Google Search Ads Campaign Setup for B2B SaaS Founders

1. Clicks needed → 150 leads ÷ 10% = 1500 clicks

2. Required spend → 1500 clicks × $3 = $4500/month

Our $500 dream is short by 9×, and that’s assuming the search volume exists and your form converts at 10%.

Takeaway: Write the math before you write the ad.

If goals, costs, and volume don’t align, the fight’s unwinnable – no matter how good the creative is.

Suggested next step: Run this four-cell calculation for every new campaign; adjust targets – or budget – before the first dollar is spent.

4. Bidding that grows with you

Phase 1 - Data collection: Maximise Clicks until conversions hit double digits.
Phase 2 - Learning: Switch to Maximise Conversions once you have ~20 solid conversions.
Phase 3 - Efficiency: Layer a target CPA or ROAS when volume is stable.

Algorithms don’t pray; they count. Give them numbers, not wishes.

5. Conversion goals: follow the money, not the mouse

Use auto-tagging + CRM uploads so offline SQLs sync back. You’ll spend for pipeline, not pretty click-throughs.

A client once bragged about their 6% click-through, $2 CPC. Looked great, until we peeked at the CRM: 200 leads. 3 sales calls booked.

So we wired Google Ads to talk to their CRM. Enter auto-tagging: each click started carrying a secret handshake: gclid. Suddenly, our pipeline wasn’t a black box. Every sales stage (not just form fills) flowed back to Google.

Here’s what changed:

• Bids chased real SQLs, not just pretty clicks.

• Dead-end keywords starved; closers got the fuel.

• The feedback loop made Google’s AI smarter - our pipeline filled itself.

Lesson: clicks don’t pay salaries; customers do.

Next step:
To count sales stages (SQLs, deals) as conversions, you’ll need to import them from your CRM. After enabling auto-tagging, set up Offline Conversion Imports (Google’s step-by-step guide). Most modern CRMs have direct integrations or export options.

Don’t want to go that deep yet?
You can stick with online conversion actions for now (like form fills or purchases). See the Account Setup Guide for a step-by-step walkthrough on adding your first online conversion (with screenshots). It’s a good warm-up before syncing offline sales.

Takeaway:
Start with auto-tagging and at least one conversion action - offline if you’re ready, online if you’re just getting going. The earlier you “close the loop,” the faster Google’s AI works for you.

6. Location settings few teams tweak

• Group similar time‑zones. If India and the US share a budget, India may drain it before US lunch. Split campaigns or set separate caps.

• Location Options: pick Presence (people in location) not “Presence or Interest”. This setting hides two clicks deep; Google is cheeky like that. The default and recommended “Presence or Interest” quietly sprays ads at tourists and trivia buffs.

Control what you can: pacing, not geography, should end your day’s spend.

7. Languages: one tongue per campaign

• Keep ad copy, keywords, and the landing page in the same language.

• Relevance lifts Quality Score and conversion rates.

• Split campaigns if you must localise.

If you juggle languages in one campaign, expect Quality Score whiplash and a late-night espresso bill.

Wrap‑up: Systems over stunts

This Minimal Viable Setup is the fulcrum – the fixed point that lets a modest push swing far larger results. Anchor it once, and every later tweak gains leverage instead of spinning in the sand. Build the pivot right; the lift only gets easier from here.

Next up → Part 3: Google Search Ads Keyword Planning

Launch with fewer clicks

Count the UI taps above – naming, network toggles, geo tweaks, bids – easily 30 + clicks. Or send Otto a plain-English message like “Create a US only campaign ‘Feature X Beta‘ at $75/day”. Otto pings back for anything missing, auto-applies every best practice you’ve just read in seconds.

Reply with your trickiest setup; I’ll record a one‑take walk‑through.