On this page · 16 sections
- The 10-step plan at a glance
- Step 1: Decide what you are paying for
- Step 2: Create your Google Ads account
- Step 3: Get through advertiser verification
- Step 4: Set up conversion tracking with the Google tag and GA4
- Step 5: Choose a campaign type
- Step 6: Choose keywords and match types
- Step 7: Write responsive search ads
- Step 8: Set the budget and bid strategy
- Step 9: Set up India billing, GST and TDS
- Step 10: Review search terms every week
- How Google Ads pricing works
- Policy pitfalls and common fixes
- For IT teams and businesses
- How eCorpIT can help
- References
Summary. To advertise on Google, create a Google Ads account, add billing, set up conversion tracking, then launch one Search campaign with a small average daily budget. There is no fixed price: you choose the budget, each click costs what a live auction sets, and on most campaigns Google may spend up to twice the average daily budget on a busy day but no more than 30.4 times it in a month. In India, Google India Private Limited charges 18% GST (CGST plus SGST for a Haryana bill-to address, IGST elsewhere, 0% for SEZ units), a GSTIN is mandatory for business accounts, and Google gives TDS on ad payments as 2% excluding GST. UPI prepayments run from ₹500 to ₹1,00,000 a day. Verification reviews can take up to 5 business days, and a deadline cannot be extended. On 28 October 2026 Google said it is scaling ads in AI Mode to India, and in February 2027 Dynamic Search Ads move to AI Max while call-only ads stop serving. Our verdict: one Search campaign, phrase and exact match, and conversion tracking from day one.
About this article. For founders and marketers in India setting up Google Ads for the first time. Steps, menu paths, limits, fees and tax rules were checked on 11 November 2026 against Google Ads Help, Advertising Policies Help, Google's blog and the Indian Gazette, following the Google Ads web interface as documented that day; labels can differ by account and country. General information only, not tax or legal advice; Google changes limits often, and no vendor paid for inclusion. Researched with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team.
The 10-step plan at a glance
Sources are in the steps below.
| Step | What you do | Where in Google Ads | Limit or timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pick one goal, offer and landing page | Outside Google Ads | Page must work on phones and desktops |
| 2 | Create the account and payments profile | Google Ads home page, Start now | 3 stages: business, goal and budget, payment |
| 3 | Complete advertiser verification | Account page | Up to 5 business days per review |
| 4 | Set up conversion tracking | Goals, then Summary | GA4 imports appear after 24 to 48 hours |
| 5 | Choose a campaign type | Campaigns, plus icon, New campaign | Search needs at least one conversion goal |
| 6 | Pick keywords and match types | Tools, then Keyword planner | 80 characters and 10 words per keyword |
| 7 | Write responsive search ads | Ads in the new campaign | 3 to 15 headlines, 2 to 4 descriptions |
| 8 | Set budget and bidding | Campaign settings | 2x daily cap, 30.4x monthly cap |
| 9 | Add GSTIN and choose how to pay | Billing, then Settings, India Tax info | 18% GST, 2% TDS |
| 10 | Review search terms weekly | Campaigns, Insights and reports, Search terms | First review after 7 days |
Step 1: Decide what you are paying for
Google Ads charges for clicks, so decide what a click should lead to: a call, a form lead, a store visit or a sale. Pick one landing page that asks for it, the area you serve and a monthly test budget. Local businesses should set up a Google Business Profile first; our guide on adding your business to Google covers that, and the Ads sign-up flow can link the profile.
Step 2: Create your Google Ads account
Google splits sign-up into three stages: business information, campaign goals and budget, then payment details.
- Go to
ads.google.comand select Start now, signed in with a Google Account your business controls, not a freelancer's Gmail.
- Enter your business name and website. Newly created accounts no longer accept URLs in the account name.
- Link your Google Business Profile and YouTube channel if you have them. Google recommends creating the account first; you can skip its campaign suggestions.
- Choose the billing country, which decides payment options and currency, and the time zone, which affects reports and billing.
- Enter any promotional code under Introductory offer. Offers vary by country and date, so trust your sign-up screen.
- Select or create a payments profile. The account type defaults to
Organization; change it toIndividualonly if that is right for tax. Add a payment method and select Submit.
When an Indian card is verified, your bank may show a ₹2.00 temporary authorisation, which is not a charge. Google may also ask for a small prepayment during sign-up; it funds future ads and is fully refundable if you ask or close the account. You must be 18 or older to use Google Ads.
Step 3: Get through advertiser verification
Google says all advertisers will eventually have to verify. You may be selected sooner for financial services, ads on brand-related queries, often-misused features or suspicious activity. You get an in-account notice or email with a deadline, and some ads may be restricted meanwhile.
