Google Ads Campaign Analysis

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Every business running Google Ads wants to know exactly where their money is going and how to get better results. Knowing how to pull insights from campaign data and recommend improvements is one of the most in-demand skills in digital marketing.

In this project, you will analyze a real Google Ads dataset, build an interactive dashboard, and use AI to generate optimization recommendations and ad copy. You'll package everything into a portfolio case study ready for a job application.

What You'll Build

A portfolio-ready Google Ads Campaign Performance and Optimization Package that demonstrates you can analyze paid advertising data, derive insights, and recommend AI-powered solutions.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

• A cleaned Google Ads dataset with calculated KPIs (CTR, CPC, CPA, ROAS) in Google Sheets.
• An interactive Data Studio dashboard with campaign performance visualizations across devices and time periods.
• An AI-generated optimization report using Gemini with ad copy suggestions, budget reallocation recommendations, and a portfolio case study narrative.
• **Secret Mission:** Secret Mission: A mock client pitch proposing a full campaign strategy for a hypothetical business, using your AI and data skills together.

Are there any prerequisites?

You only need a Google account. All the tools in this project (Google Sheets, Data Studio, Gemini) are free to use. You'll also create a free Kaggle account to download the dataset.

Set Up Your Tools and Download the Dataset

Before you can analyze campaign performance, you need data to work with and tools to visualize it.

In this step, you'll download a real Google Ads dataset from Kaggle, import it into Google Sheets, and confirm access to Data Studio for building your dashboard later.

In this step, get ready to:

• Download the Google Ads sales dataset from Kaggle.
• Import the data into a new Google Sheets spreadsheet.
• Confirm access to Data Studio for dashboard building.

Create a Kaggle account and download the dataset

Kaggle is a free platform that hosts thousands of public datasets. You'll grab a Google Ads campaign dataset from there to use throughout this project.

• Open your browser and navigate to kaggle.com.
• Click Register in the top right corner.
• Click Register with Google and sign in with your Google account.
• Once signed in, use the search bar at the top of the page to search for Google Ads sales dataset.
• Find the dataset by nayakganesh007 and click on it to open the dataset page.
• Click the Download button (a downward arrow icon near the top of the page) to download the CSV file to your computer.

What is Kaggle?

Kaggle is a free data science community owned by Google. It hosts public datasets, coding notebooks, and competitions. You're using it here because it gives you access to realistic advertising data without needing a Google Ads account.

Can't find the dataset?

Make sure you're searching for the exact phrase "Google Ads sales dataset" and looking for the one published by nayakganesh007. If search results are cluttered, try adding the author name to your search.

Help me find the right Kaggle dataset for this project.

Create your spreadsheet and import the data

Now you'll bring that raw CSV data into Google Sheets so you can work with it throughout the project.

• Open a new browser tab and navigate to sheets.google.com.
• Click the Blank spreadsheet option (the large + icon) to create a new spreadsheet.
• Click on the title at the top left (it says "Untitled spreadsheet") and rename it to Google Ads Campaign Analysis.
• Click File in the menu bar.
• Click Import.
• In the Import dialog, click the Upload tab.
• Click Browse and select the CSV file you downloaded from Kaggle.
• For Import location, select Replace spreadsheet.
• For Separator type, leave it as Detect automatically.
• Click Import data.

Your spreadsheet should now be populated with rows of campaign data. You should see column headers in the first row.

What columns should I see?

The dataset contains these columns: date, clicks, conversions, conversion rate, cost, device, impressions, leads, and sale amount.

Each row represents one day of campaign performance data for a specific device type. You'll use these columns to calculate KPIs like CTR, CPC, CPA, and ROAS in the next step.

Data not showing up after import?

Make sure you selected Replace spreadsheet as the import location. If you accidentally chose "Insert new sheet", the data may be on a second sheet tab at the bottom. Check all tabs.

Help me troubleshoot my Google Sheets CSV import.

Confirm your Data Studio access

Data Studio is Google's free data visualization tool. You'll use it in a later step to build an interactive dashboard from your spreadsheet data.

• Open a new browser tab and navigate to lookerstudio.google.com.
• Sign in with your Google account if prompted.
• Confirm that you can see the Data Studio home page with a Create button visible.

Why is the URL different from the product name?

Google rebranded Looker Studio back to "Data Studio" in April 2026. The URL remains lookerstudio.google.com but the product is now called Data Studio. Two editions exist: Data Studio (free, for individual use) and Data Studio Pro (paid, for teams). You only need the free version.

