Why Campaign Structure Matters for Wedding Venues
The way you organize your Google Ads account directly impacts performance. A well-structured account allows for better budget control, easier optimization, and clearer performance insights. For wedding venues, the right structure helps you reach couples at different stages of their search journey.
The Core Campaign Framework
Most wedding venues benefit from a multi-campaign structure that separates different intent levels and targeting approaches.
Campaign 1: Branded Search
Your branded campaign captures people searching specifically for your venue name. These are your highest-intent searchers, people who already know about you and want to learn more or book a tour.
Why separate branded campaigns:
- Track brand awareness over time
- Protect your brand from competitor bidding
- Typically has highest conversion rates and lowest CPCs
- Provides baseline performance data
Campaign 2: Non-Branded Venue Search
This is your primary lead generation campaign, targeting couples searching for venues in your area.
Keyword categories to include:
- Geographic + venue type (Austin wedding venues, Texas barn wedding)
- Style searches (rustic wedding venue, outdoor wedding venue)
- Feature searches (wedding venue with lodging, vineyard wedding venue)
Structure within the campaign:
- Separate ad groups by keyword theme
- Match types organized by intent level
- Negative keywords to filter unqualified traffic
Campaign 3: Competitor Campaigns
Consider a separate campaign targeting competitor venue names. This can intercept couples researching other venues and present your venue as an alternative.
Important considerations:
- Cannot use competitor names in ad copy
- Focus on differentiators in your messaging
- Monitor closely as these typically have lower conversion rates
- May not be worthwhile in all markets
Campaign 4: Display Remarketing
Show ads to people who visited your website but did not request a tour. Remarketing keeps your venue top of mind during the extended research period typical of wedding planning.
Audience segments to create:
- All website visitors (past 30-90 days)
- High-intent pages (pricing, availability, contact)
- Tour request page abandoners
Campaign 5: YouTube Video
Video campaigns showcase your venue to couples watching wedding content. This works well for awareness and remarketing.
Targeting options:
- Custom intent audiences (wedding planning searches)
- Affinity audiences (wedding and event planning)
- Remarketing to website visitors
Budget Allocation Framework
How you allocate budget across campaigns depends on your goals and current performance data.
Starting allocation recommendation:
- Branded: 10-15% (capture all brand searchers)
- Non-branded search: 50-60% (primary lead driver)
- Competitor: 10-15% (test and adjust based on ROI)
- Display remarketing: 10-15% (stay visible during research)
- YouTube: 10-20% (awareness and remarketing)
Adjust based on performance data after the first few months.
Ad Group Structure Best Practices
Within each campaign, organize ad groups around tight keyword themes.
Example ad groups for non-branded search:
- Barn wedding venues
- Outdoor wedding venues
- Estate wedding venues
- Wedding venues near [city]
- [City] wedding reception
Each ad group should have:
- 3-6 closely related keywords
- 2-3 responsive search ads with relevant headlines
- Relevant ad extensions
- Landing page specific to the ad group theme if possible
Bidding Strategy Selection
For wedding venues, we typically recommend:
Newer accounts (limited data):
- Start with Maximize Clicks to gather data
- Set a reasonable max CPC limit
- Transition after 30+ conversions
Established accounts:
- Target CPA or Maximize Conversions with target CPA
- Only after sufficient conversion data exists
- Monitor closely during the learning period
Key Takeaways
- Separate campaigns by intent level and targeting type
- Use a consistent ad group structure within campaigns
- Allocate budget based on campaign purpose and performance
- Build for long-term optimization, not quick fixes
The right campaign structure takes time to build but pays dividends through easier management and better results.
Want help setting up your campaign structure? Request a free audit and we will review your current setup.
Wedding Venue Leads Team
Google Certified Partner specializing in wedding venue marketing