Advertising on Google,step by step.
A guide to setting up your first Google ad, based on Google's own documented steps: account, campaign type, keywords, budget and tracking. After launch, you analyse the account in the panel and manage it with rules.
Rather hand the job over? In our Google Ads Management service we run this tool for you; scope and monthly price are published.
Google Ads managementWhat kind of demand Google ads capture
On Google, people search for something: "moving company London", "running shoes price". The demand already exists and your ad shows up in front of that search. On Instagram and Facebook people see ads while scrolling, so the ad itself has to create the demand.
| Topic | Google ads | Instagram and Facebook ads |
|---|---|---|
| What the person is doing | Searching for something | Scrolling a feed |
| Demand | Already there, you capture it | Created by the ad |
| Targeting is based on | Keywords and search terms | Audience, interests and behaviour |
| Ad format | Mostly text; shopping and video too | Mostly image and video |
| Works best for | Searches close to purchase | Awareness and discovery |
Google Ads campaign types and where to start
There is no single "Google ad"; the campaign type decides where and how the ad appears. Google's choose the right campaign type page lists six types.
| Type | Where the ad appears | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Search | Text ads in Google search results | When people already search for your product or service |
| Performance Max | Every Google channel from one campaign | Once tracking works and conversion data has built up |
| Shopping | Product listings on Google | E-commerce with a product catalogue |
| Display | Image ads on websites and apps | Awareness and reminders |
| Video | YouTube and video partners | When you have video that explains the product |
| App | App promotion across many channels | When the goal is mobile app installs |
How to advertise on Google, step by step
- 1Open the account
Enter your business name and website at ads.google.com.
- 2Set up billing
Add country, time zone, account type and payment method.
- 3Set up conversions
Place the tag that measures forms, calls or sales on your site.
- 4Build the campaign
Pick type, location, language, keywords and daily budget.
- 5Write the ad and launch
Enter headlines and descriptions, then start the campaign.
- 1According to Google's create an account page, you can open the account without building a campaign; linking a YouTube channel or Business Profile is optional.
- 2In billing you enter country, time zone, account type (organisation or individual) and payment method; a promo code also goes here.
- 3Conversion measurement looks optional during sign-up. Set it up before the campaign anyway; you cannot bid on a result you do not measure.
- 4When building the campaign, limit location and language to where you actually serve customers.
- 5After launch, avoid changing settings every day; let data build up first.
Keywords, match types and negative keywords
In a Search campaign, the keyword and its match type together decide which searches show your ad. Google's keyword matching options page defines three types.
| Match type | How you write it | Which searches show the ad |
|---|---|---|
| Broad match | tennis shoes | Searches related to the keyword; this is the default |
| Phrase match | "tennis shoes" | Searches that include the meaning of the keyword |
| Exact match | [tennis shoes] | Searches with the same meaning or intent |
Negative keywords keep your ad out of searches you do not want. Google's negative keywords page explains it with the example of blocking searches for a product you do not sell.
- Searches with no intent to pay, such as "free"
- Job seekers: "jobs", "salary", "internship"
- "How to" searches from people who want to do it themselves
- Searches naming a product you do not sell
Writing a responsive search ad
On Search, ad copy is written as a responsive search ad. You enter several headlines and descriptions, and Google combines them to suit each search.
- At least 3 and up to 15 headlines; each headline is up to 30 characters.
- At least 2 and up to 4 descriptions; each description is up to 90 characters.
- The two path fields in the display URL take up to 15 characters each.
- Put the keyword in at least one headline, the offer in another and a call to action in a third.
How the daily budget works
In Google Ads you set an average daily budget. According to Google's average daily budgets page, the monthly limit for most campaigns is 30.4 times that figure.
| Limit | Rule | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly spending limit | Daily budget × 30.4 | Divide your monthly plan by 30.4 to get the daily budget |
| Daily spending limit | Daily budget × 2 | On a busy day Google can spend up to twice the budget |
Rules from Google Ads Help, average daily budgets; they apply to most campaigns.
Set up conversion tracking before launch
Clicks and impressions tell you the ad was seen, not that it worked. Without measuring forms, calls or sales you cannot tell which keyword brings customers.
- 1Start a new conversion action from the Goals menu.
- 2Enter the domain you want to measure; Google scans for existing tags.
