Getting Started with Google Ads
A complete beginner guide to setting up your first Google Ads campaign
What is Google Ads?
Google Ads is an online advertising platform developed by Google, where advertisers bid to display brief advertisements, service offerings, product listings, or videos to web users. It can place ads both in the results of search engines like Google Search (the Google Search Network) and on non-search websites, mobile apps, and videos (the Google Display Network).
Setting Up Your Account
To get started, you'll need a Google account. Visit ads.google.com and click "Start now." You'll be guided through the initial setup process where you'll set your advertising goal, business information, and payment method. Don't worry about getting everything perfect - you can always adjust your settings later.
Creating Your First Campaign
Choose a campaign type based on your goals: Search campaigns for text ads on Google search results, Display campaigns for visual ads across websites, Shopping campaigns for e-commerce, or Video campaigns for YouTube. For beginners, we recommend starting with a Search campaign as it's the most straightforward and delivers high-intent traffic.
Understanding Keywords
Keywords are the foundation of Google Ads. These are the search terms that trigger your ads to appear. Use Google's Keyword Planner to research relevant keywords for your business. Focus on specific, long-tail keywords initially as they tend to have lower competition and cost.
Setting Your Budget
Start with a daily budget you're comfortable with - even $10-20 per day can be effective when starting out. Google Ads uses an auction system, so you'll set maximum bids for how much you're willing to pay per click. Monitor your campaigns closely in the first few weeks and adjust based on performance.
Key Takeaways
- •Start with Search campaigns for high-intent traffic
- •Use specific, long-tail keywords to reduce costs
- •Begin with a modest daily budget and scale based on results
- •Monitor performance metrics like CTR and conversion rate
- •Test multiple ad variations to find what works best