This document provides a checklist for launching a paid search campaign, outlining key areas to address including finances, strategy, targeting, creative development, campaign development, tracking, and campaign settings. It lists specific items to set up billing, budgets, target audiences, messaging, goals, geographic and device targeting, landing pages, ad copy, tracking, and enabling the campaign for launch. The checklist aims to guide comprehensive planning and setup to help ensure a successful paid search campaign launch.

1. Finances
 Is billing within Adwords set up?
 What are the daily/monthly budgets (Net vs. Gross)?
Strategy & Messaging
 What is your market? Who are your customers? Who are your competitors?
 What message are you trying to convey? Why should customers choose you?
 What are the campaign goals? KPIs? Do they align?
Targeting
 What geographies are being targeted?
 Is Display (non-remarketing) being used? Is Remarketing being used?
 Are there any initial day/week partings?
 Are mobile devices going to be targeted?
Creative Development
 Do landing pages currently exist?
 If yes, do they adhere to best-practices? Can they be improved?
 If no, who is creating them?
 If targeting mobile, is the landing page mobile responsive?
Campaign Development
 Conduct keyword research
 Divide keywords in tightly themed Ad groups
 Develop product/solution/service oriented benefit statements
 Determine offers/assets
 Develop ad copy incorporating your benefits and offers
 Finalize the master plan (i.e. display URLs, destination URLs, etc.)
 Generate initial list of negative terms and, if applicable, excluded placements
Tracking
 Has conversion tracking been implemented?
 Are there extra URL parameters that need to be added for tracking purposes?
 If doing remarketing, has remarketing code been implemented?
 If tracking phone calls, has phone call tracking been implemented?
 Have you "lived tested" tracking?
Campaign Settings & Upload
 Upload campaign in bulk-sheet into AdWords Editor
 Edit default settings where needed
 Set daily budget cap
 Double check settings
 Launch campaign paused in Editor
 Review paused campaign in Adwords
 Enable and QC live campaign
Campaign
Ad Group Ad Group
Keywords Keywords
Ads Ads
The Definitive Paid Search Launch Checklist
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