Beyond the Shiny New Toy: Why Brilliant Basics Are Your Google Ads Superpower

As agency owners with what we (and many others) would consider a long tenured history specialising in Ads across Meta and Google Ads, we've seen it all.

The latest product launches, the "next big thing," and the constant buzz around what’s new and sexy in the digital world. And I get it—it's exciting. Clients and agencies alike are often eager to jump on the bandwagon, chasing the promise of revolutionary performance that a new feature or bidding strategy might offer. We’re all trying to gain a competitive edge, and it’s natural to think the latest tool is the fastest way to get there.

But what if I told you that the secret to long-term success in Google Ads isn’t about being the first to adopt every single new feature? What if the most powerful thing you can do for your business is (slightly boringly) ensuring the fundamentals are right?

At CXA, we have a principle and it is simply called: "Brilliant Basics." It's not the sexiest term going around, it isn't going to light-up social media with retweets hearts and likes, and it won't win any awards, but precisely because it is slightly boring it is so important.

What are Brilliant Basics when it comes to Google Ads and Meta Ads?

Brilliant Basics represent a foundational philosophy that has helped countless clients achieve sustainable, scalable growth. While everyone else is distracted by the latest alpha tool in limited or early release (and yes there's a case for them too, don't worry we aren't stuck in the mud!), we're focused on building a rock-solid foundation and then getting your hands on the beautiful new AI-driven tools in alpha or limited release.

We're sure you've heard the parable about building houses on sand, and that's why we like to ensure that whatever we're building up for clients is built on a solid foundation.

There's nothing more embarrassing to a client or an agency than getting carried away focusing on new toys and bigger monthly investments when what the account really needs is simply some Brilliant Basics love.

We’ve found that a well-built floor is a far better starting point than a rickety ladder to a shiny new feature. By ensuring the basics are done exceptionally well, you create a stable, efficient, and high-performing baseline from which any new strategy or product can be effectively layered on. Without this strong foundation, even the most advanced tools can’t prevent wasted spend and subpar results.

So, what are these brilliant basics? We've identified 10 key principles that we recommend to every client. For this blog post, I want to dive into five of the most critical ones that can make an immediate and lasting impact on your campaigns.

1. Use a Master Negative Keywords List Across Campaigns

One of the most common ways to waste money in Google Ads is by showing your ads for irrelevant search queries. Many people address this by adding negative keywords one by one to individual campaigns. While this works, it's inefficient and prone to error.

Our first brilliant basic is to create a master negative keywords list. This is a shared list of irrelevant terms that you can apply across multiple campaigns in your account. For a brand selling luxury watches, for example, this list might include terms like "cheap," "replica," "second-hand," or "how to fix." By creating a single, comprehensive list, you can instantly cut out wasteful clicks across your entire account, ensuring your budget is spent on users who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. This simple step is a powerful way to boost efficiency and improve the quality of your traffic from day one.

2. Disable “Auto Apply” Suggestions & Search Partners Early

Google's platform is designed to be helpful, and its "auto apply" suggestions and "Search Partners" feature are meant to make management easier. However, in our experience, these features often lead to a loss of control and can muddy your performance data.

By turning off auto-apply suggestions, you prevent Google from automatically implementing changes it thinks are best. This ensures you maintain full oversight of your account strategy, from bidding adjustments to ad creative changes. Similarly, disabling "Search Partners" allows you to isolate your performance data to Google's main search network, giving you a clearer and more accurate picture of how your campaigns are performing. You can always choose to enable Search Partners later, but starting with a clean, controlled environment gives you the best chance to establish a strong, data-driven foundation.

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3. Start with High-Intent, Tightly Scoped Campaign Structures

The structure of your campaigns is the blueprint for your success. Many new advertisers cast a wide net, targeting broad keywords in the hope of reaching as many people as possible. This often results in low Quality Scores, irrelevant clicks, and a high cost-per-conversion.

Our third brilliant basic is to start with a tightly scoped campaign structure focused on high-intent keywords. This means grouping keywords by very specific themes and creating ad groups with highly relevant ads. For example, instead of a broad ad group for "running shoes," you might create one specifically for "men's trail running shoes" and another for "women's carbon plate running shoes." This level of specificity improves ad relevance, leads to higher Quality Scores, and ensures your ads are seen by users who are actively looking to make a purchase.

4. Define Clear SMART Goals and KPIs Before Launch

Before you even build a single campaign, you need to know what success looks like. Without a clear destination, you'll never know if you're on the right path.

That's where SMART goals come in. Before launching a campaign, we work with clients to define goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For instance, a SMART goal isn't just "increase sales," but "boost online sales by 20% within 6 months." Once you have your goals, you can select the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track your progress. For a lead generation campaign, this might be "cost per qualified lead," while for an e-commerce campaign, it would be "return on ad spend (ROAS)." By setting these goals and KPIs from the outset, you have a clear roadmap and a way to measure your performance objectively.

5. Ensure Landing Pages Mirror Ad Messaging and Are Mobile-Optimised

The user's journey doesn't end with a click on your ad; it's just the beginning. The link between your ad and your landing page is a critical, yet often overlooked, part of the conversion process.

Our fifth brilliant basic is to ensure your landing page messaging directly mirrors the ad that brought the user there. If your ad promises a "50% off summer sale," the landing page should immediately show a prominent headline and products related to that offer. A disconnect here can lead to confusion, high bounce rates, and wasted clicks. Furthermore, with the majority of online traffic now coming from mobile devices, your landing page must be fast-loading, easy to navigate, and have clear calls to action (CTAs) on a small screen. A poor mobile experience can torpedo even the most perfectly targeted campaign.

The final word

And if you've made it this far, congratulations, here's a little bonus sixth tip - separate your brand keywords from everything else. How? Why? What do you do with that? Well we'll tell you soon enough, just make sure you're subscribed to our free newsletter, or reach out to us today we'd love to talk to you about how we can help your brands digital marketing go to even greater heights, by ensuring it is built on a super solid foundation of, say it with us, Brilliant Basics.