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To help you decide, take a moment to compare the features in the table below.

• If you already have a Google Account, use it as your login. Otherwise, choose an email address that you use often and a secure password (at least seven characters that include both letters and numbers). This information will be your login information in the future.
  
• You can edit your information ― except your currency and time zone information ― at any time after you verify your account. While we suggest that you think about your campaign before starting, it's okay to make mistakes. AdWords is built for change.
  
• The first campaign you create is a keyword-targeted campaign. If you set up a Standard Edition account, you can add placement-targeted campaigns later. See the Placement Targeting lesson for more.

If you chose to create a Starter Edition account, continue reading the rest of this lesson. If you chose Standard Edition, skip to AdWords Account Structure.

The text and settings for your ad can be seen on the side of the page, above the keyword table. If you have multiple ads, they can be viewed and edited by clicking the Ad Variations tab.

• Click Edit settings to change the target language and location, and budget for your ads.
• Click Pause to stop your ads from running. If you pause your ads, this link will change to read Resume. Once paused, your ads will not appear to users until you click Resume.

The lower section of the page shows you the performance of your current keywords. The Keywords tab includes impressions (the number of times your ads have been displayed for each keyword), user clicks on your ads, and the total cost for those clicks. By clicking on the Graphs tab, you'll see graphs depicting the performance of your keywords.

Add new keywords by clicking Add keywords. Remove any keyword permanently by clicking Delete in the same row.

Near the bottom of your keyword table, the row labeled Content network shows the performance statistics for your ads on content sites. Click the Turn off link in that row to remove your ads from the content network.

In the upper right corner of the page, the health meter shows you how your account is performing. If your keywords and ads are working well, you'll see the message Your ads are showing as they should. If an ad is disapproved or if there are other problems with your account, you'll be alerted in this space.

At the very top of the page, click the My Account tab to edit the basic settings of your account, including your email address, your billing preferences, and other settings.

To graduate, click the Graduate to Standard Edition link at the bottom of the My Ad Campaign page.

Graduation transfers all the account information to a full Standard Edition account. Your existing ads become part of the first ad campaign in the new account, and your ads continue running.

The remainder of the Learning Center lessons focuses primarily on Standard Edition accounts. To learn more about Starter Edition, visit the Starter Edition section in the Help Center.

This is explained in much more detail in the Starting Off Right lesson.

If you create a My Client Center account, you'll see slightly different tabs. Similarly, if you sign up to be a Google Advertising Professional, you'll see an additional Pro Center tab. To learn more, visit the My Client Center lesson.

1. Campaign Management: Get a summary of your account's performance, find useful tools for managing your campaigns, and edit your campaigns and ads through this tab. Sub-sections: Campaign Summary (from which you can drill down to view campaign details and ad group details), Tools, Conversion Tracking, and Website Optimizer.
   
2. Reports: Create detailed reports on your account's performance. Sub-sections: Report Center and Create Report. To learn more, see the Reports lesson.
   
3. Analytics: Set up advanced performance tracking reporting for AdWords and other online advertising channels. Sub-sections: Analytics Settings and View Reports. To learn more, visit the Google Analytics section.
   
4. My Account: View and edit your billing and account login information. Sub-sections: Billing Summary, Billing Preferences, Access, and Account Preferences. For qualifying advertisers, there may also be a Budget page.

To use the full, multi-page signup wizard for a keyword-targeted campaign, ignore the one-page signup option and follow the regular instructions to create your campaign. If you selected a placement-targeted campaign, follow the signup wizard instructions to create your campaign.

From here you can:

Search: Use the Search my campaigns box to search for words or phrases across all campaigns, ad groups, and ads in your account.

Receive alerts: You may see an alert box tinted yellow, green, or red. These alerts provide important information about your account and about new AdWords features ― such as a declined payment.

Create a new campaign: Use the links above the table to create either a keyword-targeted or a placement-targeted campaign.

Change campaign status and settings: Pause, resume, or delete campaigns, or edit campaign settings by checking the box to the left of one or more campaigns and then selecting one of the buttons above the table.

Review the Campaign Summary table: This table displays summary data about all online campaigns in your account.

