Getting your Google Ads account set up correctly from the start is one of the most important things you can do. A badly configured account leads to wasted budget, poor data, and months of frustration trying to fix problems that should never have existed. This guide walks through every step of setting up a Google Ads account properly in 2026 - the way Ben sets up accounts for his clients.
Whether you are starting from scratch or creating a new account for a business that has never advertised on Google before, this guide covers everything you need to know. No fluff, no theory - just the exact steps to follow.
What you need before you start
Before you create your Google Ads account, make sure you have the following ready:
- A Google account (Gmail): You need a Google account to create a Google Ads account. If you are setting this up for a business, Ben recommends using a dedicated business Gmail address (e.g. ads@yourbusiness.com) rather than a personal email. This keeps your advertising separate from personal accounts and makes it easier to share access later.
- Your website URL: Google will ask for this during setup. Make sure your website is live and working before you start.
- A payment method: You will need a credit or debit card, or a bank account for direct debit. Google Ads operates on a post-pay model for most accounts - you accrue costs and Google charges you when you hit a billing threshold or at the end of the month.
- Your business information: Legal business name, address, and time zone. Get the time zone right - it affects when your daily budgets reset and cannot be changed after account creation.
Creating your Google Ads account
Go to ads.google.com and click "Start now." Sign in with the Google account you want to use for advertising.
Google will immediately try to push you into creating a Smart Campaign. This is the simplified, automated campaign type that Google promotes heavily because it requires minimal input from you. Do not do this. Smart Campaigns give you almost no control over targeting, bidding, or keywords. They are designed for convenience, not performance.
How to skip the Smart Campaign setup
This is the step most guides miss, and it is critical. When Google presents the Smart Campaign wizard, look for the option that says "Switch to Expert Mode" - it is usually a small text link below the main call-to-action buttons.
Click "Switch to Expert Mode." This takes you to the full Google Ads interface where you have complete control over your campaigns. Here is what to do next:
- Google will ask you to choose a campaign goal (Sales, Leads, Website traffic, etc.). Instead of selecting one, click "Create an account without a campaign" at the bottom of the page.
- Confirm your business information - country, time zone, and currency.
- Click "Submit."
Important: The time zone and currency you select here are permanent. They cannot be changed after account creation. If you are a UK business, select "(GMT) United Kingdom" and "GBP - British Pound (£)." Double-check before submitting.
Setting up billing correctly
Once your account is created, you need to set up billing before you can run any ads. Navigate to the billing section by clicking the tools icon (spanner) in the top menu, then selecting "Billing" under "Setup."
Choose your billing country and currency
This should match what you selected during account creation. Confirm your country as "United Kingdom" (or wherever your business is registered) and your currency as GBP.
Add a payment method
Enter your credit card, debit card, or bank details. Ben recommends using a dedicated business card for advertising spend - it makes accounting cleaner and keeps ad costs separate from other business expenses.
Understand how Google billing works
Google Ads uses automatic payments by default. This means:
- You accrue advertising costs as your ads run
- Google charges your payment method when you reach your billing threshold (starts at £50, increases over time)
- Any remaining balance is charged on the first of each month
- You can set a monthly spend limit in account settings as a safety net
Setting a monthly spend limit is strongly recommended, especially when starting out. It prevents unexpected charges if something goes wrong with your campaign settings.
Essential account settings to configure
Before creating any campaigns, there are several account-level settings you should configure. These affect every campaign in your account.
Auto-tagging
Go to Account Settings and make sure "Auto-tagging" is turned on. This automatically adds tracking parameters (gclid) to your ad URLs, which is essential for Google Analytics to correctly attribute conversions to your ads. Without this, your analytics data will be inaccurate.
Linked accounts
Link your Google Ads account to the following (where applicable):
- Google Analytics 4: Essential for understanding what users do after clicking your ads. Go to Tools > Linked accounts > Google Analytics (GA4) and follow the linking process.
- Google Search Console: Shows you organic search data alongside your paid data, helping you identify keyword opportunities.
- Google Merchant Centre: Required if you plan to run Google Shopping campaigns. You must link your Merchant Centre account to your Google Ads account before creating Shopping or Performance Max campaigns.
- YouTube: Link your YouTube channel if you plan to run video campaigns or want to use YouTube viewers as an audience for remarketing.
