Google Ads Machine

Google Ads Machine

A [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) skill that takes a local service business or tour operator from *no Google Ads campaigns* to a structured account: **Brand Search, Non-Brand Search, and Performance Max**, plus shared negative keyword lists, built from real search volume data.

Everything is created **paused** with a placeholder budget. A human sets real budgets and switches campaigns on.

Why this exists

Building a competent Google Ads account by hand takes hours of clicking, and the parts that matter most (keyword selection grounded in real volume, negative keyword hygiene, ad copy that does not invent claims) are exactly the parts that get rushed. This encodes the whole process so it runs the same way every time.

It also encodes something harder to come by: **the Google Ads bulk upload format that actually works.** The column names are non-obvious, several are effectively undocumented, and getting them wrong fails every row. See [`references/bulk-upload.md`](references/bulk-upload.md).

Two engines

	Browser engine	API engine
Requires	A logged-in Chromium profile	Developer token with Basic access
Setup time	Minutes	Days (token approval)
Search campaigns	Yes	Yes
Performance Max	Wizard only	Yes
Keyword volumes	Yes (Keyword Planner UI)	Yes (KeywordPlanIdeaService)

The browser engine is the default because a new Google Ads developer token is test-account-only, and Basic access takes about five business days to approve. Everything except PMax works on day one.

The four stages

1. Audit — account structure, conversion tracking, settings, wasted spend, and a baseline snapshot of existing campaigns.
2. Keyword analysis — real monthly search volume, year-over-year trend, competition, and top-of-page bid range per keyword. Trends matter as much as volume: an 8,000-search term growing 124% is a different bet from one falling 60%.
3. Build — negative list