Use the date range drop-down menus above the table to select the day or date range you'd like to review. You can also view all campaigns, all active campaigns, or all but deleted campaigns by clicking the appropriate link above the table.

Below are descriptions of each table column:

• Campaign Name: A list of your campaigns. Click the name of any campaign to see the ad groups within that campaign and any other relevant statistics.
• Current Status: The status of each campaign. A campaign's status can be Active, Paused, Deleted, Pending, or Ended:
  
  
  • Active: Set to run normally
  • Paused: Temporarily suspended and not currently running
  • Deleted: Deleted and no longer running
  • Pending: Not yet started running
  • Ended: No longer running as end date has already passed
  
  
• Current Budget: The current daily budget of each campaign
• Clicks: The clicks accrued for the ads in each campaign
• Impr. (impressions): The number of times the campaign's ads have been displayed on Google or on sites in the Google Network
• CTR (clickthrough rate): The number of clicks divided by the number of impressions that the ads have received. This is expressed as a percentage: 2 clicks for 100 page views equals a 2% CTR.
• Avg. CPC (average cost-per-click): The average cost accrued for clicks on the ads within that campaign.
• Avg. CPM (average cost per thousand impressions): The average cost per thousand impressions for ads in a placement-targeted campaign
• Cost: The total costs that a campaign has accrued during the time frame you selected
• Conv. Rate (conversion rate): How many user clicks turned into actual conversions for the advertiser. Conversion rate equals the number of conversions divided by the number of ad clicks. This applies only to users who have set up conversion tracking.
• Cost/Conv.: The total cost divided by the total number of conversions. This tells you how much each conversion costs. This applies only to users who have set up conversion tracking.

This page contains the following sections:

Basic Settings: Edit your campaign name and end date.

Budget Options: Change your daily budget or delivery method.

• Budget: Daily budget helps determine your ad display. To make sure that your daily budget is high enough to show ads whenever possible, click the 'Recommended Budget' link below the daily budget field.
• Delivery Method: Choose the 'Standard' option to show your ads periodically throughout the day. Choose 'Accelerated' to show your ads as possible as until your daily budget is met.
• Advanced Options: Set up some advanced budgeting and ad delivery options.
  
  
  • Keyword Bidding: Select 'View and edit bidding options' to choose different ways to bid for your ads ― such as with the Budget Optimizer or preferred CPC bidding.
  • Ad Scheduling: Set up specific days and times when you want your ads to appear.
  • Position Preference: Enable this feature to set a specific rank range that you'd like your ads to appear.
  • Ad Serving: Choose how you'd like different ads in an ad group to compete. Either select 'Optimize' to show ads that perform better more often, or select 'Rotate' to display your ads as equally as possible regardless of performance.

Target Audience: Specify the languages and geographic areas you'd like your ads to show for by adjusting your language and location preferences. To learn more, see the Language and Location Targeting lesson.

Once you've changed settings, click the 'Save Changes' link. Click 'Cancel' to return to the original settings instead of saving the new ones.

Here are few actions you can take:

Campaign Level

• Edit selected campaign: Pause, resume, delete, and undelete the selected campaign. If you delete a campaign, you'll see an 'Undelete Campaign' button. You can also access the Edit Campaign Settings page.
• Edit/add campaign negatives: For more information on campaign negative keywords, see the Keyword Targeting lesson.

• Change ad group and names and states: Rename, pause, resume, or delete one or more ad groups in the table. Check the box next to one or more ad groups you want to edit, and click the relevant button.
• View different ad groups: Use the drop-down menu above the table to show all ad groups, only active ad groups, or all but deleted ad groups.
• Create new ad groups: Use the link below the basic campaign data to create a new ad group within the current campaign.
• Review summary statistics for your ad groups: This table is similar to the other tables in your account ― such as the Campaign Summary table covered previously ― but with two additional columns:
  
  
  • Default Bid : This column shows the current bid setting ― such as maximum or preferred CPC ― for each ad group within a campaign.
  • Avg. Pos. (Average Position): This shows the overall average placement for ads within each ad group. (When running placement-targeted campaigns, the Avg. Pos. column doesn't appear.)

