How to Create a Google Ads Account in 2025 (+ Launch Your First Ads Campaign)

Looking to grow your customer base and traffic with paid ads? Google Ads (formerly known as Google Adwords) is one of the best tools for getting started. With over 8.5 billion searches happening every day, Google is basically unbeatable in terms of reach. 🤯

Creating a Google Ads account and setting up an ads campaign used to be separate things. It’s now grouped together as part of new account creation. This means that as you create your account, you’ll also be launching your first Google Ads campaign.

There are two ways to get started:

1. Standard account creation (via the Google Ads website): Perfect for entrepreneurs, business owners, new freelancers, or marketing agencies who want to run ads for their businesses or clients. 
2. Using a Manager Account (MCC): A separate Google Ads account usually used by experienced freelancers or agencies managing multiple Google Ads accounts.

Don’t worry if you’re totally new to this because we’ll show you exactly how to create a Google Ads account. Agencies and marketing professionals who manage multiple clients and campaigns will find the Manager Account more suited for their needs, and we’ll explain how those work further down.

TIP: Jump directly to Create a Google Ads account from MCC if you’re an agency or freelancer with a Google Ads Manager Account.

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Why create a Google Ads account?

No other ad network has the same reach as Google Ads. Google collectively handles over 92% of global searches, making it the place for advertisers to be.

That doesn’t mean it's easy to succeed—you still have to put in the work to make your ads stand out and be effective. In competitive and crowded markets, a smart and effective ad strategy can place you ahead of your closest direct competitors.

Whether you’re looking to drive targeted traffic to your website, generate leads, promote specific products and services, or reach potential customers, you can do all these with Google Ads:

‍Reach the people who want to buy from you

Google Ads shows your ads to the right people at the right time with targeting options and features such as:

• Keyword match types: Match your ads to the words people search for when they’re looking for your product or service.
• Location targeting: Show your ads to people in specific areas, whether that’s your city, country, or even just a neighborhood. You could also exclude locations if you are a local business.
• Audience segments: Reach people based on their interests, demographics, or even past online behavior.

‍Set your ad budget

Worried about overspending? You can set monthly, daily, and per-click budgets and adjust them at any time. Your ads will simply stop running once it crosses the set maximum ad spend.

‍See what’s working (and what’s not!)

There is no need to wonder if your ads worked or not. Everything can be tracked—click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, cost per click (CPC), and Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)—to understand how your ads are performing.

The platform offers detailed audience insights to help you make better data-driven decisions and increase your return on investment (ROI). 

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Where do your Google Ads appear?

Google Ads isn’t just about appearing higher on Google Search results! Here’s where you can advertise with a Google Ads account:

1. Google Search: The first several results are paid ads, as well as the last results at the bottom of the first page. Search ads are great because they allow you to advertise on a very specific search intent related to your business.

2. Google Display Network (GDN): You can reach customers on millions of websites, apps, and Google-owned properties (YouTube and Gmail) with visually engaging ads.

With options like audience targeting (based on interests or demographics), contextual targeting (matching keywords or topics), and placement targeting (specific websites or apps), you can show your ads to the right people based on the data that Google has collected about them.

3. YouTube: With video ads, you can reach your prospective customers on YouTube, whether they’re watching tutorials, product reviews, or entertainment. You may have noticed unskippable ads while trying to watch a video, but there are also skippable and bumper ad formats. Because you’ve already captured their attention, video ads can be a cost-effective option with high levels of engagement. 

4. Gmail: You can run ads that show up as promotional emails based on what emails people usually receive. It’s a clever way to engage your audience in a personal space!

Now that you have a basic understanding of Google Ads, we’ll walk you through creating your Ads account and first campaign.

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How to Create a Google Ads account

Step 1. Navigate to Ads.Google.com and click one of the blue ‘Start now’ buttons to begin. 

‍Step 2. Click on ‘Create new campaign’. 

Fill in your business name, then choose the action you want users to take when they click your ad (e.g., visit your website, call your business). Depending on what you select, you’d be asked to fill in a URL (of the landing page or website), a phone number, or an app download link.

💡Pro Tip: Send visitors to a landing page designed for conversions to make the best out of your ads—don’t just link to your homepage!

‍Step 3.  You’ll be prompted to link any existing accounts, like your YouTube channel or Google Business Profile. This is an optional step.

