/ads

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