Search advertising
Google search ads setup services
A search ads setup service builds a Google Ads campaign ready for you, or an ongoing manager, to run. It is worth paying for when it covers the parts that are easy to skip: testing conversion tracking and consent, structuring campaigns so budgets and results make sense, choosing keywords for intent, adding negatives before launch, writing ads for each group, checking landing pages and leaving clear handover notes. A setup that relies on Google's automatic suggestions without review may launch quickly but often spends on searches the business never wanted.
This guide covers what a setup should include, questions to ask, ownership, warning signs, deliverables and what happens after launch. LetGetGrow sets up and manages Google Ads and LinkedIn Ads, including B2B campaigns, with the scope, management fee and reporting set out in a custom quotation.
Illustrative diagram
- Brief
- Tracking
- Build
- Launch
- Follow-up
What a setup should include
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Conversion tracking test | Results and bidding can be trusted |
| Campaign structure | Budgets and reports make sense |
| Keywords and negatives | Spend goes on relevant searches |
| Responsive search ads | Ads answer each group's searches |
| Landing page check | Clicks have somewhere useful to go |
| Handover notes | Anyone can continue the work |
Reviewing the keyword list
Ask to see the proposed keywords and negatives before launch. You know your services better than anyone, and a quick review catches keywords for work you do not do, areas you do not cover or terms that attract the wrong customers. A provider that will not share the list until after launch removes your chance to prevent waste.
Warning signs
No tracking test
Results may never be measured correctly.
One ad group for everything
Ads cannot match searches.
No negatives at launch
Waste from day one.
Campaign built in their account
You may lose it later.
Ownership
The campaign should be built in your Google Ads account, billed to your payment method, with the provider given user access. If you do not yet have an account, create it yourself and invite the provider, so ownership is clear from the start.
How a setup engagement runs
Brief
Services, areas, values.
Output: Agreed brief
Tracking
Conversions and consent.
Output: Tested set-up
Build
Structure, keywords, ads.
Output: Draft for review
Launch
Approved campaign goes live.
Output: Live campaign
Follow-up
First search terms review.
Output: Early fixes and handover
Example: a setup with a draft review
Illustrative example — not a client case study
Situation: A garden landscaper commissions a search campaign setup.
- The provider shares a draft with keywords for patios, fencing and garden design, and negatives for jobs and DIY.
- The landscaper removes 'artificial grass', which they do not install, and adds two towns they do cover.
- After launch, a first search terms review two weeks later adds further negatives.
What this shows: The campaign reflected what the business actually offered. This example is illustrative.
What you should receive
Before launch
- Tracking test result
- Keyword and negative list for review
At launch
- Campaign in your account
- Budget and bid strategy explained
Afterwards
- First search terms review
- Handover notes
After setup
Campaigns need regular search terms reviews and ad testing. If you will run them yourself, ask for a walkthrough of the account and notes on what to check weekly. If not, agree ongoing management separately.
Fees
Setup is usually a one-off fee. Tracking fixes by a web developer, call tracking tools and ongoing management may be extra. Click spend is paid to Google.
Questions to ask
Ask how the provider will test tracking, how it will structure campaigns for your services and areas, which match types it plans to use and why, whether you can review keywords and negatives before launch, which landing pages each ad group will use, whether the campaign is built in your account and what the handover includes.
Consent
On UK websites, ICO guidance says non-essential tracking needs consent. Google's consent mode passes users' consent status to Google. Ask the provider to confirm how both are handled on your site, and whether your web developer needs to make changes.
Landing page check
A setup provider should say which page each ad group sends people to and flag pages that do not match the searches, load slowly on phones or bury the contact details. Google's advice on landing pages is to give people what they are looking for. Fixing pages may be outside the setup fee, but knowing what to fix is part of it.
What to share
Share your services and those you do not offer, areas covered, what a lead or sale is worth, how enquiries are recorded and your website login arrangements for tracking work.
Questions about Google search ads setup services
What does a search ads setup service include?
Tracking, structure, keywords, negatives, ads, landing page check and handover.
Should we review keywords before launch?
Yes; you know your services best.
Whose account should it be in?
Yours, with the provider as a user.
Is a follow-up included?
Ask; a first search terms review is valuable.
Is ongoing management included?
Usually separate.
What does setup cost?
Usually a one-off fee; clicks are paid to Google.
Request a Custom Quote
Ask about Google search ads setup services
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