Tasks range from questions about your organisation to document uploads. A review can take up to 5 business days, rarely up to 30 days when no deadline applies. The deadline cannot be extended, and missing it pauses the account. Verifying voluntarily also unlocks your business name and logo in Search ads.
- Match names everywhere. Google lists a mismatch between the organisation name and your documents as one cause of failed checks. Use the legal name on your incorporation or GST certificate.
- Expect re-verification. Changing the legal name on a billing profile triggers a new verification immediately.
- Never submit false details. Google treats that as circumventing systems and suspends the account.
Your name and location then appear in ad disclosures and the Ads Transparency Center. Any Admin user can complete the verification steps. Financial services advertisers targeting India need a second check: a code from Google's vendor G2RS, submitted on Google's form, with business details that exactly match the regulator's registry.
Step 4: Set up conversion tracking with the Google tag and GA4
Do this first: Google needs at least one conversion goal to create a Search campaign, even without its goal guidance.
- Open Goals, then Summary, and select + Create conversion action.
- Select Edit data sources for website conversions, enter your domain and select Scan to find a Google tag or GA4 property. If none is found, you set up the Google tag at the end.
- Choose a category, such as lead form or purchase.
- To count a thank-you page, choose Automatically without code and a URL rule (URL is, URL contains or URL starts with). For button clicks, purchase values or transaction IDs, choose Manually using code or the Google Tag Manager flow.
- Mark the actions bidding should chase as Primary and the rest as Secondary (observation only). Turn on enhanced conversions only if your consent notice covers it.
To reuse GA4 events, go to Tools, then Data manager, select + Connect Product and choose Google Analytics (GA4) & Firebase. Only GA4 key events can be imported, you need Admin access in Google Ads and Edit access in GA4, and imports can take 24 to 48 hours to appear. Check the Status column on the Summary page and use Google Tag Assistant if a tag is silent. Google warns that double-tagging causes duplicate conversion reporting, so never mark a GA4 import and a Google tag action for the same form both as Primary.
The consent provisions of India's DPDP Act come into force on 13 May 2027, 18 months after the 13 November 2025 notification, and in our reading they reach ad tags; see our guide to DPDP consent for GA4, ad pixels and CRM.
Step 5: Choose a campaign type
Open Campaigns in the Campaigns menu, select the plus icon, then New campaign. For Search, choose Sales, Leads or Website traffic, or Create a campaign without a goal's guidance. Performance Max is offered for Sales, Leads or Local store visits and promotions; the no-guidance route shows every type.
Where each type serves, per Google's help pages:
| Campaign type or feature | Where ads show | What you need first | Beginner verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search | Google Search, plus search partners and Display if ticked | Keywords, text ads, landing page, a conversion goal | Start here |
| AI Max for Search | Same as Search; an optimisation layer, not a campaign type | Budget headroom and working conversion tracking | Test once conversions are steady |
| Performance Max | Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps | Conversion goal, text, image and video assets | Second campaign |
| Demand Gen | YouTube including Shorts, Discover, Gmail, Maps and the Display Network | Image and video assets, audiences | For creating demand |
| Shopping | Search results and the Shopping tab | Merchant Center product data | Retailers |
| App | Search, Play, YouTube, Discover and 3 million+ sites and apps | A published app | App developers |
| Ads in AI Overviews and AI Mode | Inside AI answers, labelled Sponsored | An existing Search, Shopping or Performance Max campaign | Automatic, no opt-out |
Search reaches people already looking for what you sell, needs only text, and reports by keyword. If you tick the Display Network in a Search campaign, its spending setup changes in February 2027, and Google suggests low priority with a 50% budget allocation to keep today's behaviour; see our explainer on the February 2027 Display change.
AI Max for Search is a layer inside a Search campaign that switches on search term matching (broad match plus keywordless), text customisation and final URL expansion, with brand, location and URL controls. Google says it will not be effective on a budget-limited campaign, pinned assets are not used when final URL expansion picks another page, and tracking templates need a working {lpurl} tag. Dynamic Search Ads are upgraded to AI Max automatically from February 2027, so do not start new ones; see our DSA to AI Max migration plan.
Performance Max runs one budget across Google's channels with Smart Bidding and no hard audience targeting. A Search exact match keyword identical to the query takes priority over it; if your exact terms show in Performance Max instead, check for a budget-limited Search campaign, low search volume or disapproved ads.
