How to Create a Google Ads Account: A Step-by-Step Guide

Google Ads is one of the most powerful online advertising platforms, enabling businesses to reach a vast audience through paid search results, display ads, and more. Whether you're a small business owner, a digital marketer, or a newbie to online advertising, creating a Google Ads account is your first step toward increasing your online visibility and driving traffic.

In this guide, we will walk you through the standard process of creating a Google Ads account and cover additional scenarios such as creating an account without a campaign, without a phone number, without a payment method, and even without a website.

What is Google Ads?

Before diving into the account creation process, let's quickly go over what Google Ads is. Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) is an online advertising platform that allows businesses to display their ads across Google's vast network, including the search engine, YouTube, and thousands of websites.

With Google Ads, businesses can create highly targeted ads based on keywords, audience demographics, location, and interests. It operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.

Why Do You Need a Google Ads Account?

A Google Ads account provides numerous advantages for businesses:

1. Global Reach: Connect with millions of users globally.
2. Granular Targeting: Fine-tune your ad targeting to reach your ideal audience.
3. Real-Time Data: Track your campaign performance and optimize based on analytics.
4. Cost Control: Set your own budget and adjust as needed.
5. Scalability: Start small and grow your campaigns as your business grows.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Google Ads Account

Creating a Google Ads account is a straightforward process. Here's how to set up your account, step by step.

Step 1: Visit the Google Ads Website

To begin, visit the Google Ads homepage and click on the Start Now button.

Step 2: Sign In with Your Google Account

You’ll need an active Google account to create a Google Ads account. If you have a Gmail account, you can use it to sign in. If you don’t have one, click Create Account to set up a new Google account.

Step 3: Set Up Your First Campaign (or Skip)

After signing in, Google Ads will prompt you to create your first campaign. If you don’t want to create a campaign immediately, don’t worry — you can skip this step.

Click on Create a Campaign without a Goal’s Guidance to proceed without setting up a campaign right away.

How to Create a Google Ads Account Without a Campaign

Some users may want to create a Google Ads account but skip setting up an initial campaign. You can do this if you plan to configure your ads and campaigns later.

1. Skip Campaign Creation: When prompted to set up your first campaign, simply choose Create a Campaign without a Goal’s Guidance. This will allow you to create an account without needing to configure an ad campaign.
2. Complete Basic Information: Proceed with setting up your account by entering the necessary information, such as business details, time zone, and currency.
3. Finalize Account Creation: Once you skip the campaign creation process, you’ll be taken to the Google Ads dashboard. From here, you can add campaigns later when you're ready.

How to Create a Google Ads Account Without a Phone Number

In some cases, you may not want to link a phone number to your Google Ads account. While Google often asks for a phone number to verify your account, you can still create an account without one.

1. Skip Phone Number Verification: During the account creation process, Google may prompt you to verify your phone number. If you'd rather skip this, look for an option that says Verify Later or choose to receive verification via another method (like email).
2. Use Email Verification: Google may verify your account through an email link instead of using a phone number. This option is typically available if you're creating a Google Ads account for the first time.
3. Complete Account Setup: Finish entering your account details and move on to the next steps without needing a phone number linked.

Note: If you run into any issues with verification or want to ensure smooth operation of your account, adding a phone number can help with account recovery and security.

How to Create a Google Ads Account Without a Payment Method

Google Ads typically requires a valid payment method for account creation, as this is an advertising platform. However, if you don't want to input a payment method immediately, you can still create an account.

1. Skip Payment Information: During the account creation process, when prompted to enter billing information, look for an option to Skip or Enter Later. Google Ads allows you to proceed without entering a payment method immediately.
2. Create Account: After skipping the payment setup, you’ll still have access to your Google Ads account. However, you won’t be able to launch paid campaigns until you provide a payment method.
3. Add Payment Details Later: Once you're ready to run your campaigns, you can add your payment information later through the Billing & Payments section of your Google Ads account.

Tip: Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, so having a payment method is necessary once you're ready to run ads.

How to Create a Google Ads Account Without a Website

You don’t necessarily need a website to create a Google Ads account, but you do need a destination URL for your ads. If you don't have a website yet, you can still create a Google Ads account and set up campaigns that link to your social media profiles or landing pages.

1. Choose Alternative Destination URLs: If you don’t have a website, during the ad creation process, you can link to a landing page or even your social media profiles. For example, you can point ads to your Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn profile.
2. Create Google Ads Account: Complete the setup process without needing a website. You can use your social profiles as an alternative destination for your ads.
3. Add Website Later: Once your website is ready, you can add it to your campaigns and start running ads that link directly to your site.

Important: Having a website can enhance the user experience, help build credibility, and lead to better ad performance.

Advantages of Having a Google Ads Account

Now that you understand how to create a Google Ads account under different scenarios, let's recap some of the key advantages:

1. Granular Targeting Capabilities

Google Ads allows you to target users based on location, demographics, interests, and behavior, ensuring that your ads reach the most relevant audience.

2. Cost Control and Flexibility

Google Ads provides full control over your ad budget. You can set a daily or campaign-specific budget and adjust it based on your needs. With the pay-per-click model, you only pay when someone engages with your ad.

3. Comprehensive Performance Tracking

Google Ads offers detailed performance reports, allowing you to track impressions, clicks, conversions, and more. This data helps you optimize your campaigns over time.

4. Global Reach

Whether you are a local business or a global brand, Google Ads gives you access to billions of users worldwide, enabling you to scale your advertising efforts as needed.

5. Ad Customization and Testing

Google Ads allows you to test different ad variations and refine them based on performance, leading to better results over time.

Conclusion

Creating a Google Ads account is the first step toward harnessing the power of online advertising. Whether you're starting with a campaign or not, Google Ads gives you the flexibility to tailor your account setup to your business needs. Additionally, you can create an account without needing a phone number, payment method, or even a website initially.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you will be well on your way to leveraging Google Ads to drive targeted traffic and achieve your business goals. Make sure to continually optimize your ads and track performance for the best results.

Key Takeaways:

• Google Ads provides flexible setup options, including creating an account without a campaign, phone number, or payment method.
• A Google Ads account enables you to reach a targeted audience and scale your advertising efforts.
• Always monitor and optimize your Google Ads campaigns to improve performance and drive more conversions.

Start creating your Google Ads account today and begin driving more traffic and sales for your business!