Can't access Data Studio?

Data Studio is free with any Google account. If you're having trouble signing in, make sure you're using the same Google account you used for Google Sheets. Some school or workplace accounts may restrict access to Data Studio. In that case, try with a personal Gmail account.

Help me access Data Studio with my Google account.

Your tools are ready and your data is loaded. Next up, you'll clean this data and calculate the core advertising KPIs that will power your dashboard and AI analysis.

Clean the Data and Calculate Core KPIs

Your spreadsheet is loaded with raw campaign data. Now it's time to turn that raw data into meaningful performance metrics that tell a story about how this campaign performed.

In this step, you'll calculate the four core KPIs that every Google Ads analyst tracks: CTR, CPC, CPA, and ROAS. You'll also break down performance by device and identify daily trends.

In this step, get ready to:

• Create a KPI Calculations sheet with summary formulas for CTR, CPC, CPA, and ROAS.
• Build a device summary table comparing Desktop, Mobile, and Tablet performance.
• Identify daily trends and find the top 5 and bottom 5 ROAS days.

Review your dataset and create the KPI Calculations tab

Before building formulas, you need to confirm the column layout of your imported data. The dataset should have nine columns that map directly to the KPIs you'll calculate.

• Switch back to your "Google Ads Campaign Analysis" spreadsheet in Google Sheets.
• Confirm your columns match this layout across the first row:

• Column A: date.
• Column B: clicks.
• Column C: conversions.
• Column D: conversion rate.
• Column E: cost.
• Column F: device.
• Column G: impressions.
• Column H: leads.
• Column I: sale amount.

Columns in a different order?

If your columns are arranged differently after import, adjust the column letters in the formulas below to match your actual layout. The formula logic stays the same.

• Note the name of your data sheet tab at the bottom of the screen (it may be Sheet1 or the CSV filename). You'll reference this name in your formulas.
• Click the + icon at the bottom left of the spreadsheet to add a new sheet tab.
• Double-click the new tab name and rename it to KPI Calculations.

Now set up your KPI summary section. In cell A1 of the KPI Calculations tab, type the following labels and formulas:

• In cell A1, type Metric. In cell B1, type Formula. In cell C1, type Value.
• Fill in rows 2 through 5 with your KPI labels and formulas as shown below:

Row 2:
  A2: CTR (Click-Through Rate)
  B2: Clicks / Impressions
  C2: =SUM(Sheet1!B:B)/SUM(Sheet1!G:G)

Row 3:
  A3: CPC (Cost Per Click)
  B3: Cost / Clicks
  C3: =SUM(Sheet1!E:E)/SUM(Sheet1!B:B)

Row 4:
  A4: CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)
  B4: Cost / Conversions
  C4: =SUM(Sheet1!E:E)/SUM(Sheet1!C:C)

Row 5:
  A5: ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
  B5: Sale Amount / Cost
  C5: =SUM(Sheet1!I:I)/SUM(Sheet1!E:E)

What do these KPIs mean?

CTR tells you what percentage of people who saw the ad actually clicked it. CPC shows how much each click costs on average.

CPA measures how much you spend to get one conversion (a purchase or signup). ROAS is the big one for advertisers. It shows how much revenue you earn for every dollar spent on ads.

Seeing a #DIV/0! error?

Replace Sheet1 in each formula with the exact name of your raw data tab. If the tab name contains spaces, wrap it in single quotes like 'My Data'!B:B.

Also check that your data starts in row 2 (with headers in row 1) and that columns haven't shifted from the layout above.

My KPI formulas are showing errors

• Confirm that cell C5 (ROAS) shows a number greater than 0. This means your formulas are pulling data correctly from the raw sheet.

Build a device performance summary table

Advertisers always want to know which devices perform best. A device breakdown reveals where budget is being wasted and where to double down.