The Ad Group Details page divides information into three tabs: Summary, Keywords or Placements (depending on your campaign type), and Ad Variations.

1. Summary: The summary view is the overview of the ad group. It gives you overall statistics for Current Bid, Clicks, Impressions (Impr.), Clickthrough Rate (CTR), Average CPC or CPM, Cost, and Average Position (keyword-targeted campaigns only). Conversion rate columns are added for those using conversion tracking. You can also pause or delete an ad group here.
   
   Some of the functionality and column headers on this page mirror those we've seen in previous topics.
   
   
   • Current Bid: The amount you're bidding per click (CPC) or per 1000 impressions (CPM)
   • Clicks: The clicks accrued for the ads in the ad group
   • Impressions: The number of times the ad is displayed on Google and on the Google Network
   • CTR (clickthrough Rate): The number of clicks divided by the number of impressions that the ads in the ad group have received
   • Average CPC or CPM: The average CPC (shown for keyword-targeted campaigns and for placement-targeted campaigns where you've chosen CPC bidding) is the average cost for all variations of your keywords. The average CPM (shown for placement-targeted campaigns where you've chosen CPM bidding) is the average price you're paying per 1000 impressions of your ads in the ad group.
   • Cost: The actual cost accrued for clicks or impressions the ad receives in the ad group
   • Average Position: The average position where your ad appears for keyword-targeted campaigns only. Your ads may appear for variations of your keyword. Your position varies according to your CPC bid and your keywords.
   
   
2. Keywords or Placements: The 'Keywords' tab appears for keyword-targeted campaigns. The 'Placements' tab appears for placement-targeted campaigns.
   
   This tab shows you how individual keywords or placements are performing. You can add new keywords or placements, edit existing ones, edit bids, and view the status. Many of the statistics are similar to the 'Summary' tab above ― but specific to keywords or placements. Here are some additional functions:
   
   
   • Magnifying glass icon: Point your mouse over the icon next to the keyword to see whether a keyword is showing ads. If the ad isn't showing ads, you'll see a quick summary of the issue.
   • Add new keywords or placements:
     
     
     • Keywords: Add keywords by clicking the 'Quick add' or 'Keyword tool' links at the top of the table. Click 'Keyword tool' if you want help finding new keywords for your ad group.
     • Placements: Add placements by clicking 'Add placements.' This also takes you to the Placement Tool, where you can find and add new site URLs.
     
     
   • Edit keywords and placements (and CPC and CPM bids):
     
     
     • Keywords: Click 'Edit keywords' to make changes to existing keywords. Then add, edit, or delete keywords. You can also enter a new CPC bid.
     • Placements: Click 'Edit Placements and Bids' to make changes to existing websites and related placements. Then add, edit, or delete placements. You can also enter a new CPM bid.
     
     
   • Scan for keywords or placements: Search the ad group for keywords or placements by clicking the 'Search this list' function. Select the text or stats you are interested in, then click 'Search.' You'll see a list of only those placements or keywords which fit your parameters. Click 'Return to Full List' when you're ready to go back to the normal ad group view.
   
   
3. Ad Variations: This tab displays all the different ads (called ad variations) that you've created for the ad group. You can create new ads or edit existing ones. The ad-by-ad stats should help you determine which messages are reaching your users in the most powerful way.
   
   We encourage AdWords advertisers to create multiple ads within each ad group, and to discover which messages work best with potential customers.
   
   
   • Create ads: Click the type of ad you want to create at the top of the table ― either 'Text ad' or 'Other ad types.' Depending on availability, other ad types may include text ads, image ads, video ads, mobile text ads, or local business ads. Follow the instructions to create your ad.
   • Edit ads: Click the 'Edit' link next to any ad (under the Actions column) to make changes.
   • Pause, unpause, or delete ads: Check the box next to the ad you want to pause, unpause, or delete, and click the appropriate button at the top of the table. To perform the same action across all the ads in an ad group, check the box next to 'Variations,' and then click the appropriate button.
   • See data from all tabs: Click the 'View all tabs at once' link found in the lower right-hand corner of the page to see the data from all tabs displayed on one page.

