1 Learn the concept
Setting up your account is the first step to launching ad campaigns across Google's search engine and partner sites. A careful setup avoids wasted spend: choose a goal, set a daily budget, pick locations, and make sure you can track results. This lesson shows the steps in order and the settings people most often get wrong.
2 See it in action
- Choose a clear goal, such as calls or form submissions.
- Set location and language to match your customers.
- Set a daily budget you are comfortable testing.
- Install conversion tracking before spending.
Worked example
A location mistake
Mistake: a plumber serving one city forgets to limit locations.
Result: 30 percent of clicks come from outside the service area.
Cost: of $1,000 spent, about $300 is wasted.
Fix: limit to the service area and exclude other regions.
Check: review where clicks come from after the first week.
3 Study an example
Example scenario
A business sets a modest daily budget but forgets to limit locations, and gets clicks from places it does not serve. After correcting the location settings, its cost per lead falls.
4 Apply it and download
- Choose a goal and a budget.
- List your locations.
- Complete the account setup checklist.
Worksheet Account setup checklistOpen, print or save as PDF