• In the same KPI Calculations tab, click cell A8 and type Device Performance Summary as a section header.
• In row 9, create column headers across cells A9 through F9:

A9: Device
B9: Total Spend
C9: Total Conversions
D9: Avg CPC
E9: Avg CPA
F9: ROAS

• In cells A10, A11, and A12, type the three device names: Desktop, Mobile, and Tablet.
• Enter the following formulas for the Desktop row (row 10). You'll adapt these for Mobile and Tablet after:

B10 (Total Spend - Desktop):
=SUMIF(Sheet1!F:F,"Desktop",Sheet1!E:E)

C10 (Total Conversions - Desktop):
=SUMIF(Sheet1!F:F,"Desktop",Sheet1!C:C)

D10 (Avg CPC - Desktop):
=SUMIF(Sheet1!F:F,"Desktop",Sheet1!E:E)/SUMIF(Sheet1!F:F,"Desktop",Sheet1!B:B)

E10 (Avg CPA - Desktop):
=SUMIF(Sheet1!F:F,"Desktop",Sheet1!E:E)/SUMIF(Sheet1!F:F,"Desktop",Sheet1!C:C)

F10 (ROAS - Desktop):
=SUMIF(Sheet1!F:F,"Desktop",Sheet1!I:I)/SUMIF(Sheet1!F:F,"Desktop",Sheet1!E:E)

What does SUMIF do here?

SUMIF adds up values only when a condition is met. SUMIF(Sheet1!F:F,"Desktop",Sheet1!E:E) means: look at column F (device), and whenever it says "Desktop", add up the corresponding value in column E (cost).

• For the Mobile row (row 11), copy the formulas from row 10 and replace "Desktop" with "Mobile" in each formula.
• For the Tablet row (row 12), copy the formulas from row 10 and replace "Desktop" with "Tablet" in each formula.

Now add conditional formatting to make the best and worst performing device stand out at a glance.

• Select cells F10 through F12 (the ROAS column for all three devices).
• Click Format in the top menu bar.
• Select Conditional formatting.
• Under Format rules, change the dropdown to Color scale.
• Set the min color to red and the max color to green. This makes the highest ROAS device green and the lowest red.
• Click Done.

You should now see a color gradient across your ROAS cells. The greenest cell is your best performing device, and the reddest is your weakest.

All cells the same color?

If all three ROAS values are very close together, the color difference will be subtle. Expand your conditional formatting range to include columns B through F (rows 10-12) so the full table gets the gradient. Alternatively, check that your device names match exactly what appears in the raw data (case-sensitive).

Help me fix my conditional formatting

Add a Daily Trends section with top and bottom ROAS days

Spotting trends over time helps you recommend when to increase or decrease ad spend. You'll create a date-grouped summary and call out the best and worst performing days.

• In cell A15 of your KPI Calculations tab, type Daily Trends as a section header.
• In row 16, create headers: A16: Date, B16: Daily Spend, C16: Daily Conversions, D16: Daily ROAS.

You'll use the UNIQUE and SUMIF functions together to group metrics by date.

• In cell A17, enter this formula to pull all unique dates from your raw data:

=SORT(UNIQUE(Sheet1!A2:A))

What does this formula do?

UNIQUE extracts every distinct date from your data (removing duplicates). SORT arranges them in chronological order. The result automatically fills down through as many rows as there are unique dates.

• In cell B17, enter this formula for Daily Spend:

=ARRAYFORMULA(IF(A17:A<>"",SUMIF(Sheet1!A:A,A17:A,Sheet1!E:E),""))

• In cell C17, enter this formula for Daily Conversions:

=ARRAYFORMULA(IF(A17:A<>"",SUMIF(Sheet1!A:A,A17:A,Sheet1!C:C),""))

• In cell D17, enter this formula for Daily ROAS:

=ARRAYFORMULA(IF(A17:A<>"",SUMIF(Sheet1!A:A,A17:A,Sheet1!I:I)/SUMIF(Sheet1!A:A,A17:A,Sheet1!E:E),""))

What does ARRAYFORMULA do?

ARRAYFORMULA applies the formula to every row at once, instead of making you copy the formula down manually. The IF(A17:A<>"", ...) part ensures the formula only calculates for rows that have a date, leaving empty rows blank.

Now identify the top 5 highest-ROAS days and bottom 5 lowest-ROAS days.

• Find the first empty row below your daily trends data. Leave one row of space and type Top 5 Highest-ROAS Days as a label in column A.
• In the cell below that label, enter this formula to automatically pull the top 5 days by ROAS:

=SORTN(SORT({A17:A,D17:D},2,FALSE),5)

• Below the top 5 results, leave one row and type Bottom 5 Lowest-ROAS Days as a label.
• In the cell below that label, enter this formula:

=SORTN(SORT({A17:A,D17:D},2,TRUE),5)

What's the difference between these two formulas?

Both formulas combine the date and ROAS columns into a temporary array using {A17:A,D17:D}. SORT(...,2,FALSE) sorts by the second column (ROAS) in descending order. SORT(...,2,TRUE) sorts ascending. SORTN(...,5) then takes only the first 5 results.

