# Google Ads Launch Checklist Source: https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/resources/google-ads-launch-checklist/ Free PDF checklist The pre-launch sweep our paid ads team runs before a campaign goes live. Catch the expensive mistakes before your budget starts ticking. - Conversion tracking setup checks so you can actually measure leads and sales - Account and campaign structure guidance to keep budgets and reporting clean - Keyword and match-type checks to avoid paying for irrelevant searches - A negative keyword starter framework to cut wasted spend from day one ## Most wasted ad spend is decided before launch By the time a campaign is live, the damage is already locked in. Tracking is wrong, structure is messy, the wrong searches are being paid for. The fixes are easy if you catch them in time. ### No reliable conversion tracking If you cannot measure leads accurately, you cannot optimise. Google's algorithm flies blind and so do you. ### Broad match burning budget Default settings nudge you toward broad match. Without negatives, you are paying for searches that will never convert. ### A landing page that does not match the ad Great clicks, terrible conversion rate. Almost always a message-match problem, not an audience problem. ### Bidding and budget set on autopilot Defaults that suit Google, not your business. Easy to miss, expensive to ignore. ## What is inside the checklist No theory, no filler. Every section earns its place. ### Conversion tracking setup Confirm tags fire, conversions de-duplicate, and you can actually measure leads instead of just clicks. ### Account and campaign structure A clean structure for budgets, reporting and optimisation. Avoid the spaghetti most accounts inherit. ### Keyword and match-type checks Make sure you are bidding on intent, not noise. Spot the match types quietly bleeding the budget. ### Negative keyword starter list A starter framework so you launch with negatives in place, instead of harvesting them after the spend is gone. ### Ad copy and extension review Checks that lift quality score, click-through rate, and the share of the SERP you actually own. ### Landing page and message match Confirm the click has somewhere strong to land. Message match is where most campaigns silently die. ## Is this the right resource for you? It is built for a specific job. If that is your job, it will save you days of work. If not, we will tell you straight. ### Built for you if - You are about to launch your first Google Ads campaign - You are relaunching after a campaign that did not deliver - You manage ads in-house and want a final pre-launch sweep - You want a checklist your agency can be held to In short: Business owners and marketers about to launch a Google Ads campaign, or relaunch one that has not delivered, who want to avoid the expensive mistakes that drain budgets. ### Probably not for you if - You are looking for SEO or Meta advice, not Google Ads - You expect a guaranteed ROAS formula, not a launch framework - You only run organic social and have no ad budget - You want a deep Performance Max optimisation playbook, not a pre-launch sweep Honest answer: if any of these match, this resource will not be the best use of your time. ## A real document, not a 1-page PDF A tickable pre-launch PDF organised in the order you actually run things. Each check explains what to look for, why it matters and what to fix. - Before the account is built - Before you spend a dollar, including the no-launch gate - The first week of spend - The one-page version, to print and tick [Get the 10 pages download](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/resources/google-ads-launch-checklist/#hero-form) Google Ads Launch Checklist.pdf 10 pages 01 Before the account is built 02 Before you spend a dollar, including the no-launch gate 03 The first week of spend 04 The one-page version, to print and tick Lucid Media 10 pages ## What clients say about working with us The resources are pulled straight from how we work with clients. Here is what those clients say about that work. 5.0 from 70+ reviews > “Our CPA dropped by 66% and lead quality increased 200-300%. Not only almost immediately, but consistent for the last few months.” Paul Zellman BDM, Austar Property Services Jaide Wooler Executive Assistant, Tom Rawson > We’ve been working with Jason from Lucid Media and couldn’t recommend him more. He’s been a fast communicator, proactive, and always willing to help. Jason goes above and beyond with providing recommendations and support. > > The websites he’s built and implemented for us have been excellent. He has captured our business perfectly and ensured that it is user friendly on both desktop/mobile. Fantastic service! Google review Terry Bradley Director, Precision Building Inspectors > Jason and his team have been fantastic to work with from the initial website design and with the ongoing maintenance. They built us a really professional and well-designed site that represents our business well and it has been great having their continued support. > > It is nice to know someone reliable can manage our website and make sure it stays ranking on Google. They are always responsive when we need updates or changes made, and their technical expertise gives us peace of mind. Google review > “I’ve had around 10 websites developed over the years, and