Google Ads for Small Business: Where to Start and What It Costs

Types of Google Ads campaigns

• Search ads: shown for user search queries — the best starting point for services
• Performance Max: an automated campaign that runs across Search, YouTube, Gmail and other placements
• Display ads: banners on partner websites, suited for brand awareness
• Remarketing: bringing back visitors who have already been on your site

How much advertising costs

There are two parts: the fee for setup and management, and the ad budget you pay directly to Google. Our launch setup starts from $150; the ad budget depends on your niche, region and competition.

For a test, you typically need a few hundred dollars a month to collect enough clicks and understand your cost per lead.

What you need before launch

• A fast website or landing page with a clear call to action
• Google Analytics and conversion tracking set up
• A clear offer: price, benefits, timelines
• A list of keywords and negative keywords

Common mistakes that waste budget

• Ads lead to the homepage instead of a relevant landing page
• No lead tracking, so you cannot tell what works
• Broad keywords without negatives bring irrelevant traffic
• Set and forget: without weekly optimization, results decline
• Expecting sales within days: the system needs time to collect data

How to measure results

The key metric is cost per lead, not cost per click. Compare it with the profit a customer brings: if a customer is worth more than it costs to acquire them, the ads pay off. We send reports with cost per lead and optimization recommendations, and we run campaigns remotely for businesses in any country.