• Verify that your top 5 list shows dates with the highest ROAS values, and your bottom 5 shows dates with the lowest.

Seeing errors in the SORTN formulas?

Make sure the range A17:A and D17:D match where your daily trends data actually starts. If your unique dates start in a different row, adjust the row numbers in these formulas to match.

Also check that column D contains numeric ROAS values (not blank or text). If the ARRAYFORMULA in D17 returned errors, fix that first.

Help me debug my daily trends formulas

Your KPI Calculations tab now tells a complete story about this campaign. You know the overall performance, which devices deliver the best return, and which days are strongest. Next up, you'll turn these numbers into an interactive visual dashboard using Data Studio.

Build Your Data Studio Dashboard

Your spreadsheet now has clean data and calculated KPIs ready to tell a story. The next step is turning those numbers into a visual dashboard that anyone can understand at a glance.

Google's Data Studio connects directly to Google Sheets and lets you build interactive reports for free. You will connect your spreadsheet, add scorecards and charts, then share the finished dashboard publicly.

In this step, get ready to:

• Connect Data Studio to your Google Sheets spreadsheet.
• Build KPI scorecards and performance charts.
• Add filters, name your report, and share it publicly.

Connect your spreadsheet to Data Studio

Data Studio needs a data source before it can visualize anything. You will create a new report and point it at the Google Sheets spreadsheet you built in the previous step.

• Switch back to Data Studio at lookerstudio.google.com.
• Click Create in the top left, then select Report.
• The Add data to report panel opens automatically with two tabs: Connect to data and My data sources.
• In the Connect to data tab, select the Google Sheets connector.
• Choose your Google Ads Campaign Analysis spreadsheet from the list.
• Select the main data worksheet (the tab with the raw imported CSV data, not the KPI Calculations tab).
• Click Add in the bottom right to connect the data source to your report.

What just happened?

Data Studio created a blank report and linked it to your Google Sheets data. Every column in your spreadsheet (date, clicks, conversions, cost, device, impressions, leads, sale amount) is now available as a field you can drag into charts.

Data Studio auto-saves your work as you go. There is no manual save button to worry about.

Don't see your spreadsheet in the list?

Make sure you are signed into the same Google account you used to create the spreadsheet. If you recently created it, give Data Studio a few seconds to refresh the list.

help me find my Google Sheets spreadsheet in Data Studio

Build your dashboard layout with scorecards and charts

Scorecards display a single KPI as a large number, making them perfect for the top of a dashboard. You will add four scorecards plus two charts that show how your campaign performs over time and across devices.

• In the toolbar at the top of the editor, click Add a chart.
• Select Scorecard from the chart list.
• Click the top-left area of the canvas to place the scorecard.
• In the Properties panel on the right, open the SETUP tab.
• Set the metric to cost (this shows Total Cost).
• Repeat this process three more times to create scorecards for clicks (Total Clicks), conversions (Total Conversions), and a calculated ROAS metric.

Create a ROAS scorecard

For the Overall ROAS scorecard, add a scorecard and in the SETUP tab click + Add a metric, then at the bottom of the field list click + Add a field.

Create a calculated field with the formula SUM(sale amount)/SUM(cost) and name it ROAS.

• Now add a time-series line chart. Click Add a chart in the toolbar and select Time series.
• Click the canvas below the scorecards to place the chart.
• In the SETUP tab, set the dimension to date.
• Add two metrics: cost and conversions. This plots Cost vs Conversions over time on the same chart.
• Next, add a bar chart. Click Add a chart and select Bar chart.
• Place it to the right of the time-series chart.
• In the SETUP tab, set the dimension to device and the metric to a calculated CPC field (SUM(cost)/SUM(clicks)).

What does the dashboard show so far?

Your four scorecards give an instant high-level view of campaign health: total spend, total clicks, total conversions, and return on ad spend.

The time-series chart reveals trends (are conversions rising while cost stays flat?). The bar chart compares CPC across Desktop, Mobile, and Tablet so you can spot which device eats the most budget per click.

• Verify your dashboard by checking that you see four scorecard numbers at the top, a line chart plotting two metrics over time, and a bar chart with three device bars.

Chart shows 'No data' or wrong metric?

