You want to appear on Google when someone searches for exactly what you offer. It seems simple, but as soon as you open the advertising platform, the options multiply, and so does your uncertainty. Budget, keywords, campaign types, targeting: a single wrong choice can waste an entire month's budget. In this complete guide to advertising on Google, you will understand each decision before making it and publish your first campaign with confidence.
Before configuring anything, it is worth understanding that there are two ways to appear on Google: Business Profile, which is free and supports a local organic presence, and Google Ads, which is paid and puts your ad above organic results within hours. This guide focuses on the paid route, because that is where the potential lies to scale client acquisition with speed and control. The free route matters too, and we will explain when it is enough on its own.
One detail makes all the difference: a Google ad does not work alone. The ad copy and the page where the click leads need to operate as one system. When one part is out of place, the budget drains away. By the end of this guide, you will know how to create and publish your first campaign from scratch, understanding every step.
Business Profile or Google Ads: which path to take
The Business Profile, formerly called Google My Business, is a free organic presence on Google Maps and in local search results. When someone types "dentist near me" or "law firm in Brasília", the profiles appearing in the map block come from this tool, not paid ads. Organic visibility depends on reviews, complete information and local relevance, and it strengthens over time.
Google Ads, on the other hand, appears above organic results and requires payment, usually per click. It is suitable for those who need immediate results, want to control exactly when and to whom an ad appears, or serve a market without enough local demand for organic presence to be sufficient on its own. The two tools do not compete: the Profile sustains organic presence over time, and Google Ads accelerates acquisition now.
The choice depends on two factors: urgency and service model. If your business serves customers in person in a specific region and you have not set up your Profile yet, start there, because it is free and generates consistent results. If you need leads this week, or you serve clients remotely and do not depend on geographic searches, advertising with Google Ads is the right path.
How to advertise on Google: creating your account from scratch
Go to ads.google.com and sign in with an existing Gmail account or create a new one. Google usually leads beginners through an automatic flow with a guided campaign, but this route removes your control over the most important settings. Look for the option to access Expert Mode before publishing anything. When available, the "create an account without a campaign" option is even safer: it lets you configure billing and structure calmly, without pressure to publish.
When setting up billing, pay extra attention to three fields: billing country, time zone and currency. These details are difficult or impossible to change once the account is active. For businesses in Brazil, set Brasília time (GMT minus 3) and BRL as the currency. Add a valid payment method. Google Ads accepts credit cards, debit cards and other methods depending on availability for Brazilian accounts, because the account only starts serving ads after billing is approved.
How to advertise on Google: choosing the campaign type and budget
Google Ads offers four main campaign types: Search, Display, Video and Performance Max. For those starting to advertise on Google, a Search campaign is the safest and most strategic choice. It captures existing demand: the ad appears when someone actively types a term related to what you offer. It is the format with the strongest purchase intent and the greatest control over keywords, message and budget.
Performance Max and Display work better when the account already has conversion history and enough data for the algorithm to learn. Video makes sense for those needing to demonstrate a product or build brand awareness. For independent professionals and service providers such as clinics, law firms and consultants, a Search campaign is the right starting point, with the others coming later.
For the budget, Google lets you set a maximum daily amount. The platform may spend up to twice that amount on high demand days, but respects the monthly total. In Brazil in 2026, competitive niches such as legal services can have an average cost per click ranging from R$ 8 to R$ 25, while healthcare ranges from R$ 3 to R$ 18, and general local services usually fall between R$ 1.50 and R$ 6 per click. These amounts vary by region, competition and seasonality. For beginners, starting with R$ 20 to R$ 30 per day is enough to generate real data without straining cash flow while the campaign is still learning.
How to advertise on Google: keywords and targeting that attract the right customer
Use Google Ads Keyword Planner to check search volume, competition and estimated cost per click before adding any term to the campaign. Prioritize terms with clear purchase intent: "employment lawyer Brasília" converts much more than simply "lawyer", because someone searching that way already knows what they want and where they want it. Organize keywords into coherent thematic groups, one group per service or specific offer.
Match types determine when your ad appears:
- Exact match: greater control; the ad appears only for terms very close to the registered keyword. Ideal for getting started.
- Phrase match: a balance between reach and relevance, useful for the discovery phase when you already have initial data.
- Broad match: use cautiously and always with a robust list of negative keywords, because reach increases but click quality falls.
Create your negative keyword list from day one. Block terms such as "free", "jobs" and "courses", searches that attract clicks with no intention of hiring. Reviewing the search terms report weekly lets you add new relevant terms and block those wasting budget. In practice, advertisers who maintain this habit from the beginning tend to eliminate many irrelevant clicks in the first weeks, reducing cost per result without changing the budget.
Writing the ad and publishing the campaign
A responsive search ad accepts up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, according to current Google Ads specifications. The platform automatically tests combinations and learns which work best. Write the first three headlines as if they would appear together: Headline 1 should include the ad group's main keyword, Headline 2 should communicate a clear benefit or distinguishing feature, and Headline 3 should provide a direct call to action, such as "Book now" or "Request a quote". Each headline has a limit of 30 characters and each description a limit of 90.
In the descriptions, expand on the main benefit and mention a guarantee, deadline or detail that removes a common objection from your audience. The destination URL should lead precisely to the page relevant to the ad, never to a generic website home page. An ad about an employment law consultation needs to lead to a page about that specific service, not the firm's home page.
Before clicking publish, check geographic targeting (only the region the business serves), language, ad schedule, and whether the destination URL works and loads quickly. After publication, ads undergo a Google review that can take from a few hours to one business day. Set up conversion tracking before scaling the campaign: without measuring what generates results, you are flying blind.
The mistake that burns the budget of Google advertisers
A well written ad leading to a slow, generic page or one without a clear call to action loses the conversion before the user has even finished reading. Google Ads Quality Score penalizes ads with irrelevant landing pages or poor experiences: cost per click rises and campaign reach falls. In practice, you pay more to appear less.
Benchmarks widely reported by platforms specializing in Google Ads indicate that Search campaign conversion rates usually range from 2% to 8%, depending on the sector. The landing page is one of the biggest levers in this equation. A page closely aligned with the ad, with fast loading, a coherent message and a clear call to action, can significantly increase the conversion rate without adding a cent to the media budget.
Treating the ad, landing page and visual identity as separate parts is one of the most common mistakes in Google Ads campaigns. When each element is commissioned from a different supplier without integrated planning, results rarely appear. Marketing Sob Medida structures campaigns in an integrated way: paid traffic management, landing page development and brand positioning are planned together from the start. If you want to understand how this applies to your business, speak with our team for a personalized assessment.
Conclusion
Learning how to advertise on Google is, above all, learning to make decisions in a logical sequence: open the account in the correct mode, configure billing without rushing, choose a Search campaign to begin, define keywords with purchase intent, write well structured responsive ads and publish with geographic targeting and conversion tracking active.
Each step has real weight. Advertising on Google without tracking conversions is like investing without seeing the statement. And setting up keywords without negatives is like leaving the tap running. Solid results come when the campaign, landing page and business communication are aligned for the same customer, and each element reinforces the others.
If this guide raised more questions than answers about your digital marketing structure, explore the other articles on the Marketing Sob Medida blog or speak directly with our team. Each project starts with the client's real problem, not a preassembled package.
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