How to Advertise on Google | Step by Step From Zero

This page is written for someone who has never run a Google ad. I walk through the order to follow, why each step matters, and where the most common mistakes happen.

Step 1: Measurement before advertising

The most common mistake starts here: the campaign launches, ads go live, and measurement gets set up weeks later. Whatever was spent during those weeks can’t be evaluated.

Before advertising, decide which action counts as a conversion: a form submission, a phone call, a purchase. Then test that it’s actually being measured. That’s what conversion tracking setup means.

Step 2: Open the account in your own name

Open the account under your own name and email. If you’ll work with an agency or a freelancer, add them as a manager on your account.

This distinction matters a lot later: if the account is yours, parting ways just means removing their access — all historical data stays with you. Accounts opened inside an agency’s own structure can mean losing that history when you leave.

Step 3: Start with Search

Your first campaign should be Search. The reason is intent: the user is already looking for what you offer, and you appear in front of them. This is the traffic most likely to convert.

I don’t recommend starting with Performance Max — with no data yet, you can’t see where it spends. Display and video are for creating demand; you need to serve existing demand first.

Step 4: Start narrow

Start with a small number of clearly-intentioned keywords. Accounts launched with hundreds of keywords scatter their budget and no keyword gathers enough data to learn from.

Likewise, limit geographic targeting to the area you actually serve, and check the default location setting trap — it can show ads to people in other cities who are merely interested in your area.

Step 5: First week is observation, not intervention

The first week is for collecting data. The campaign is in its learning phase, and judging it by that period is misleading.

The one regular task in that week is scanning the search terms report and adding irrelevant searches to the negative list. In a new account that list grows fast.

Want help? We can set it up together, or I can build it and hand it over. First a free 20-30 minute call. You can reach me from the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much budget should I start with?

It depends on what a customer is worth to you. Budget should be at least several times your target cost per conversion so the algorithm can learn. See budget guidance for detail.

How soon will I see results?

The first week collects data, the picture starts to clear after a few weeks, and meaningful optimisation needs a few months of data.

Can I advertise without a website?

Search needs a landing page. If you’re a physical business, Maps ads can run off a Google Business Profile without a site, but measuring results becomes harder.