Check that the data source in the SETUP tab points to your main data worksheet, not the KPI Calculations tab. Also confirm the field names match your spreadsheet column headers exactly.

help me fix a chart showing no data in Data Studio

Add distribution charts, a data table, and share your report

A dashboard is most useful when viewers can explore the data themselves. You will add a donut chart for spend distribution, a sortable table for daily detail, and a date range filter for interactivity.

• Click Add a chart and select Pie chart.
• Place it on the canvas below the existing charts.
• In the SETUP tab, set the dimension to device and the metric to cost. This creates a Cost by Device distribution chart.
• Switch to the STYLE tab and enable the donut slider to turn the solid pie into a ring shape.
• Add a table next. Click Add a chart and select Table.
• In the SETUP tab, add the dimension date and metrics cost, clicks, conversions, and sale amount.
• In the STYLE tab, enable conditional formatting on the metrics columns to highlight high and low values.
• Now add a date range filter. In the toolbar, click Add a control and select Date range control.
• Place it at the top of the canvas near the scorecards so viewers can select custom time periods.

Why add a date range control?

A date range control lets anyone viewing your dashboard filter all charts to a specific period. This is critical for client presentations where someone asks "how did we perform last week?" and you can answer in one click.

• Name your report by clicking the Untitled Report text in the top left corner.
• Type Google Ads Performance Dashboard — followed by your name.
• Share the report publicly by clicking Share in the top right.
• Under Link settings, use the dropdown to select Anyone with the link can view.
• Click Copy link and save this URL somewhere safe. You will need it in a later step.

Your dashboard now shows scorecards, a line chart, a bar chart, a donut chart, a data table, and a date filter. It is publicly accessible via the link you just copied.

Share button not showing link options?

If you are using a Google Workspace account, your organization's admin may restrict public sharing. Try switching to a personal Gmail account or ask your admin to enable external link sharing for Data Studio.

help me share my Data Studio report publicly

Your dashboard is live and shareable. Next up, you will use Gemini AI to generate optimization recommendations and ad copy based on the insights you discovered.

Generate AI-Powered Optimization Recommendations with Gemini

Your dashboard is live and shareable. Now it's time to turn those findings into actionable recommendations that demonstrate strategic thinking.

Raw data tells a story, but clients and hiring managers want to see what you'd do with it. In this step, you'll use Gemini to generate optimization recommendations, ad copy variations, and an analysis of emerging Google Ads AI products.

In this step, get ready to:

• Use Gemini to generate 5 budget and performance optimization recommendations.
• Generate AI-powered responsive search ad copy following Google Ads best practices.
• Research emerging Google Ads AI features and document how they'd improve this campaign.

Generate optimization recommendations with Gemini

The most valuable skill in digital advertising isn't pulling numbers. It's translating data into specific actions a client can take to improve performance.

• Open Gemini by navigating to gemini.google.com in your browser.
• Sign in with your Google account if prompted.

You'll write a prompt that feeds Gemini the key findings from your KPI Calculations sheet. The more specific data you include, the more targeted the recommendations will be.

• Switch back to your Google Ads Campaign Analysis spreadsheet and open the KPI Calculations tab.
• Note down the following values from your device summary table: ROAS for Desktop, Mobile, and Tablet. Also note which device has the highest CPA, plus your total spend and total conversions.
• Return to the Gemini tab and type a prompt that includes your actual numbers. Use this structure as your starting point:

I'm analyzing a Google Ads campaign. Here are my key findings:
- Desktop has a ROAS of [[DESKTOP_ROAS="your Desktop ROAS value"]]
- Mobile has a ROAS of [[MOBILE_ROAS="your Mobile ROAS value"]]
- Tablet has a ROAS of [[TABLET_ROAS="your Tablet ROAS value"]]
- CPA is highest on [[HIGHEST_CPA_DEVICE="device with highest CPA"]] device
- Total spend is $[[TOTAL_SPEND="your total cost value"]] with [[TOTAL_CONVERSIONS="your total conversions"]] conversions

Based on this data, provide 5 specific optimization recommendations including budget reallocation suggestions.

Why include your actual numbers?

Generic prompts produce generic answers. By feeding Gemini your real ROAS and CPA data, it can recommend specific budget shifts (like "move 20% of Tablet spend to Desktop") instead of vague advice.

This also demonstrates to a hiring manager that you know how to use AI as a tool, not a crutch. You're directing the AI with real analysis.

• Press **Enter** to send the prompt.
• Review Gemini's response. You should see 5 numbered recommendations with specific budget percentages and performance targets.

Now you'll save these recommendations into a dedicated report document.

