Google Ads setup: account, payment and the search ad Pilgud wrote
Google Ads setup step by step: create the account, add a payment method and publish a search ad. Pilgud writes the headlines and keywords.
The short answer
A Google search ad reaches people who are already searching for what you sell. Pilgud writes the headlines, descriptions and keywords. Once your Google Ads account is linked to Pilgud (send us your 10-digit customer ID), Pilgud builds the campaign in it, paused until you approve it – you still need the account and a payment method, which this guide sets up. Until it is linked, the last steps show how to put the ad up yourself.
A Google search ad reaches people who are already searching for what you sell. Pilgud writes the headlines, descriptions and keywords. Once your Google Ads account is linked to Pilgud (send us your 10-digit customer ID), Pilgud builds the campaign in it, paused until you approve it – you still need the account and a payment method, which this guide sets up. Until it is linked, the last steps show how to put the ad up yourself.
Cost: The account is free. You pay for clicks while the ad runs. · Time: 20–30 minutes the first time.
Steps
1. Create the account without a campaign
Go to ads.google.com and start with your Google Account. Google recommends creating the account first and the campaign after – while creating the account you can skip all campaign recommendations. That keeps you out of the simplified "Smart" campaign.
2. Country, time zone and currency
Your billing country decides which payment options you get. Check the time zone and choose euro – Google says time zone and currency are permanent.
3. Add a payment method
Create a payments profile (business name and address), click Add payment method, enter a card and Submit. In some countries, Estonia among them, only postpay is available: Google charges at the start of the month or when spend reaches a threshold, and the threshold rises by itself.
4. Create a Search campaign
In the Campaigns menu: New campaign → a goal (e.g. Leads) → campaign type Search. Set the location (your country or city), language and daily budget.
5. Paste Pilgud's keywords
In the ad group step, paste the keywords copied from Pilgud, one per line. How they are written tells Google how closely to match: plain text is broad match, "quotes" phrase match, [brackets] exact match.
6. Paste the headlines and descriptions
In the ad step, enter your page address (final URL), then Pilgud's headlines (3–15, each up to 30 characters) and descriptions (2–4, up to 90), one per field. Google mixes the best combinations itself.
7. Publish and wait for review
Click Publish. Google reviews the ad – most within one business day. While it does, the status is "Under review", then "Eligible" (running) or "Disapproved".
Watch out
- New campaigns can start running as soon as the payment method is added. If you are not ready, pause the campaign.
- Google does not notify you when the payment threshold rises.
- Results are on the Overview page: clicks, impressions, average cost per click and cost. Counting enquiries also needs conversion tracking.
Stuck?
Email info@pilgud.com – a person answers.
Checked against
- Google: Create a Google Ads account
- Google: About payment settings
- Google: Time zone and currency
- Google: Create a Search campaign
- Google: About responsive search ads
- Google: Add keywords
- Google: About the ad review process
Menu names were checked against the platform's own help on 28.09.2026. Menus move; if yours looks different, look for the same words in the menu.
Written by
Jan Marten Sikkar is a co-founder of Pilgud. He leads strategy and advertising – the offers, the campaigns and the numbers behind them – for Pilgud’s clients and inside Pilgud Agent.
More about the team LinkedIn