To learn more, see the Billing Cycle lesson.

On this page, you can invite other users to share the account with you, grant users access, and disable a user or client manager's access.

To learn more, see the Invoicing lesson.

Note: This lesson is geared toward keyword-targeted campaigns. However, many of the concepts can be applied to placement-targeted campaigns, too.

Some effective ways to organize your campaigns are by:

• Theme or product line (coffee products, tea products, gift baskets)
• Your website's structure, such as by categories (purchase, learn, signup)
• Different brands (X, Y, and Z)
• Geography (New York, Chicago, and United States)
• Language (English, Spanish, German)
• Distribution preference (search engines only, content sites only, or both search and content)
• Budgets (different budgets per product line)

Next, group similar keywords together ― such as by a common theme. Each grouping reflects an ad group. For example, if your campaign goal is to sell more coffee beans, logical ad groups might include:

If you find that the keywords in one ad group become unwieldy, split the ad group into two to make them easier to manage.

Finally, give your campaigns and ad groups descriptive names. This helps you manage your account at a high level without memorizing what each of your ad groups contains.

Keyword creation involves a five-step process: expand, group, match, scrub, and test and refine.

Use the Keyword Tool for help. Available through the Tools page on the 'Campaign Management' tab (or via the 'Keyword' tab in your Ad Group Details page), the Keyword Tool offers additional keyword ideas ― including synonyms and spelling variations ― to yours. It allows you to build extensive, relevant keyword lists, review traffic estimations, and add your keywords directly into your ad groups from the same page.

To learn more, visit the Keyword Tool lesson.

For example, organize keywords pertaining to organic coffee in one ad group and keywords relating to gourmet coffee in another.

Finally, remember to keep your keyword lists small and manageable.

Two- or three-word phrases generally work best. For example, instead of the keyword coffee, use fair trade coffee or gourmet coffee beans. Consider removing any single-word or general keywords. These are often too broad and can lead to clicks from people who don't know what you're offering.

To determine which keywords are successful, review your ad groups and find keywords with the highest number of clicks or impressions. For example, if the keyword online advertising is clearly generating the most clicks and impressions in your account, use this term in the title of your ad.

Commonly, advertisers make the mistake of including the company name or the website domain in their headlines. This typically doesn't attract more clicks unless you're advertising an established company with a distinguished brand. Consider using more general ad titles that inspire clickthroughs, which will eventually fortify your brand.

Choose a destination URL that promotes the exact product or service your audience is searching for, rather than your usual homepage. It's usually most effective to direct users to a landing page that they're most interested in, as soon as you can.

Check your stats, and swap out new ads for low performing ones. To learn more, visit the Optimizing Your Account lesson.

You can include one or more different ad formats per ad group. Overall, we suggest that each ad group contains at least one text ad. If you have multiple ad formats per ad group, Google displays the most relevant one on a search or content page.

Make sure your ad closely relates to the product and service offered and describes what you expect a user to do on your page. Visit the Writing Targeted Ad Text topic to find out about common best practices.

Take a quick glimpse at how ad formats vary in the chart below.

An expanded text ad contains the same number of characters and the same editorial guidelines as a regular text ad, but the font and layout are increased to fill the entire banner, box, skyscraper, or position space.

Any placement-targeted or keyword-targeted text ad can run as an expanded text ad on the Google content network only (not on search results pages). No special arrangements are needed. A text ad is expanded automatically whenever the AdWords system determines that its price, relevance, and other competitive conditions make it a good candidate to take the entire space itself.

Image ads combine two features ― graphics and AdWords targeting technology. This gives advertisers the power of pictures along with the precision of matching ads to related content sites.

When you load your images via your Ad Variations tab, try to provide descriptive image names so you can better manage your account. Include the following in your image name:

• An image description
• The campaign or ad group name

Both types can be in the following sizes:

• 250 x 250 Square
• 200 x 200 Small Square
• 468 x 60 Banner
• 728 x 90 Leaderboard
• 300 x 250 Inline Rectangle
• 336 x 280 Large Rectangle
• 120 x 600 Skyscraper
• 160 x 600 Wide Skyscraper

When paying on a CPC basis, advertisers pay for clickthroughs leading users to the website, not for clicks on the opening image/video or play button. When paying on a CPM basis, advertisers pay for impressions of the opening image (or for in-stream video, when the video runs), rather than plays of the video.