• Open a new browser tab and go to docs.google.com.
• Click the Blank document option (or click the + button) to create a new document.
• Click Untitled document in the top left corner and rename it to AI-Powered Optimization Report.
• Type 5 Optimization Recommendations as your first heading.
• Switch back to the Gemini tab, select all 5 recommendations, and copy them (Cmd+C on macOS or Ctrl+C on Windows).
• Paste the recommendations into your Google Doc below the heading (Cmd+V on macOS or Ctrl+V on Windows).

Edit for clarity

Don't just paste Gemini's raw output. Read through each recommendation and edit it to match your analysis. Remove anything that contradicts your actual data or sounds too generic. This shows you can critically evaluate AI output.

Gemini giving vague recommendations?

If the recommendations feel too generic, try rephrasing your prompt with more specific numbers. For example, include the exact CPA difference between devices or the conversion count per device. The more data context you provide, the more actionable Gemini's output becomes.

Need help writing a better prompt?

Generate responsive search ad copy with Gemini

Responsive search ads (RSAs) are Google Ads' primary text ad format. Each RSA needs 15 headlines and 4 descriptions that Google's system mixes and matches to find the best-performing combinations.

What is a responsive search ad?

An RSA lets you provide multiple headline and description options. Google Ads automatically tests different combinations to discover which perform best for each search query. Headlines are limited to 30 characters and descriptions to 90 characters.

• Switch back to your Gemini tab.
• Type the following prompt to generate ad copy variations:

Based on a campaign promoting [product category from the data], write 3 responsive search ad variations with 15 headlines (max 30 characters each) and 4 descriptions (max 90 characters each). Follow Google Ads RSA best practices.

What product category should you use?

Look at the "sale amount" column in your dataset to infer what's being sold. Since this is a general sales dataset, you can describe it broadly (e.g., "online retail products" or "e-commerce sales"). Pick something specific enough that Gemini can write targeted headlines.

• Press Enter to send the prompt.
• Review the output. Verify that you have 3 distinct ad variations, each with 15 headlines (no longer than 30 characters) and 4 descriptions (no longer than 90 characters).
• Switch to your AI-Powered Optimization Report Google Doc.
• Below your optimization recommendations, add a new heading: AI-Generated Creative Recommendations.
• Copy and paste all 3 ad variations from Gemini below this heading.

Headlines too long or descriptions missing?

Gemini sometimes generates headlines that exceed the 30-character limit. If you spot any, ask Gemini a follow-up: "Some headlines exceed 30 characters. Please regenerate only the headlines that are too long, keeping them under 30 characters." This iterative prompting shows real-world AI workflow skills.

Help me fix my RSA ad copy output from Gemini.

Research emerging Google Ads AI features

The Google Apprenticeship values candidates who know about emerging advertising products. This section shows you can connect cutting-edge AI features to real campaign performance improvements.

• Switch back to your Gemini tab.
• Type the following prompt:

What are the latest AI-powered features in Google Ads in 2026 that could improve this campaign's performance? Specifically mention AI Max for Search, Ads Advisor, and Performance Max asset generation.

• Press Enter to send the prompt.
• Review Gemini's response. It should cover at least these three features and explain how they could improve campaign performance.

What are these Google Ads AI features?

AI Max for Search is a one-click feature suite that typically delivers 14% more conversions at similar CPA/ROAS. It uses AI for search term matching, text customization, and Final URL expansion.

Ads Advisor is an agentic conversational AI built with Gemini. It provides personalized recommendations, campaign diagnostics, and creative suggestions directly inside Google Ads.

Performance Max asset generation uses Gemini to create text and image assets. Advertisers using it are 63% more likely to achieve Good or Excellent Ad Strength.

Now add this research to your report with your own analysis of how you'd apply each feature.

• Switch to your AI-Powered Optimization Report Google Doc.
• Below your creative recommendations, add a new heading: Emerging Products & AI Solutions.
• Don't just paste Gemini's raw response here. Instead, write a summary for each feature that explains: (1) what the feature does, and (2) how you'd specifically apply it to improve this campaign's metrics.
• For example, if Desktop has the highest ROAS, you could recommend using AI Max's text customization to generate device-specific headlines that perform even better on desktop.

Connect features to your data

Reference your actual KPI findings when writing about each feature. A statement like "AI Max could improve our Mobile ROAS from 1.2 to the Desktop benchmark of 2.8" is far more impressive than a generic feature description. It proves you think like a strategist, not just a researcher.