Jason is by far the best web developer I’ve ever worked with.” Andrew Baker Owner, Electrical Plus Mitch Taylor Director, Horton Taylor > I have been working with Jason for a year now and he is absolutely brilliant, honest and reliable. His client first approach has meant his work is always on time and to a high standard. > > Most of all he actually gets the results he says he will. Google review Grace Zhang Sunshine Mortgages > Communication with him is always smooth and effortless. The website he created for me exceeded my expectations in every way. I’m genuinely impressed with both the design and the overall structure. > > I’m looking forward to seeing what else the website can bring to me. If you’re thinking about building a website, Jason is definitely the person to go to. Google review > “Absolutely great in delivering our e-commerce website. A great experience from start to finish, and even beyond.” Harry & Maria Owner, Pots of Joy Samir Khanna Director, Professional Financial > Working with Jason @ Lucid Media on our website was a great experience from start to finish. Jason brought our vision to life with creativity and professionalism; he understood what we were after, and this could be seen in the result. > > The design is clean and modern, and the functionality is exactly what we needed. Communication was smooth throughout the entire process, and deadlines were always met. Highly recommend to anyone looking for top-tier web design and development. Google review Alex Mayo Owner, Playceholdr > I had Lucid Media do some SEO work for us and I'm super impressed with the results. Jason also took the time to educate me deeply on the topic so I didn't feel like everything was smoke and mirrors like I have had with previous agencies. Google review Britta Friedrich Manager, MagicGerman > Working with Lucid Media was an excellent experience from start to finish. They took the time to thoroughly analyse our previous website, understand our product, and align with our company goals before creating a new, professional layout and copy. > > They truly went above and beyond, exceeding expectations at every step. I genuinely enjoyed the collaboration and look forward to working with them again in the future. Google review Melitta Adam Founder, Melitta Skin > I had a call with Jason and was so impressed by how in-depth it was. He really listened, understood where I’m at, and gave me a clear action plan that I can actually use. > > It was practical, straightforward, and made me feel confident moving forward with my ads. I couldn’t recommend working with him enough. Google review > “We wanted to bring our idea for an app to life. He turned our ideas into reality.” Alana Saunders Business Manager, A T Realty Andrew Harvey Director, AES Comp > Lucid Media provides great service, quickly establishing and refining our website. They are always available to us when we need changes made. > > Expert in SEO which is critical, our company now ranks at the top of Google searches, alongside our international suppliers but ahead of other agents around the world. We totally recommend Lucid as a highly competent and committed website developer and manager. Google review Ratu Tau Trekway Shuttle > We had previously used another digital company for our website and digital marketing… things went downhill quickly, and our business suffered badly. > > Within 30 minutes, we were on a Teams meeting discussing the problems we were facing. By 2am, Jason had sent us a detailed report… By 4pm, our Google Ads were back up and running. > > Everything was turned around in less than 24 hours… seeing results that quickly was honestly incredible. > > Jason and the team at Lucid Media have helped get our business back on solid ground… Young, full of energy, passionate, and genuinely driven to help businesses succeed. Google review Alex Fladgate Owner, JunkBoss > Jason created our JunkBoss company website from start to finish. He always responded immediately, shared great ideas, and the final site looks spectacular!! > > Highly recommend to anyone looking to get their website done. Google review > “They took the time to understand our vision and business needs, translating them into a stunning, user-friendly website.” Dev Dhingra CEO, Fundmaster Isaac Smith Managing Director, PSI > Communication was insanely good, the work Jason provided me with was on a new level and blew me away. If you’re looking for someone who will go above and beyond for you then he is your man. Google review Tyler Newman Tillen Finance > From the start, Jason has taken the time to understand my business properly rather than just pushing a generic marketing setup. We’ve built out a new website, landing pages, CRM integration, Google Ads and Meta campaigns, and the attention to detail across everything has been excellent. > > What stands out most is his responsiveness and willingness to adapt quickly. Any time we’ve needed changes or seen something in the data, he’s on it straight away and is always looking for ways to improve performance rather than just letting campaigns run. > > The key difference is that he genuinely feels invested in the success of the business, not just running ads in the background. Google review > “He was really acting in our best interests and went beyond what we were expecting him to achieve.” Brianna Hoy Managing Director, PplPeople