Demand Gen serves image, video and carousel ads in feeds. Display campaigns are moving into it: a migration tool opened in June 2026, and later new Display campaigns will be created only in Demand Gen. For Target CPA, Google recommends a budget of at least 10 times the target.
Ads in AI Mode and AI Overviews need no setup. Google lists India, English only, through the same auction at no extra charge. Exact and phrase match serve only on clearly commercial queries, while broad match, AI Max and Performance Max can also match exploratory questions. Our AI Mode ads playbook for India covers measurement.
Step 6: Choose keywords and match types
Open Tools, then Keyword planner. Billing details must be complete before keyword ideas work. Use Discover new keywords from words or a website, or Get search volume and forecasts for an existing list. Forecasts refresh daily from the last 7 to 10 days, sensitive categories such as health or finance may return nothing, and each keyword can have up to 80 characters and 10 words.
Google's matching rules are summarised below. The syntax for each type looks like this:
Broad: low carb diet plan
Phrase: "tennis shoes"
Exact: [red shoe]
| Match type | How you enter it | What it can match | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad (default) | The plain keyword | Related searches, even without your words | You run Smart Bidding with conversion data |
| Phrase | Keyword in double quotation marks | Searches that include the keyword's meaning | You want reach with control |
| Exact | Keyword in square brackets | Searches with the same meaning or intent | You want the tightest control |
| Negative | Added as a negative keyword or list | Blocks searches with the term | Always |
Google calls Smart Bidding critical with broad match. For a first campaign, phrase and exact match in tightly themed ad groups give control; add negatives such as free, jobs or course if they do not fit. Your own keywords that match one search do not compete with each other.
Step 7: Write responsive search ads
Each responsive search ad takes 3 to 15 headlines of up to 30 characters, 2 to 4 descriptions of up to 90 characters, and two 15-character path fields. Google mixes them, showing up to 3 headlines at once. Text that must always show, such as a disclaimer, must be pinned to Headline 1, Headline 2 or Description 1. Google suggests at least 2 ads per ad group with Good or Excellent Ad Strength, each with its own final URL. If phone leads matter, add a call asset: call-only ads can no longer be created and stop serving in February 2027.
Step 8: Set the budget and bid strategy
Divide the monthly budget by 30.4 to get the average daily budget. Google may spend more on busy days, but for most campaigns never beyond the daily limit of 2 times the average daily budget or the monthly limit of 30.4 times it.
- Clicks: Maximize Clicks suits new campaigns without conversion data and accepts a campaign-wide maximum CPC; Manual CPC sets bids per ad group or keyword.
- Conversions: Maximize Conversions spends the budget chasing conversions; Target CPA aims for a cost you set.
- Value: Maximize Conversion Value and Target ROAS, once sale values flow in.
- Visibility: Target Impression Share, mainly for brand terms.
A sensible path is Maximize Clicks with a CPC cap for the first weeks, Maximize Conversions once conversions are steady, then Target CPA near your actual cost. Since 17 August 2026, budget-limited campaigns on Target CPA or Target ROAS deliver closer to the stated target, and Google does not change targets for you.
Step 9: Set up India billing, GST and TDS
Google's payment pages list these India options and limits.
| Option | Payment setting | Limits on Google Ads Help | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card | Postpay, or prepay with debit cards only | Postpay runs on an RBI e-mandate and is limited to ₹15,000 | RuPay cards can be added for prepay after sign-up |
| UPI | Prepay | ₹500 minimum, ₹1,00,000 per day maximum | Google Ads Android app only; balance usually updates within 48 hours |
| Net banking | Prepay | ₹500 minimum | INR currency, Indian address and bank account, bank supported by TimesofMoney |
| Monthly invoicing | Credit line | Eligibility set by Google | GSTIN through your account manager or by email |
The ₹15,000 postpay limit comes from Google's still-live notice on the October 2021 RBI card rules. If a card payment fails, use Fix Now in the red alert on the Overview page, or prepay.
GST. Google India Private Limited charges CGST 9% plus SGST 9% when the bill-to address is in Haryana, IGST 18% elsewhere, and 0% for SEZ advertisers. Accounts served by Google Asia Pacific pay 18% unless they give a valid GSTIN. GSTINs are mandatory for business accounts. Add yours under Billing & payments, then Settings, in the India Tax info section of the payments profile. On prepay and postpay, tax is charged once a month, at month end.
- The GSTIN must match the state in the bill-to address, or the invoice is treated as issued to an unregistered customer.
- Google cannot modify or re-issue finalised invoices for tax ID changes, so add the GSTIN before you spend.
- Agency-handled accounts should carry the address and GSTIN of the company that pays.