Not sure how to apply a feature to your campaign?

Ask Gemini a follow-up like: "Given that my Mobile CPA is 40% higher than Desktop, how specifically would AI Max for Search help reduce Mobile CPA?" Use your actual numbers to get a targeted answer you can incorporate into your report.

Help me connect Google Ads AI features to my campaign data.

Your AI-Powered Optimization Report is complete with three strong sections: data-driven recommendations, creative ad copy, and emerging product knowledge. Next up, you'll weave everything together into a portfolio case study that tells your career story.

Create Your Portfolio Case Study Narrative

You've got a powerful set of artifacts now. A clean dataset, an interactive dashboard, and an AI-generated optimization report.

The missing piece is the story that ties them all together. Hiring managers don't just want to see dashboards. They want to know how your past experience connects to the role you're applying for.

In this step, you'll create a portfolio case study document that reframes your research analyst and content writing experience in advertising language. This is the document that makes a hiring manager say "this person already thinks like an advertiser."

In this step, get ready to:

• Write a Professional Summary that positions your experience in advertising terms.
• Build a Skills Mapping table connecting apprenticeship requirements to your evidence.
• Create a Project Showcase section with your dashboard link and a Why Google statement.

Create your Google Doc and write the Professional Summary

The Professional Summary is the first thing a reviewer reads. It needs to translate your existing experience into the language of digital advertising, even if your past titles didn't include "advertiser" or "media buyer."

• Open a new browser tab and go to docs.google.com.
• Click the Blank document option (the large + icon) to create a new document.
• Click the document title in the top-left corner (it will say "Untitled document") and rename it to Portfolio Case Study — your name — Google Apprenticeship.

Now add your Professional Summary section.

• Type Professional Summary as your first heading. Highlight it and select Heading 1 from the styles dropdown in the toolbar.
• Below the heading, write a positioning statement that reframes your experience. Frame your research analyst work as "data analysis and insight derivation" and your content writing as "campaign creative and landing page optimization."
• Use a format like this: 1 year analyzing content performance data using GA4 and Search Console | 6 months creating high-converting digital assets and multi-channel campaign copy.
• Add 2-3 bullet points below summarizing your key achievements in advertising-relevant language.

Why reframe your experience?

The Google Apprenticeship reviewers scan hundreds of applications. When they see "research analyst," they don't automatically connect it to advertising. Your job is to make that connection explicit.

"Boosted organic traffic 33-45%" becomes "data-driven content strategy that delivered measurable performance lifts." Same work, but now it sounds like campaign optimization.

Build the Skills Mapping table

The apprenticeship listing mentions 5 core learning areas. A Skills Mapping table shows the reviewer exactly how your evidence matches each requirement.

• Below your Professional Summary, type Skills Mapping and format it as Heading 1.
• Insert a two-column table by clicking Insert in the top menu, then Table, then select a 2x6 grid (2 columns, 6 rows: 1 header + 5 data rows).
• In the header row, type Apprenticeship Requirement in the left column and Your Evidence in the right column.
• Fill in the 5 learning areas from the apprenticeship listing in the left column. In the right column, map each requirement to specific examples from your past work AND this project.

How do I fill in the evidence column?

Each evidence cell should combine past work with this project. For example, for "Analyze data and derive insights," your evidence might be: "Boosted organic traffic 33-45% through data-driven content strategy (previous) + Built Google Ads performance dashboard identifying device-level ROAS opportunities (this project)."

Think about how your GA4 and Search Console experience maps to "knowledge of emerging advertising products." Your landing page work maps to "account coordination and client-facing communication."

• Add conditional formatting to make the table scannable. Bold the requirement names in the left column and use a light background colour on the header row.

Use the + from this project

The "+ this project" pattern is powerful. It shows you didn't just have the skills before. You actively sought out new challenges to deepen them. That's exactly the growth mindset apprenticeship programs look for.

Add the Project Showcase and Why Google statement

The Project Showcase section gives the reviewer a direct link to your live dashboard. Combined with a "Why Google" statement, it shows both your technical output and your motivation for the role.

• Below your Skills Mapping table, type Project Showcase and format it as Heading 1.
• Write a brief paragraph describing what you built in this project (the Google Ads analysis, the Data Studio dashboard, and the Gemini-powered optimization report).

Now link to your live dashboard so reviewers can interact with it directly.

