Google Ads

Google Ads through Stormy gives you access to the world's largest advertising network -- Search, Display, YouTube, and Performance Max -- managed alongside your influencer campaigns. Run YouTube pre-roll featuring creator testimonials, retarget website visitors who came from creator links, or capture search demand that your creator campaigns generate.

Connecting your Google Ads account

1. Go to Settings > Integrations > Google Ads
2. Click Connect Account
3. Sign in with the Google account that manages your ad account
4. Grant Stormy the requested permissions
5. If you manage multiple Google Ads accounts (MCC), select the specific account to connect

Campaign types

Search campaigns

Search campaigns show text ads at the top of Google search results when users search for keywords you are targeting. This is ideal for capturing demand that your creator campaigns generate -- when someone hears about your product from an influencer and Googles it, your search ad is there to greet them.

Setup steps:

1. Navigate to Ads > New Campaign > Google
2. Select Search as the campaign type
3. Add your target keywords (Stormy suggests keywords based on your product and creator content)
4. Write your ad headlines and descriptions
5. Set your landing page URL
6. Configure location targeting and budget
7. Launch

Display campaigns

Display campaigns show image or responsive ads across Google's Display Network -- millions of websites, apps, and Gmail. Use display for retargeting visitors who clicked a creator's link but did not convert.

Retargeting setup:

1. Ensure the Google Ads pixel is installed on your website
2. Create a new Display campaign
3. Under audiences, select Website visitors and choose your retargeting segment
4. Upload display creatives or let Google generate responsive ads from your assets
5. Set budget and launch

YouTube campaigns

YouTube campaigns run video ads before, during, or alongside YouTube videos. This pairs naturally with influencer marketing -- you can run pre-roll ads featuring creator testimonials or behind-the-scenes clips.

Ad formats:

Format	Description	When to use
Skippable in-stream	Plays before a video, skippable after 5 seconds	Brand awareness with longer storytelling
Non-skippable in-stream	15-second ad that cannot be skipped	Short, punchy messages you need viewers to see fully
Bumper ads	6-second non-skippable ads	Quick brand reminders and frequency building
In-feed video	Appears in YouTube search results and feed	Driving views to your brand's YouTube content

Performance Max campaigns

Performance Max uses Google's AI to automatically distribute your ads across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Discover based on what performs best. You provide creative assets and conversion goals, and Google's algorithm handles the rest.

Targeting options

Google Ads offers extensive targeting capabilities:

• Keywords (Search) -- target specific search terms
• Audiences -- in-market audiences, affinity audiences, custom intent audiences
• Demographics -- age, gender, household income, parental status
• Location -- country, region, city, or radius targeting
• Devices -- desktop, mobile, tablet
• Placements (Display/YouTube) -- specific websites or YouTube channels
• Remarketing -- users who previously visited your site or interacted with your content

Combining with creator data

When a creator from your list drives traffic to your website, those visitors can be captured in a remarketing audience. You can then run Google Ads specifically targeting people who already showed interest through a creator's content, creating a powerful multi-touch funnel.

Budget and bidding

Recommended starting budgets

Campaign type	Suggested daily budget	Why
Brand Search	$10-30/day	Low volume but high intent; captures brand searches from creator mentions
Retargeting Display	$20-50/day	Small audience but high conversion rate
YouTube	$50-100/day	Needs budget for the algorithm to learn and optimize
Performance Max	$100+/day	Requires budget headroom for AI optimization across channels

Bidding strategies

• Maximize conversions -- Google sets bids to get the most conversions within your budget
• Target CPA -- you set a target cost-per-acquisition and Google bids accordingly
• Target ROAS -- you set a target return on ad spend (requires e-commerce conversion value tracking)
• Maximize clicks -- optimizes for traffic volume, useful for awareness campaigns

Conversion tracking

Proper conversion tracking is critical for Google Ads performance. Stormy supports:

• Google Ads conversion tag -- track purchases, sign-ups, or other actions on your website
• Google Analytics 4 integration -- import GA4 goals as conversion actions
• Offline conversions -- upload conversion data from your CRM to match with ad clicks

Monitoring performance

The Ads dashboard shows Google campaign metrics alongside your other platforms:

• Impressions and clicks -- how much visibility and traffic your ads are generating
• CTR -- click-through rate indicating ad relevance
• Conversions -- tracked conversion events
• CPA -- cost per conversion
• ROAS -- return on ad spend (if value tracking is configured)
• Quality Score (Search) -- Google's rating of your keyword and ad relevance

What to read next

• Ads Management overview -- unified campaign management across platforms
• TikTok Ads -- amplify creator content on TikTok
• LinkedIn Ads -- target B2B audiences