Linking these accounts can speed up the setup process by allowing Google to generate helpful keyword and heading suggestions for your campaign.

Step 4. Now, choose your main advertising goal. It could be more online sales and leads, more calls, or driving visits to your shop or a YouTube channel. Click ‘Next’.

Step 5. If you don’t already have Google Analytics connected to your site, you’ll be given the option to set it up now. If you’re not ready to, click ‘Skip for now’ and move on to the next step.

‍Step 6. Choose what you want your campaign to deliver. 

You’ll be asked to pick what action you want your customers to take. There will be two main categories:

• Lead capture: Perfect if you’re focused on capturing customer details or generating inquiries.
• Sales goals: Great for businesses that want to drive purchases or transactions.

Google will recommend the best option based on your website and goals. 

Google Ads uses Smart Campaigns (a free, AI-powered feature) in some of the options to optimize your campaign for your chosen goal. It basically means Google automatically handles things like bidding, targeting, and ad placement.

Google often guides new users toward setting up a Smart Campaign as the easiest option.

Once you’ve made your choice, Google’s Smart Campaign tools will track how often customers complete the action and automatically adjust your campaign to get the best results.

Learn more about Smart Campaigns here. 

Step 7. We’re more than halfway done! It's time to design your ad.

Add headings, descriptions, and a call-to-action (CTA). If you provided your website URL earlier, Google will suggest keywords and headings to help.

But here’s the catch: you’ll need to complete this step all at once—there’s no option to save and return later.

If you don’t have your ad copy ready, jot down some quick ideas or use Google’s suggestions as a starting point. You can always tweak your ads later after you’ve launched your campaign.

NOTE: The third headline might not show on all devices, so concentrate your most important intel on the first two. 

Next, you’ll need to add images or visuals. Google may automatically pull suggestions (like logos or photos) from your website.

Step 8. Choose 5 to 20 keywords to match your ad with relevant search terms. These keywords help connect your ad to what people are actively searching for. 

Google’s smart keyword suggestions are just that—suggestions. Picking keywords that are specific and relevant to your business will lead to higher ROAS. 

🚦 Feeling stuck? Don’t worry!

If this feels like a lot, just start small—pick 5 keywords that make the most sense for your business and move on. 

You’re not locked into these choices forever; you can always come back later and adjust or add more as you analyze your campaign performance.

‍Step 9. Decide where you want your ad to appear. You can target an address near you or specific zip codes, cities, and regions.

Your ad will be shown to people who meet your geo-targeting criteria in the selected area(s).

💡Tip: Be strategic about your location targeting. For example, if you’re a local business, focus on areas close to you to maximize relevance. If you’re an online business, think about where your ideal customers are most likely to be.

Step 10. Enter your daily budget and the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for a click (also known as the maximum cost-per-click bid). 

Start small. A daily budget of $10-$20 is a great place to begin, and here’s the good news: you can change your budget anytime from the Campaigns page. This means you’re not locked into your choices and can adjust as your campaign evolves.

Tip: If you’re just completing the setup and aren’t ready to run ads, you should still enter a budget to finish the process. Your ads must go through Google’s review process before they are approved to show online. This usually takes about 24 hours (though it can sometimes take longer), so your ad won’t go live immediately. 

And don’t worry—after your ad goes live, you won’t be charged until someone clicks on it, and your total spend will never exceed your stated budget. 

Click ‘Next’.

Step 11. Review your campaign and make any necessary edits.

Step 12. Add your billing information to activate your account. 

Under the Payments profile section:

• Choose “Individual” if you’re paying for your own business or will handle the billing directly.
• Choose “Organization” if you’re paying on behalf of a business.

Google will automatically create a payments profile the first time you enter payment details. This profile stores your billing information for future use, which makes it easier to manage payments for other Google services.

‍Step 13. Once everything is set up, click ‘Submit’ to activate your Google Ads account and launch your campaign. That’s it—hang on for a day (or two) while it gets approved!

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Agencies: Creating a Google Ads account from your Manager Account (MCC)

A Manager Account (MCC) is a single dashboard for agencies and freelancers to manage multiple Google Ads accounts and campaigns in one place. 

Instead of juggling multiple logins, you can manage all your clients’ accounts, billing, and reporting there. It’s especially handy for agencies and freelancers who need to switch between campaigns or handle admin tasks like inviting users or linking other tools.

