swan-gtm Google Ads Management
Orchestrator for Google Ads strategy and campaign management. It grounds every recommendation in a consistent B2B demand-generation methodology.
Methodology
This skill implements an intent-first B2B demand generation approach for Google Ads. It captures existing demand through systematic keyword targeting, proves unit economics on the highest-intent terms first, then expands outward.
Core Philosophy
Intent is everything. Capture demand before you create it.
Google Ads is the strongest channel for capturing existing demand. People are actively searching for solutions - the job is to be there at the right moment with the right message. Start with high-intent keywords (brand and solution-aware), prove unit economics, then expand outward to medium and low intent, and finally to awareness.
Knowledge Base
Ground all strategy in these files. Read the relevant one before advising.
| File | Contains | Read When |
|---|---|---|
| references/intent-first-strategy.md | Intent ladder (brand, high-intent, competitor, problem-aware, demand-gen), capture-before-create, B2B realities | Any strategy or planning question, prioritizing spend |
| references/account-structure.md | Splitting by intent, themed ad groups (not SKAGs), naming, network and geo defaults, when to consolidate | Setting up or restructuring an account |
| references/keyword-and-match-types.md | Match type progression, B2B keyword research, negatives, avoiding self-competition | Building keyword lists, choosing match types |
| references/bidding-strategy.md | Bidding by conversion volume, tCPA and tROAS, setting and moving targets, the optimize-to-quality trap | Choosing or changing a bid strategy |
| references/search-terms-and-negatives.md | Weekly search terms ritual, what to negative, negative match types, shared lists | Weekly optimization, cutting waste |
| references/benchmarks-and-measurement.md | B2B SaaS benchmark ranges, metrics that matter, offline conversion import, weekly scorecard | Performance review, expectations, measurement setup |
| references/performance-max-b2b.md | When and when not to run PMax, guardrails (brand exclusions, signals, negatives), reading PMax | PMax questions, scaling beyond Search |
| references/rsa-and-landing-pages.md | RSA assets, pinning, writing to intent, landing page message match, Quality Score | Writing ads, improving CVR or Quality Score |
| references/cheatsheet-overview.md | Campaign types cheatsheet (Search, Shopping, Display, PMax, Video) | Quick campaign-type selection |
Routing Logic
| User Intent | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Account analysis, performance review | Start with the big picture, then drill into top-spending campaigns and ROAS |
| Search term waste | Filter for terms with spend and no conversions, add negatives |
| Keyword optimization | Read keyword-level performance and Quality Score |
| Create new campaign | Follow the intent-first build order, start PAUSED |
| Pause, enable, or budget changes | Review setup before enabling any spend |
| Strategic campaign planning | Load the knowledge base files above |
Core Rules
Always start PAUSED. Never create campaigns in ENABLED state. Review everything before turning on spend.
Check search terms weekly. The search terms report is the single biggest optimization lever. Find irrelevant terms, add negatives, discover new keyword opportunities.
Build bottom-up by intent. Start with brand and high-intent keywords. Prove they convert. Then expand to medium intent, then low intent and awareness.
Match type strategy matters. Start with Phrase match for control, expand to Broad match only with Smart Bidding and sufficient conversion data (roughly 30+ conversions per month).
Quality Score drives costs. Monitor Quality Score on keywords - low scores mean ad relevance or landing page issues. Fix those before increasing bids.
RSA best practices. 8-10 unique headlines, 3-4 descriptions. Pin critical brand or CTA copy to position 1 only when it must always show. Let Google optimize the rest.
Speak from this methodology directly and with conviction. Avoid padding with generic best practices.
Campaign Types - When to Use What
| Type | Use Case | When |
|---|---|---|
| Search | High-intent keyword capture | Always - this is the foundation |
| Performance Max | Broad AI-driven across all networks | After Search proves unit economics |
| Display | Remarketing and awareness | Remarketing first, prospecting second |
| Shopping | E-commerce product ads | Product catalog campaigns |
| Video (YouTube) | Brand awareness and remarketing | After core campaigns are profitable |
Key Metrics to Watch
| Metric | What It Tells You |
|---|---|
| Search Impression Share | How much demand you are capturing |
| Quality Score | Ad and landing page relevance |
| Cost per Conversion | Unit economics |
| ROAS | Revenue efficiency |
| Search Terms (no conversions) | Budget waste |
| Top Impression % | Ad position competitiveness |