Conversion tracking setup
This is arguably the most important part of account setup. Without proper conversion tracking, you are flying blind - you will know how much you are spending but not what you are getting in return.
Setting up conversion tracking
Conversion tracking tells Google Ads when someone who clicked your ad takes a valuable action - submitting a form, making a purchase, calling your business, or downloading a document.
Types of conversions to track
Depending on your business type, you should track some or all of the following:
- Form submissions: Contact forms, enquiry forms, quote requests
- Phone calls: Calls from your website, calls from ad extensions, calls lasting longer than a specified duration
- Purchases: E-commerce transactions with revenue values
- Key page views: Thank you pages, booking confirmation pages
- Chat interactions: Live chat initiations or completed conversations
How to set up conversion tracking
The recommended method is using Google Tag Manager (GTM). Here is the process:
- Create a conversion action in Google Ads: Go to Tools > Conversions > New conversion action
- Select the type (Website, Phone calls, App, or Import)
- For website conversions, choose "Use Google Tag Manager"
- Copy the Conversion ID and Conversion Label
- In Google Tag Manager, create a new tag using the "Google Ads Conversion Tracking" template
- Paste in the Conversion ID and Label
- Set the trigger to fire on your conversion event (e.g., form submission, purchase confirmation page)
- Publish your GTM container
Ben recommends setting up Enhanced Conversions at this stage too. Enhanced Conversions use hashed first-party data (email addresses, phone numbers) to improve conversion measurement accuracy, especially as third-party cookies become less reliable.
Testing your conversion tracking
After setup, use the Google Tag Assistant (available as a Chrome extension) to verify your tags are firing correctly. Submit a test form or make a test purchase and check that the conversion appears in your Google Ads account within a few hours. Do not launch campaigns until you have confirmed tracking is working.
Building your first campaign properly
With your account configured and tracking in place, you are ready to build your first campaign. Here is how to do it properly.
Choose the right campaign type
For most businesses starting out, Ben recommends beginning with a Search campaign. Search campaigns show text ads to people actively searching for what you offer on Google. They are the most direct, highest-intent campaign type available.
Other campaign types to consider later:
- Shopping campaigns: For e-commerce businesses selling physical products
- Performance Max: AI-driven campaigns across all Google channels (best used once you have conversion data)
- Display campaigns: Banner ads across websites for remarketing and brand awareness
- YouTube campaigns: Video ads for brand building and audience engagement
Campaign settings checklist
When creating your Search campaign, configure these settings carefully:
- Campaign name: Use a clear naming convention (e.g., "Search | Core Services | UK")
- Networks: Uncheck "Include Google search partners" and "Include Google Display Network." These expand reach but dilute performance. Keep your Search campaign focused on Google Search only.
- Locations: Target only the areas you serve. See Ben's guide on setting up location targeting for detailed instructions.
- Location options: Change from "Presence or interest" to "Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations." This prevents your ads showing to people who are merely interested in your area but not actually there.
- Language: Select the language your customers speak (typically English for UK businesses).
- Bidding: Start with "Maximise Clicks" with a maximum CPC bid limit while your account gathers data. Switch to a conversion-based strategy (Maximise Conversions or Target CPA) once you have 30+ conversions per month.
- Budget: Set a daily budget. Remember, your daily budget x 30.4 = your approximate monthly spend. Google can spend up to 2x your daily budget on any given day but will not exceed your monthly total.
Keyword research and ad group structure
Group your keywords into tightly themed ad groups. Each ad group should contain keywords that share the same intent and can be served by the same ad copy. For example:
- Ad Group: "Emergency Plumber" - Keywords: emergency plumber york, emergency plumber near me, 24 hour plumber york
- Ad Group: "Boiler Repair" - Keywords: boiler repair york, boiler breakdown repair, fix broken boiler york
Ben recommends starting with phrase match and exact match keywords. Avoid broad match until you have enough conversion data for Smart Bidding to work effectively.