Creating new Google Ads accounts directly from a Manager Account isn’t an option available to everyone. To unlock this feature, your Manager Account must link to an existing Google Ads account that:

• Has spent at least $1,000.
• Has a history of following Google’s advertising policies.

Once this requirement is met, you can create new accounts within a day.

If you don’t meet the spending requirements now, you can still create Google Ads accounts the usual way (see above),  then link them to your Manager Account another time.

Here’s how you can create a new Ads account through your MCC:

Step 1. Head to your Google Ads Manager Account dashboard. If you’re not sure where to start, log in here.

‍Step 2. Once you’re in, go to the Accounts tab. You’ll see a plus (+) button—click it and select ‘Create new account.’

‍Step 3. Add a name for the account (e.g., your client’s business name), then choose the time zone and currency.

💡Tip: Double-check these settings! Time zones and currency can’t be changed later, so make sure they match your client’s or project needs.

‍Step 4. Your Manager Account will automatically become the admin owner of the new account.

What does this mean? You’ll have full control to manage users, accept new manager invitations, and handle other admin tasks.

‍Step 5. The new account won’t have any users attached yet. If your client or a team member needs access, you’ll need to invite them manually.

💡Tip: To do this, go to the account settings and add them as an Admin or another role.

‍Step 6. Once created, the account is ready to go! You can set up campaigns, link tools like Google Analytics or YouTube, and start running ads.

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5 do's and don'ts for your first ad campaign

We've asked our very own Google Ads expert Patrick, CEO of Singularity Digital, for what pitfalls to avoid and what crucial things to do when starting out with Google Ads. Here you go!

✅ Do

1. Write as many headlines and descriptions as possible: You want to have tons of copy to choose from, and you'll refine your wording as you go. Forcing yourself to come up with new word combos and themes for your ads can make them truly stand out.
   
   
2. Take time to understand the market and your competitors’ unique selling points: Research may seem like a slog, but it proves invaluable in the long run.
   
   
3. Take risks in your ad copy: When you're writing out different headlines and descriptions, experiment and see what you can do differently. What will make your ads stand out?
   
   
4. Interview your customers and target market: Set up calls or Q&As with your ideal market and get feedback from them about what would engage them in an ad.
   
   
5. Set up display remarketing and RLSA campaigns: Low-cost ongoing campaigns will assist your bottom line. 

❌ Don't 

1. Have a wide target audience: Even if you serve all the US states or the whole world, you won't make your mark if you're too generalized. Focus your budget on a specific sector you can expand over time.
   
   
2. Make assumptions about what will and won't work: No matter how well you think you know your customer base, there's always more to learn. Take industry advice to heart, communicate with your customers, and learn from your competitors and critics. Feedback is essential to growth.
   
   
3. Only run one ad at a time: If you run several, you can see what works best. Not everything will hit. Try out different themes, copy, or styles. Just one ad limits how much you'll learn.
   
   
4. Set up an ad without setting up conversion: It can be tempting to hit the ground running, but if there's no conversion set up, your ads won't help you in the long run. Even better, set up a revenue stream from the get-go.
   
   
5. Skirt the rules: We all know Google has policies for everything, and some aren't our favorites. But ads isn't a time to go off book. You don't want your account canceled before you've even gotten started—the Google policy team is notoriously unforgiving!  

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What's next after creating a Google Ad account?

Working with an agency or freelance marketers to manage your ads? You’ll need to give them access to your Google Ads account so they can create and optimize campaigns on your behalf.

However, things get a bit more complicated if your agency needs access to multiple marketing tools, such as your Google Ads account, Google Analytics, Search Console, Google Business Profile, and more.

What if you can do this in a few clicks? We created Leadsie to make giving and getting access to marketing and social media accounts easy as pie 🥧

Your agency can send one simple link to request access to multiple accounts at once (it works with over 13 platforms, including Meta, Google, and TikTok).

You just need to click the link, review the requests, and approve them—no need to navigate multiple settings or find account IDs. Simple! 🙌

‍Why not show this to your agency? Here’s how it works:

Agencies: Are you looking for a hassle-free way to onboard clients and manage ad account access? Start your free 14-day trial with Leadsie—just enter your email below!👇

Do you have any questions about creating your Google Ads account? Tweet us @leadsie.