Guide 13 of 13 in Level 4: Run it as an ad

How to create a Google Ads Demand Gen campaign

To create a Google Ads campaign with Blackbox (blackbox.plus), connect a Google Ads account to your brand, click + in the Inbox and choose New Campaign. Pick a goal such as Sell on the website, and check that Google Ads is on under Where it runs. Blackbox runs Google as a Demand Gen campaign on YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps. Under Who should see it, add the places, then fill in the Google only block: your Google audiences, in-market and affinity segments, who to leave out and where it runs. Then choose how Google bids: Maximize conversions, or for Sell, Maximize conversion value, each with an optional target. Keep the account's conversion goals or pick the conversions this campaign bids for. Add a final URL suffix with your UTMs, a tracking template if you use a click tracker, and the hours the ads run. Add the ad, set the budget, fix anything Review blocks, and draft it. Nothing spends until you start it.

You'll need
Time
About 10 minutes 15 steps Updated
You'll end with
A Google Demand Gen campaign with your bidding and tracking, drafted as a proposal in your brand’s thread
Do it in Blackbox Open the Inbox, after you sign in
Example
One New Campaign, run on Google as Demand Gen with your bidding and tracking

How to create a Google Ads Demand Gen campaign in Blackbox

  1. Step 1:Open New Campaign

    In the Inbox, click the + button, then New Campaign.

    You'll see: What is this campaign for?, with goals to start from under it.

    Open this in Blackbox

  2. Step 2:Pick a goal

    Under Or skip the plans, click Sell on the website.

    You'll see: Preset, with Sell on the website under Gets you in the Summary.

  3. Step 3:Check Google is on

    Under Where it runs, check that Google Ads is on with your ad account, then click Continue.

    You'll see: Who should see it, with Places and a Google only block.

  4. Step 4:Choose the places

    Under Places, search for a country, city or region and click it.

    You'll see: The place as a chip, and under Who in the Summary.

  5. Step 5:Add your Google audiences

    In the Google only block, tick any of Your Google audiences, or add an In-market and affinity segment.

    You'll see: A tick beside each audience you picked, and the segments as chips.

  6. Step 6:Choose where it runs

    Under Where it runs on Google, keep Google’s own channels, or click Pick channels and tick the ones you want.

    You'll see: A line naming the channels, like YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps.

  7. Step 7:Choose how Google bids

    Under Bidding, keep Maximize conversions, or pick Maximize conversion value, and enter a target if you want one.

    You'll see: A line under the choice saying what Google bids for.

  8. Step 8:Choose what it bids for

    Under Conversions it bids for, keep The account’s goals, or click Pick conversions and tick the ones to count.

    You'll see: Each conversion with its category, Primary or Secondary, and whether it records a value.

  9. Step 9:Add a final URL suffix

    Under Final URL suffix, click Use our UTMs, or type your own parameters.

    You'll see: The suffix in the box, and a line saying the ad links go without our UTMs.

  10. Step 10:Add a tracking template

    Only if you use a click tracker: paste its template under Tracking template, with {lpurl} where the page goes.

    You'll see: The template in the box, with no red line under it.

  11. Step 11:Choose when ads run

    Switch on Only at certain times, click the days, and pick the hours under From and to.

    You'll see: A line like Every day, 06:00 to 11:00, in the ad account’s time zone.

  12. Step 12:Add a Studio post

    Click Next: creatives, then New and From a Studio post, and click Use this post on a square post.

    You'll see: The creative in the list, marked Ready and switched In campaign.

  13. Step 13:Set the budget

    Click Next: budget, pick Lifetime or Daily, and enter the amount.

    You'll see: What it spends a day on average, under the amount.

  14. Step 14:Run the checks

    Click Next: review, and fix anything marked Block, like Google’s business name and logo.

    You'll see: Ready to draft, with Bidding and Conversion among the checks that pass.

  15. Step 15:Draft it

    Click Draft the campaign.

    You'll see: Your brand’s thread, open on the Campaign proposal.

Good to know

  • Blackbox runs Google as one Demand Gen campaign with an ad group per language. Search and Performance Max aren’t offered from New Campaign.
  • On Google the goals are Sell on the website, Get leads and Get website visits. Sell bids for purchases, Get leads for lead conversions, Get website visits for clicks.
  • Maximize conversions gets the most purchases or leads for the budget. A target cost per result starts from Target per result on Budget; clear it to let Google spend freely.
  • Maximize conversion value bids on what each sale is worth, so it’s for Sell only and needs a conversion that records the order value. A target return on ad spend of 400% means 4 in sales for every 1 spent.
  • The account’s goals are the primary conversions set in Google Ads under Goals. Pick conversions makes a goal for this campaign only, and can count secondary conversions too; the account’s settings don’t change.
  • Our UTMs normally go in each ad’s link. With a final URL suffix they move to the campaign instead, and {campaign} in it becomes the campaign’s name.
  • Maximize clicks has no maximum cost per click on Demand Gen: Google sets the bids.
  • The ad schedule uses the ad account’s time zone. Off, the ads run all day, every day.
  • Review blocks what Google would refuse: a target return on ad spend without value bidding, value bidding on a goal other than Sell, or picked conversions that are no longer enabled.
  • Google shows a business name and a square logo on every ad. If Review asks for them, Use your brand’s logo fills both from the brand kit.
  • Google runs pictures at 1.91:1 or 1:1, so pick a square post or add a landscape picture.
  • Drafting creates nothing on Google. Approving the proposal creates the campaign, ad groups and ads paused, and only Start spends — see Approve a campaign proposal and start it.

Official docs

If something doesn't work

Google Ads isn’t under Where it runs

The brand has no Google Ads account yet. Connect one under the brand on the Data page, then open New Campaign again.

Review says Google has nothing to bid for

The account has no primary purchase or lead conversion. Import one from GA4 or add one in Google Ads under Goals, or pick a conversion that is already enabled under Conversions it bids for.

Maximize conversion value isn’t offered

It’s for Sell on the website only, because it bids on what sales are worth. For Get leads, Google bids for the most leads.

Review blocks value bidding

None of the conversions it bids for records an order value, so every sale counts the same. Send the value with the purchase in Google Ads, or switch back to Maximize conversions.

Do I need a tracking template?

Only if a click tracker has to see every click first. For UTMs alone, the final URL suffix is enough.

I’m worried drafting spends money

It doesn’t. Draft makes a proposal. Approving it creates everything paused, and nothing spends until you click Start ads.

Stuck at any step? Send us a message and we'll do it with you on a call. All of Level 4: Run it as an ad