Writing your first ads
Google Ads now uses Responsive Search Ads (RSAs). You provide up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, and Google tests combinations to find what works best. Here are Ben's rules for writing effective RSAs:
- Include your primary keyword in at least 3 headlines
- Include a clear call-to-action (Get a Quote, Book Now, Call Today)
- Highlight your strongest USP (Free Estimates, Same-Day Service, 5-Star Reviews)
- Add numbers where possible (10+ Years Experience, 500+ Happy Customers)
- Use all available ad extensions: sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, call extensions, and location extensions
Negative keywords
Before launching, add a negative keyword list to prevent your ads showing for irrelevant searches. Common negatives include:
- free, cheap, DIY, how to, jobs, careers, salary, training, course
- Competitor brand names (unless you intentionally want to bid on them)
- Locations you do not serve
Review your search terms report weekly after launch and add new negatives as irrelevant queries appear.
Common Google Ads account setup mistakes
After auditing hundreds of accounts, Ben sees the same setup mistakes repeatedly. Here are the ones that cost businesses the most money:
1. Leaving Search Partners and Display Network on
By default, Google enables Search Partners and the Display Network in new Search campaigns. This means your search ads appear on non-Google websites and partner sites where click quality is significantly lower. Always uncheck these options for Search campaigns.
2. Using the wrong location targeting setting
The default location setting is "Presence or interest," which shows your ads to anyone who has shown interest in your target area - even if they are on the other side of the country. Change this to "Presence only" to ensure your ads only reach people physically in your target locations.
3. Not setting up conversion tracking before launching
Running ads without conversion tracking is like driving with your eyes closed. You will spend money but have no idea what is working. Always set up and test conversion tracking before your first campaign goes live.
4. Using Smart Campaigns instead of Expert Mode
Smart Campaigns remove almost all control over targeting, keywords, and bidding. They are designed for ease of use, not performance. Always use Expert Mode.
5. Setting the wrong time zone or currency
These cannot be changed after account creation. If you get them wrong, you will need to create a new account entirely. Double-check before submitting.
6. Not linking Google Analytics
Without the GA4 link, you lose visibility into what users do after clicking your ads. You need this data to optimise landing pages, understand user behaviour, and make informed decisions about keyword and audience targeting.
7. Starting with automated bidding strategies
Automated strategies like Target CPA and Target ROAS need historical conversion data to work properly. Starting with these on a brand new account means the algorithm has nothing to learn from. Begin with Manual CPC or Maximise Clicks (with a bid cap) and switch to automated bidding once you have at least 30 conversions per month.
Next steps after setting up your account
Once your account is set up and your first campaign is live, here is what to focus on in the first 30 days:
- Check search terms daily: Review the search terms report every day for the first two weeks. Add negative keywords aggressively to eliminate wasted spend.
- Monitor conversion tracking: Verify that conversions are being recorded correctly. If you are getting clicks but zero conversions after a week, there may be a tracking issue.
- Review ad performance: After 1,000+ impressions, check which headlines and descriptions are performing best. Pause underperformers and test new variations.
- Adjust bids and budgets: If certain keywords are converting well, consider increasing bids. If others are burning budget with no results, reduce bids or pause them.
- Set up remarketing: Create a remarketing audience in Google Ads to re-engage visitors who did not convert on their first visit. This is one of the highest-ROI tactics in Google Ads.
Setting up a Google Ads account properly is the foundation of everything that follows. Skip these steps or get them wrong, and you will spend months trying to fix problems that should never have existed.
If you want Ben to review your account setup or build your campaigns from scratch, request a free 90-Day Growth Plan and he will personally assess your situation and show you exactly what your ads should be generating.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a website to set up a Google Ads account?
Yes, you need a live website URL to create a Google Ads account. Google requires a destination URL for your ads. The website should be functional and relevant to what you plan to advertise.
Can I change my Google Ads account currency after setup?
No. The currency and time zone you select during account creation are permanent and cannot be changed. If you make a mistake, you will need to create a new account.
Should I use Smart Campaigns or Expert Mode?
Always use Expert Mode. Smart Campaigns remove almost all control over targeting, keywords, and bidding. They are designed for convenience, not performance. Expert Mode gives you the control needed to optimise campaigns properly.
How much does it cost to set up a Google Ads account?
Creating a Google Ads account is free. You only pay when someone clicks on your ads. There is no setup fee from Google. However, you will need to add a payment method before your ads can run.
What is the first thing I should do after creating my Google Ads account?
Set up conversion tracking. Without it, you have no way of knowing which clicks are generating leads or sales. This should be configured and tested before you launch any campaigns.