Here are some tips for creating a video ad:

• Create a descriptive and eye-catching opening image (the image which users see before playing the video).
• Entice users to click 'play' by using rich, sharp colors.
• Include a few words to describe the product, service, and/or company.
• Boost play rate with a call to action that tells users they can play the video to learn more.
• Create multiple video ads with different opening image sizes to increase the number of placements where your ad is eligible to appear.
• Keep the video engaging and no longer than necessary (play rates drop off significantly after 45 seconds).
• Be clear about business offers.
• Deliver key messages early in the video, because users may not watch the whole thing.
• Provide clear next steps for users to take after finishing the video, such as making a purchase or visiting the website or store.

For example, if a user searches on dentists San Francisco, CA, Google displays a list of dentists in or near San Francisco.

Local business ads are eligible to appear in two places:

• On Google Maps (maps.google.com)
• On Google and other sites in the Google search network

Each local business ad should be associated to a business location within the campaign's targeted region. For example, if your campaign targets Manchester, England, you won't be able to create local business ads for businesses in London.

To enable local business ads to run on Google Maps and search sites in the Google Network:

1. Create a business listing in Google Maps.
2. Create an AdWords local business ad.

Mobile ads only appear on mobile devices, and not on search or content sites in the Google Network.

Mobile ads only work for country- or territory-targeted campaigns (not for local targeting). Therefore, your campaign should be set to target countries or territories and should include geographically targeted keywords (like San Francisco pizza). This helps users clearly identify where the business or product is located. To learn more, visit the Region and City Targeting topic.

If you choose to connect users to your webpage, your display URL appears on a third line. If you select the option that allows customers to connect to your business phone, a 'Call' link appears next to your display URL. Your business phone must be domestic to the location your ads target, and may not be a toll number.

To learn about mobile ads policies, visit Editorial Guidelines for Mobile Ads. For general information, visit the Mobile Ads section in the Help Center.

The setup, features, and function for Print Ads and Audio Ads are similar to your online ads. You simply create a new campaign in your account, choose your targeting and pricing options, then upload or create your ads.

Once your ads run, you can track their performance through the AdWords Report Center in your account and make adjustments as needed.

Note: Google Print Ads and Audio Ads are only available to U.S. advertisers at this time. We also offer TV ads, but on invitation basis only. If you're a U.S. advertiser and would like to participate, visit the Google TV Ads Beta Trial page to sign up.

Since Print Ads works on an offer-based pricing system, publishers must approve your offer in order for your ad to run. After your ads run, you'll see a copy of the newspaper page (tearsheet) where your ad was published so you can safely pay for the placement in your account.

To create a Print Ads campaign:

1. Sign in to your account at https://adwords.google.com.
2. On your Campaign Summary page, click Create new print campaign under the 'Other Campaign Types' section.
3. Click Get Started now, and follow the steps.

• Auction campaigns work like the pricing system of your keyword-targeted campaigns ― you set the weekly budget and maximum bid you want to pay per 1,000 listeners who hear your ad. Your ads will be broadcasted based on available time slots for your price, set by the competitive marketplace.
  
• Reserve campaigns give you more predictability as to when your ad will play. You reserve the exact time of day when you'd like your ad broadcasted. You pay a set price determined by the rate card of the station to reserve ad plays before they're made available for auction.

You can even track leads that result from your Audio Ads campaign with call reporting. Google provides you with a free 1-800 or local business number which you can use in your ad. This number then redirects to your business line, and the system tracks the time and duration of each call, minimizing your tracking efforts.

To get started with an Audio Ads campaign:

1. Sign in to your account at https://adwords.google.com.
2. On your Campaign Summary page, click Create new audio campaign under the 'Other Campaign Types' section.
3. Click Get Started now, and follow the steps.