• Switch back to your Data Studio dashboard tab in the browser.
• Click the Share button in the top-right corner of the report.
• Confirm that link sharing is set to Anyone with the link can view. Copy the shareable link.
• Return to your Portfolio Case Study Google Doc. Paste the dashboard link below your Project Showcase heading, and format it as a clickable hyperlink by selecting the URL and pressing Cmd+K (macOS) or Ctrl+K (Windows).

Next, add screenshots of your key findings to make the document visually compelling even if the reviewer doesn't click the link.

• Take a screenshot of your Data Studio dashboard showing the KPI scorecards and time-series chart.
• Take a second screenshot of your device comparison bar chart and pie chart.
• In your Google Doc, click Insert > Image > Upload from computer to insert each screenshot.
• Below each screenshot, add a caption explaining the key insight (e.g., "Desktop devices deliver the highest ROAS at X, while Mobile has the lowest CPA.").

Finally, close with your Why Google statement.

• At the bottom of the document, type Why Google and format it as Heading 2.
• Write 2-3 sentences connecting your experience to the apprenticeship mission. Mention how your data analysis background and content creation skills position you to help businesses grow through Google's advertising products.

What makes a strong Why Google statement?

Avoid generic phrases like "I love Google's mission." Instead, connect something specific from your experience to something specific about the role. For example: "My year of using GA4 showed me how data transforms guesswork into strategy. I want to bring that same analytical mindset to helping businesses succeed with Google Ads."

Dashboard link not working?

If your dashboard link shows an access error, return to Data Studio and confirm sharing is set to "Anyone with the link can view" (not "Restricted"). You may need to click Manage access in the Share dialog to change this setting.

Having other issues with your portfolio document?

Secret mission

New Client Pitch: Full Campaign Strategy Proposal

You've proven you can analyze existing campaign data. But can you pitch a brand-new strategy from scratch? In this mission, you'll create a mock client pitch for a hypothetical small business that combines your data analysis, AI prompting, and Google Ads knowledge into one polished proposal.

Clean Up Your Resources

Clean Up Your Resources

Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely. This project runs entirely on free Google tools and Kaggle, so there are no ongoing costs.

Resources you used:

• Google Sheets spreadsheet: "Google Ads Campaign Analysis" (2 tabs of data and KPI calculations).
• Data Studio report: "Google Ads Performance Dashboard" (shared publicly).
• Google Doc: "AI-Powered Optimization Report".
• Google Doc: "Portfolio Case Study — [Your Name] — Google Apprenticeship".
• Google Doc: "New Client Pitch — [Hypothetical Business Name]".
• Kaggle account (free).

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you're still actively building on this portfolio or planning to reference these documents in your apprenticeship application.

• Your Google Sheets, Google Docs, and Data Studio report remain accessible in your Google account at no cost.
• Your Data Studio dashboard is currently shared publicly. Anyone with the link can view it.
• Your Kaggle account remains active. This is useful if you want to download additional datasets in the future.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Revoke public sharing to keep your work private while you're away. Your files stay safe in your Google account.

• Open your Data Studio report at lookerstudio.google.com.
• Click the Share button in the top right corner.
• Under General access, change the setting from Anyone with the link to Restricted.
• Your Google Sheets and Docs require no changes. They remain in your Google Drive and cost nothing.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project files from your Google account. This cannot be undone once you empty the trash.

• Go to drive.google.com.
• Find your "Google Ads Campaign Analysis" spreadsheet, right-click it, and select Move to trash.
• Repeat for each of your three Google Docs: "AI-Powered Optimization Report", "Portfolio Case Study", and "New Client Pitch".
• Go to lookerstudio.google.com.
• Find your "Google Ads Performance Dashboard" report, right-click it, and select Move to trash.
• To permanently delete, go to drive.google.com/drive/trash and click Empty trash.

Nice Work!

Nice Work!

You've just built a complete digital advertising portfolio that proves you can analyze campaign data, use AI tools to optimize performance, and communicate insights to clients.

You've learned how to:

• Analyzed Google Ads campaign data and calculated core KPIs including CTR, CPC, CPA, and ROAS in Google Sheets.
• Built an interactive Data Studio dashboard with scorecards, time-series charts, and device-level comparisons.
• Used Gemini AI to generate optimization recommendations, ad copy variations, and a report on emerging Google Ads AI products.
• Secret Mission: Created a mock client pitch proposing a full campaign strategy for a hypothetical business, demonstrating business development and account coordination skills.

Ready to quiz yourself?