Starter Launchpad
A three-month test of Google Ads for businesses that are not advertising on Google yet, at a cost you control.
The team sets up a small Google Ads account in your business’s name, aimed at the searches that describe what you sell, in the area you serve. It runs for three months, so you can see what it brings in before you commit to anything bigger.
Who it is for
Independent businesses that are not currently advertising on Google. If you already run Google Ads, AI Max Setup or monthly management will suit you better. When you book, you’ll be asked to confirm that you are not currently advertising on Google.
What is included
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Exact keywords
Your adverts show for the searches that describe what you sell, researched for your business and your area.
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Negative keywords
Before your first advert runs, the team builds a list of searches you don’t want to pay for, such as jobs, free advice and DIY, so the budget goes on people looking to buy.
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AI Max as a keyword explorer
A second, small campaign uses Google’s AI Max to find useful searches the exact keywords miss, under a low limit on what any one click can cost. The searches it finds are read each month: the good ones become exact keywords and the poor ones become negative keywords.
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Your area only
Adverts are shown to people in or regularly in the area you serve, not to the whole country.
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Enquiry tracking
Calls and enquiry forms that come from your adverts are counted, so the test is judged on enquiries, not clicks.
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A monthly note
What the adverts cost, how many people clicked and how many got in touch, in a few lines.
What is not included
No Performance Max and no Demand Gen campaigns. Both place adverts across YouTube, Gmail and other Google channels as well as Search, which is hard to keep under control on a small budget. They can come later, once the test shows what works.
Pricing
Published, because you should be able to decide whether this is for you before you speak to anyone.
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Setup
£295 paid upfrontThe account built in your business’s name, keywords, negative keywords, the AI Max explorer and enquiry tracking.
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Months 1 to 3
£195 a month, the first taken 30 days after you sign upThe team’s work running the test, and the monthly note.
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Your Google ad spend
From £5 a dayYou choose the daily budget, from £5 a day. Google can spend up to twice that on a busy day, but never more than the daily budget times 30.4 in a month, so £5 a day cannot cost more than about £152 a month.
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After three months
£395 a monthThe Launchpad continues as Manage, monthly management at £395 a month, unless you stop it before the month-4 payment. You get a reminder email 14 days before the change. After that, Manage runs month to month with 30 days’ notice.
Then £195 a month, the first taken 30 days after you sign up. Payment is taken securely by Stripe. Full terms
Questions
Why three months?
A small budget needs time to gather enough searches and clicks to show a pattern. Three months is long enough for a fair test and short enough to stop if it is not working.
Can Google spend more than my daily budget?
On a single busy day, yes, up to twice the daily budget. Across a month it will not charge more than the daily budget times 30.4, so £5 a day cannot cost more than about £152 a month.
What happens after three months?
The Launchpad continues as Manage at £395 a month unless you stop it before the month-4 payment, and you get a reminder 14 days before. If you stop, the account stays in your name with every keyword and setting.
I’ve tried Google Ads before and it didn’t work.
Two common causes are adverts shown far outside your area and adverts shown for searches you don’t sell. The Starter Launchpad sets both right before the first advert runs.
What about Google AI answers?
Google now answers many searches with an AI summary before the list of websites, and people also ask ChatGPT and other AI assistants for recommendations. Being named in those answers is a separate job from advertising. The free AI answer check shows what your website gives those answers to work with, and Business-to-Agent Setup gets your business facts, prices and booking ready for AI assistants. A Google advert can be live within days of setup, and the two work well together.
I already advertise on Google.
Then AI Max Setup or Manage is the better fit.