per week | | CAC > 1/3 of LTV | Pause and fix conversion rate before spending more | --- ## Related Skills - **landing-page** — Build dedicated landing pages for each ad group - **conversion** — Optimize the signup flow that ads drive traffic to - **analytics** — Track ad spend → signup → payment attribution - **copywriting** — Write stronger ad headlines and descriptions - **seo** — Build organic traffic so you're not paying for every click