- 3Choose the category of the action, such as purchase or lead.
- 4Decide whether to measure with a page load (URL) or with code.
- 5Add the Google tag to your site and confirm it works in the conversion status.
Common mistakes in the first weeks
- Leaving the campaign type on the default instead of matching it to your goal.
- Running broad match without a negative keyword list.
- Targeting the whole country when you only serve one city.
- Judging results by clicks before conversion tracking is in place.
- Changing bids and budgets daily so data never has time to build up.
After launch: managing your Google Ads account from the panel
AgentFabrica does not build Google campaigns from scratch; you set them up with this guide or hand them to our Google Ads management service. Once the account is connected, the panel does the following:
| Task | What the panel does | Who is in control |
|---|---|---|
| Account selection | Several Google Ads accounts can be linked to one brand and analysed together | You choose |
| Campaign analysis | Last 30 days of spend, conversions, impression share and budget-lost share | Read only |
| Search terms | Lists costly searches without conversions as negative keyword candidates | Written to the account only when you approve; brand terms are excluded |
| Tracking audit | Shows which conversions are measured and whether smart bidding is safe | Read only, changes no settings |
| Budget and status | Applies a suggested budget in one click, pauses or starts a campaign | You trigger it |
| Rules | Changes budget or status based on spend, clicks, click-through rate, cost per conversion and ROAS | You set the threshold |
Frequently asked questions
How do you advertise on Google?
Open a Google Ads account, enter billing details and set up conversion tracking. Then choose the campaign type, location, language, keywords and daily budget, write headlines and descriptions, and start the campaign.
How do I open a Google Ads account?
Enter your business name and website at ads.google.com. Linking a YouTube channel or Business Profile is optional. In billing you set country, time zone, account type and payment method. You can open the account without building a campaign.
Which campaign type should I start with?
If people already search for what you sell, start with Search. Shopping comes next if you have a product catalogue, Video if you have video. Performance Max makes more sense once conversion data has built up.
Can Google spend more than my daily budget?
On a single day, yes: Google says daily spend can reach up to twice the average daily budget for most campaigns. Over the month, spend does not exceed 30.4 times the daily budget.
What is a negative keyword?
A keyword that keeps your ad out of searches you do not want, such as "free", "jobs" or the name of a product you do not sell. With broad match you need a negative list from day one.
How many headlines does a responsive search ad take?
At least 3 and up to 15 headlines; at least 2 and up to 4 descriptions. Headlines are limited to 30 characters and descriptions to 90. Google combines them to suit each search.
Can I advertise without conversion tracking?
Technically yes, but you will not see which keyword brings customers, and conversion-based bidding strategies cannot work. That is why tracking should be set up before the campaign.
Will AgentFabrica build my Google Ads campaign?
The panel does not build campaigns from scratch. It analyses your connected account, turns wasteful searches into negative keywords once you approve, applies budget suggestions and manages status with rules. If you want us to do the setup, see our Google Ads management service.
Sources
The official documentation behind the technical points on this page:
- [1]Google Ads Help: Create a Google Ads account
Account setup: business details, optional linking, billing and conversions.
- [2]Google Ads Help: Choose the right campaign type
Definitions of the six campaign types.
- [3]Google Ads Help: About keyword matching options
Definitions and notation of broad, phrase and exact match.
- [4]Google Ads Help: About negative keywords
Keeping ads out of unwanted searches.
- [5]Google Ads Help: About responsive search ads
Number of headlines and descriptions and their character limits.
- [6]Google Ads Help: About average daily budgets
The 30.4× monthly and 2× daily spending limits.
- [7]Google Ads Help: Set up your web conversions
Steps to set up website conversion tracking.
Related pages
- Google Ads managementCampaign setup, search term cleanup and a monthly report from our team.
- Conversion trackingThe setup that shows whether an ad really brings customers.
- Ad automationRules that change budget or campaign status when a threshold is crossed.
- Instagram adsHow to set up a Meta campaign from the panel.
Build the ad, let the panel watch it.
Ad tracking opens on paid plans; you connect your Google and Meta accounts from the panel. The full panel is free with no time limit: brand, accounts, reports. Allowance: 10 captions a month, 2 images a month, 1 videos a month, 1 brand, 1 user.