Fiona Ashford Manager, Fee Funders > When the finance company I manage, Fee Funders, changed ownership, Lucid Media took over all aspects of our IT and technology, and the impact has been outstanding. Jason quickly learned our legacy systems, implemented critical changes during the transition, and then led the development of our new software platform and reporting systems. > > Jason is exceptional across all areas of technology, both front-end and back-end. He’s practical, solutions-focused, and genuinely understands business needs as well as the technical side. Google review Lynnae Sands Manager, Windsor Industries > Jason has been awesome to work with over the last few months. Whenever we've had any sort of issue with our website, he is extremely prompt in resolving it. Very professional and helpful, I highly recommend. Google review > “Jason is exceptional, excellent communications, a highly motivated individual. Such rare traits - very happy with his development work for us!” Eddie Director, PlastiCard Joel D'leema Director, TSB Living > Jason has been awesome in the work he has done for us. He is fast, very responsive and professional. Would highly recommend. Google review J-Tip It Google review > The team at Lucid Media have provided excellent service while recently coming in to help position J-Tip It to where they need to be! > > We are absolutely blown away with their quick responses, smooth customer service and their initiative to stay 10-steps ahead at all times. Results are immediate and the cost is undeniably justified. > > If you want to be in safe hands, choose Lucid! Google review > “The site looks clean, professional, and easy to use. He made the whole process super simple and stress-free.” Aidan Fraei Agent, Ray White ## How to use it A simple three-step approach. Download, work through it, act on what you find. 01 ### Download the checklist Pop your email in and the checklist opens straight away, ready to read or download. 02 ### Run the pre-launch sweep Tick each section off before you flip the campaign on. Fix what fails. Most issues take minutes to sort. 03 ### Launch with confidence Go live knowing tracking, structure, keywords and landing pages are right. Spend buys leads, not clicks into the void. ## Explore more from Lucid Media Other free resources you might find useful, plus the service that goes with this one. Free PDF template ### [Website Project Brief Template](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/resources/website-project-brief-template/) A fill-in template that turns a vague website idea into a clear brief your designer can quote and build from. Free PDF checklist ### [SEO Audit Checklist](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/resources/seo-audit-checklist/) A step-by-step checklist to audit your own website and find the issues holding back your Google rankings. Free PDF checklist ### [Website Launch Checklist](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/resources/website-launch-checklist/) A go-live checklist that catches the broken links, missing tracking and SEO gaps before your new site is public. Service ### [Paid Ads](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/services/paid-ads/) Prefer it handled properly from the start? Our paid ads team sets up the tracking first, then runs and reports on the campaigns every month. ## Questions about this resource Quick answers before you download. Got something else? Get in touch and we will help. [Ask a Question](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/contact/) **Is this checklist for beginners or experienced advertisers?** Both. Beginners get a clear, ordered path to a safe launch. Experienced advertisers use it as a final pre-launch sweep to catch the small misses that quietly cost money. **Does it cover Performance Max campaigns?** It focuses on the fundamentals that apply across campaign types, including tracking, budgets and message match. The tracking and landing page sections are just as relevant to Performance Max. **Will following this guarantee my campaign performs?** No checklist can promise results, but it removes the most common reasons campaigns fail. You launch on solid foundations rather than fixing expensive problems after the fact. **Do I need a specific budget for this to work?** Not really. The checklist applies whether you are spending a few hundred dollars a month or several thousand. Smaller budgets benefit even more, because every wasted click hurts more. **Does it cover Google Ads conversion tracking with GA4?** Yes. The tracking section covers Google Ads native conversions, GA4 setup and the common pitfalls when combining the two so you do not double-count or miss leads. **Can my current agency use this as a checklist too?** Absolutely. A lot of clients use it to ask their existing agency the right questions. If your agency cannot tick most of these boxes, that is a conversation worth having. ## Ready to grab the PDF checklist? Pop your email in and the PDF is yours in seconds. No spam, no sales pitch. Use it however you like. Instant PDF download The same document we use with clients Unsubscribe any time. We will not pester you Would rather talk it through? Skip the download and book a free 30-minute strategy call instead. No obligation, no pressure. [Book a free call](https://www.lucidmedia.co.nz/book-a-call/)