TDS. Google gives the current rate on advertising payments to Google India as 2% excluding GST, subject to change. Certificates, in Form 131, are due by 15 August, 15 November, 15 February and 15 June, and previous-year certificates are refused after 15 June. Prepay and postpay advertisers email signed certificates to eps-tds@google.com and receive approved amounts as account credit. The next due date is 15 November 2026.
Step 10: Review search terms every week
Open Campaigns, then Search terms under Insights and reports. After the first 7 days, add negatives for irrelevant searches and turn proven ones into exact match keywords. AI Overviews and AI Mode queries are included in aggregate.
How Google Ads pricing works
Each ad location on a search has its own auction. Google names 6 factors: your bid, ad and landing page quality, the expected impact of assets, Ad Rank thresholds, the context of the search (terms, location, device, time) and the competitiveness of the auction.
Your actual CPC is often below your maximum bid: you pay only what is needed to clear the thresholds and beat the Ad Rank directly below you, or the reserve price if nobody is below. Thresholds are typically higher above the results, so top clicks often cost more. You pay above your maximum CPC only with automated bidding, Enhanced CPC or bid adjustments.
Google's simplified example: 5 advertisers have Ad Ranks of 80, 50, 30, 10 and 5. With a threshold of 40 above the results, only 80 and 50 show there; 80 pays just enough to beat 50, and 50 just enough to beat 40. With a threshold of 8 below the results, 30 and 10 show there and 5 does not show.
Quality Score, from 1 to 10 per keyword, sums up expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. It is a diagnostic, not used at auction time, but improving those three things is how a small advertiser wins position without the biggest bid.
Why we quote no average CPC. Prices vary by keyword, city, device, hour and competitor, so use Keyword Planner's estimates for your own keywords.
Worked example: what you can afford per click
Hypothetical inputs, for the arithmetic only. A B2B service firm earns ₹60,000 gross profit per client, 10% of its leads become clients, and it expects 3% of clicks to become leads. Break-even CPC = ₹60,000 × 0.10 × 0.03 = ₹180; to keep half the profit it aims near ₹90.
A ₹45,000 monthly test means ₹45,000 ÷ 30.4 = ₹1,480 a day. Google could spend ₹2,960 (2 × ₹1,480) on one day but no more than ₹44,992 (30.4 × ₹1,480) in the month. At ₹90 a click, ₹45,000 buys 500 clicks, 15 leads at 3% and about 1.5 clients at 10%, so judge month one on cost per lead (₹45,000 ÷ 15 = ₹3,000) and lead quality, not clients. If billed by Google India, 18% GST adds ₹8,100 (invoice ₹53,100), and 2% TDS on the pre-GST amount is ₹900; confirm tax treatment with your adviser.
Policy pitfalls and common fixes
- Misleading claims. Suspected misrepresentation, unreliable claims or an unidentified business can pause the account until you complete verification.
- Financial products. Show the business's physical address and all fees. Personal loans need a repayment period of 61 days or more, a stated maximum APR and a representative total cost. Google warns at least 7 days before suspending for these.
- Sensitive categories. In Demand Gen, ads in sensitive categories are generally limited to YouTube; gambling, alcohol and political content cannot use the Discover exception.
- Brand terms. Running ads on brand-related queries can trigger verification; use brand exclusions in AI Max.
- Destinations. Pages that return an HTTP error to Google's AdsBot crawler, or that AdsBot cannot crawl, are disapproved; add URL exclusions before final URL expansion picks a weak page.
- GST mismatch notice. Make the payments profile address match your GST certificate exactly.
For IT teams and businesses
- Own the account. Keep the account and payments profile under a company-controlled Google Account and give agencies an access level or manager-account link, so history and conversion data stay yours.
- Least privilege. Google offers Email-only, Billing, Read-only, Standard and Admin access, and warns that an account with a single Admin can lose access to its tags if that person becomes unavailable. Grant the lowest level needed, keep a second Admin, review users quarterly and require 2-Step Verification.
- One tagging path. Deploy the Google tag through Tag Manager or site code, not both.
- Consent. Offline conversion imports and customer lists are personal data; upload only contacts whose consent covers it.
- Finance. Lock the legal name and GSTIN on the payments profile and diarise the four TDS dates.
How eCorpIT can help
eCorpIT is a Gurugram-based technology organisation, founded in 2021, assessed at CMMI Level 5 and MSME certified, with senior-led engineering teams working across AWS, Microsoft and Google platforms. Our performance marketing team sets up and audits Google Ads accounts, covering ownership and access, conversion tracking, Search campaign structure and India billing. Talk to us at /contact-us/.
Last updated: 11 November 2026.
