How to Create a Google Ads Account: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide

Did you know Google processes over 8.5 billion searches every day?

The good news? Setting up a Google Ads account is actually free and takes just a few minutes. Whether you're a small business owner, a marketing professional, or simply someone who wants to explore the Keyword Planner tool without immediately launching a campaign, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process. We'll specifically address how to set up a Google Ads account with different approaches based on your needs, including options for starting with a modest daily budget of $10-$20 that you can adjust anytime. Let's get your Google Ads journey started!

Choose the Right Setup Path

Before diving into Google Ads setup, you need to understand which path suits your specific needs. Google offers several options that determine how you'll manage your advertising.

Standard vs Manager Account (MCC)

The choice between a standard account and a Manager account depends on your advertising scope. A standard Google Ads account is ideal for advertising one or more websites across Google's advertising channels. Conversely, a Manager account (formerly My Client Center or MCC) functions as an umbrella account where you can manage multiple Google Ads accounts from a single dashboard.

Manager accounts are particularly valuable if you:

• Manage advertising for multiple clients

• Own several businesses or brands

• Need separate setups for different marketing strategies

Remember that Manager accounts have certain limitations – a Google Ads account can't be directly managed by more than 5 manager accounts, and your client account structure can't exceed 6 levels deep.

When to use Expert Mode

When setting up your Google Ads account, Google automatically defaults to Smart Mode. However, switching to Expert Mode gives you full control over your campaigns. Expert Mode unlocks advanced features that Smart Mode restricts, such as:

• Manual bidding strategies

• Custom targeting options

• Full control over ad writing

• Advanced keyword settings

Although Smart Mode offers simplicity for beginners, experts recommend switching to Expert Mode right away. As one specialist notes, "You should switch to Expert Mode if you want any semblance of control over your account". This approach ensures you're not limited as your advertising needs grow more sophisticated.

Creating an account without a campaign

Fortunately, you can set up a Google Ads account without immediately creating a campaign or entering payment information. This approach allows you to explore the platform before committing to advertising spending.

To create an account without a campaign:

1. Go to Google Ads and click "Start Now"

2. Sign in with your Google account

3. When prompted to create a campaign, look for "Switch to Expert Mode"

4. Select "Create an account without a campaign" in the lower-left corner

This method gives you access to valuable tools like the Keyword Planner while allowing time to develop your advertising strategy thoroughly before launching.

Step-by-Step Google Ads Account Setup

Setting up your Google Ads account involves a few straightforward steps that will get you ready to create effective advertising campaigns. Let's walk through each phase of the process.

1. Go to ads.google.com and click Start Now

Initially, navigate to the Google Ads homepage (ads.google.com) and click the "Start Now" button. This leads you to a setup flow designed specifically for new advertisers to create impactful campaigns. The interface is intuitive and guides you through each step of the account creation process.

2. Sign in or create a Google account

Next, you'll need to sign in with an existing Google account or create a new one. If you already use Gmail, you already have a Google account. For business purposes, consider creating a separate account rather than using a personal email. This separation helps maintain professional boundaries and simplifies account management.

3. Enter business name and website

During this step, provide your business name and website URL. This information helps Google understand your business and enables customized recommendations. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to link existing Google accounts, including YouTube channels and Google Business Profile accounts, which facilitates faster campaign setup and provides tailored recommendations.

4. Choose your advertising goal

Subsequently, select your primary conversion goal such as driving sales, generating leads, or building brand awareness[82]. Your selection is crucial because Google Ads uses it to guide your campaign settings and help you succeed. For instance, if you want different results like both leads and sales, consider setting up separate campaigns for each goal.

5. Set up account preferences (timezone, currency)

Finally, configure your account preferences. Select the correct billing country from the drop-down menu and verify your time zone setting. These choices are significant as they affect your reports, statistics, and billing. Once established, neither the time zone nor currency can be changed without creating a new account, so choose carefully.

Create Your First Campaign

With your Google Ads account properly configured, the next exciting step is creating your first campaign. This process involves several key decisions that will determine your ad's effectiveness and reach.

Choose campaign type and goal

First, select a campaign type based on your advertising objective. Google offers several options including Search (text ads on search results), Display (image ads on websites), Video (ads on YouTube), and Shopping (product listings). Your selection should align with specific goals like sales, leads, website traffic, or brand awareness. Once you choose a goal, Google will guide you to the most suitable campaign types.

Write ad headlines and descriptions

Creating compelling ad copy is crucial for attracting clicks. Google Ads text ads consist of three headlines (30 characters each) and two descriptions (90 characters each). Focus on highlighting your unique selling proposition and addressing customer pain points. Furthermore, use action-oriented verbs and incorporate your keywords naturally. Remember to maintain proper grammar and spelling throughout your ad text.

Add visuals and call-to-action

For visual ads, include high-quality, relevant images that align with your brand message. A strong call-to-action (CTA) is essential for driving user engagement. Effective CTAs include phrases like "Shop now," "Book now," "Buy today," or "Get a quote." These direct messages tell potential customers exactly what to do next, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

Select keywords and targeting

Choose keywords that match terms your potential customers would use to find your products or services. In essence, you can select specific keywords for targeted reach or general keywords for broader exposure. Additionally, Google Ads offers various targeting methods including topics, placements, demographics, and locations to help you reach the right audience.

Set daily budget and bidding strategy

Finally, establish your average daily budget to control overall spending. For bidding, most new advertisers utilize automated strategies like "Maximize conversions" to drive sales or leads, or "Maximize clicks" to increase website traffic. Your budget limits total spending while your bidding strategy determines how that budget is allocated to achieve your goals.

Finalize Setup and Launch

After configuring your campaign settings, it's time to complete the final steps to launch your Google Ads account.

Review and edit your campaign

Before going live, carefully examine all campaign elements. When editing ads, remember that saving changes creates a new version that must go through approval again. Consider creating multiple versions simultaneously to test performance, as Google automatically shows better-performing ads more frequently.

Add billing information

Your ads won't run until you've entered valid payment details. Most accounts use automatic payments, where Google charges you after your ads run. When adding a new card, you might notice a temporary pre-authorization hold that will disappear within a week. For immediate ad activation, credit cards are typically processed faster than other payment methods.

Submit for approval

Most ads are reviewed within one business day. During review, your ad status will show "Under review." Once approved, the status changes to "Eligible" and your ads begin running. For time-sensitive campaigns, submit several days in advance.

Link Google Analytics or YouTube

Connect Google Analytics to see the full customer cycle from ad interactions to conversions. This integration allows you to import Analytics goals into Google Ads. Similarly, linking YouTube enables running ads based on video interactions and accessing organic view metrics.

Tips for monitoring performance

Track key metrics like clickthrough rate (CTR), average cost-per-click, and Quality Score. Review campaigns monthly for metrics such as CTR, CPC, CPA, and conversion rate. Make minor weekly adjustments based on performance data.

Next Steps?

Getting started with Google Ads might seem daunting at first, but the potential rewards for your business are substantial. Click here to book your free strategy call — I'll handle the ads so you can grow your business. Whether you're looking to drive sales, generate leads, or build brand awareness, Google Ads provides the tools needed to reach your target audience effectively.