Ready to start advertising on Google? Creating your Google Ads account is the first step to reaching customers through the biggest search engine in the world. In this guide, I’ll walk you through it all step by step, with some insider tips along the way.
How To Create a Google Ads Account Video Tutorial
Watch this video on YouTube or watch it below.
Getting Started: The Basics
Before you begin, head over to ads.google.com. If you don’t already have a Google account, I recommend creating a Gmail account first – it makes the whole process easier and keeps your advertising separate from your personal accounts.
Google’s Welcome Offers
Here’s something many newbies miss: Google offers big welcome offers for new advertisers. Right now they’re offering three tiers:
- Spend $500 in 60 days, get $500 in ad credits
- Spend $1,500, get matching credits
- Spend $3,000, get matching credits
My advice? Go for the first tier if you’re new to advertising. It’s an achievable spend, and getting $500 in free advertising is a great way to get started.
Creating Your Account: The Right Way
Creating your Google ad account correctly is crucial for your advertising success. Now here’s something important that many tutorials don’t mention: when you click “Start Now” Google will try to push you towards their “free ad setup help”. Here’s a secret from someone in the trenches: don’t do this. While it sounds helpful, these reps will set up campaigns that benefit Google more than your business.
Instead, follow these steps:
- Enter your business name
- Add your website
- Skip the campaign creation process for now
Understanding the Google Ads Manager Account (MCC)
A Google Ads Manager Account (MCC) is a powerful tool designed for agencies and freelancers who manage multiple Google Ads accounts. Think of it as a master account that allows you to oversee all your Google Ads accounts from a single dashboard. This setup makes it easier to track performance, implement changes, and optimize your campaigns efficiently.
With an MCC, you can create new Google Ads accounts, link existing ones, and invite users to access your accounts. This centralized control is particularly beneficial if you’re handling multiple clients or business units. To create a new Google Ads account from your MCC, you need to meet specific requirements, such as having an existing Google Ads account that has spent at least $10,000 in the past 30 days. Once you meet these criteria, creating a new account is straightforward: simply click the plus (+) button on your MCC dashboard, add a name for the account, and choose the appropriate time zone and currency.
Billing Information
The billing setup is easy but important, and you’ll need to enter your payment details. You’ll need to:
- Choose your billing country
- Select your time zone
- Pick your currency
- Create a payment profile (as an organisation or individual)
Here’s something to note about billing: Google uses a threshold system. They’ll charge your card when you hit $500 in spend, or on the first of each month for any balance below that threshold.
Advertiser Verification: A Must Do
This is a new requirement Google has introduced for transparency. When you get to this step, take your time and complete it properly. If you’re an agency make sure to select this during the verification process.
Navigating the Google Ads Interface
The Google Ads interface might seem overwhelming at first glance, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll find it quite intuitive. The interface is divided into several key sections: the navigation menu, the dashboard, and the campaign settings.
The navigation menu, located on the left side of the screen, is your gateway to all the different sections of your Google Ads account. Here, you can access your campaigns, ad groups, keywords, and settings. The dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of your account performance, displaying crucial metrics such as clicks, conversions, and cost.
The campaign settings section is where the magic happens. This is where you set up and optimize your campaigns, including targeting options, ad extensions, and bidding strategies. Mastering the navigation of the Google Ads interface is essential for making the most out of your ads account and ensuring your campaigns are set up for success.
Setting Up Your First Campaign
Setting up your first Google Ads campaign might seem daunting, but it’s more straightforward than you might think. Start by clicking the “Create campaign” button in the navigation menu. You’ll then be prompted to choose your campaign type, such as search, display, or video.
Next, you’ll set up your targeting options. This includes location targeting, language targeting, and audience targeting. Don’t forget to set up your ad extensions, like sitelinks and callouts, which can enhance your ad’s visibility and effectiveness. You’ll also need to choose a bidding strategy that aligns with your campaign goals.
Once your campaign settings are in place, it’s time to create your ad groups and ads. Ad groups help you organize your ads and keywords, while the ads themselves are what users will see. Craft compelling headlines and descriptions, and select relevant images or videos to create visually engaging ads that capture attention.
What Not To Do
A mistake I see many people make is to jump straight into creating campaigns after account setup. Instead do this:
- Set up conversion tracking
- Learn about campaign types
- Research your audience
- Plan your budget
- Plan your ad spend carefully to avoid overspending and ensure a good return on investment
- Optimize your landing pages to make the most out of your PPC campaigns
Pro Tips
From my experience working with businesses on Google Ads here are some key things to remember:
- Keep your account organised from day one
- Don’t rush into creating campaigns
- Take your time to learn the platform
- Watch tutorials and learn from other advertisers
- Start small and scale up as you learn what works
- Link your Google Ads account with Google Analytics to track conversions and optimize performance
- Set up a Google Merchant Center account if you are advertising products to manage your inventory and link it with Google Ads
Reaching Customers Across Devices and Platforms
One of the strengths of Google Ads is its ability to reach customers across multiple devices and platforms, including desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. You can also extend your reach to various platforms like Google Search, Google Display Network, YouTube, and Gmail.
To ensure your campaigns are visible across all these devices and platforms, select the “All devices” option in the campaign settings section. You can then choose the specific platforms you want to target. Additionally, Google Ads offers automated bidding strategies that use machine learning algorithms to analyze your campaign performance and adjust your bids to maximize your ROI. This means your ads will be optimized to perform well, no matter where your audience is viewing them.
By setting up your campaigns to target multiple devices and platforms, you can ensure that your ads reach a broader audience, increasing your chances of driving conversions and achieving your advertising goals.
Next Steps
Now you’ve created your account you can start the real work. Focus on:
- Setting up conversion tracking
- Learning about campaign types
- Understanding targeting options
- Creating your first campaign
- Plan your first ad campaign carefully, considering your advertising goals and target audience.
- Understand the different types of ad campaigns available and choose the one that best fits your goals.
Remember, success with Google Ads isn’t about rushing in – it’s about building a solid foundation and learning over time.
Conclusion
Creating a Google Ads account is just the beginning of your advertising journey. Take your time to learn the platform, understand your options and plan your approach. The time you invest now will pay off later.
Want more? Check out courses or tutorials for more in-depth learning. The platform changes often!
