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Advertising on Google, explained.

Search, Performance Max, YouTube and Shopping: how Google Ads works, how advertiser verification and policy review run, and how a managed account works under our manager account.

Search · 5 min read · Last reviewed October 19, 2026

On this page9 sections
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Ad formats
  3. 03Setup with Krög
  4. 04Verification
  5. 05Policy essentials
  6. 06Launch checklist
  7. 07Common mistakes
  8. 08FAQ
  9. 09Keep learning

01  Overview

Google Ads in brief.

Google Ads places ads where people search, watch and browse across Google's properties and partner sites. Search campaigns show text ads for the keywords you bid on, at the moment someone types a related query. Performance Max runs one campaign across all of Google's inventory from a single set of assets, and Demand Gen and video campaigns reach people on YouTube, Discover and Gmail.

The core skill is matching intent: choosing the searches worth paying for, writing ads that answer them, and sending the click to a page that delivers what the ad promised. Automated bidding now does most of the bid math, so clean conversion tracking matters more than manual bid changes.

A good fit

  • Products and services people already look for by name or by problem
  • Local and B2B services where a single lead is worth a lot
  • Online stores with a product feed for Shopping and Performance Max
  • Brands that want YouTube video alongside search

Think twice if

  • Hardly anyone searches for your category yet; you'll need to create demand first, often on social or video
  • Your category needs a Google certification (for example gambling, some healthcare or financial services) and you don't have it
  • Your conversion tracking isn't in place; automated bidding depends on it

02  Ad formats

Formats worth knowing.

The Google Ads formats and options most advertisers start with. Names and availability change by market and account, so check what your account offers.

  • 01

    Search ads

    Responsive text ads with several headlines and descriptions that Google combines for each query, shown above and below search results.

  • 02

    Performance Max

    One goal-based campaign across Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps, built from your assets, audience signals and, for retailers, a product feed.

  • 03

    Shopping ads

    Product listings with an image, price and store name, fed from Google Merchant Center.

  • 04

    Demand Gen

    Image and video ads for YouTube (including Shorts), Discover and Gmail, built to create demand rather than capture it.

  • 05

    Video ads

    YouTube ads in skippable, non-skippable and bumper formats, bought for reach, views or conversions.

  • 06

    Display ads

    Responsive image ads across a large network of partner websites and apps.

03  Setup with Krög

How setup works with Krög.

We open and support the Google Ads account for your verified business. You keep control of campaigns, creative and budget.

  1. Choose the service

    Pick the Google Ads service that fits below, or request access and tell us your platforms, website and monthly budget.

  2. Verify your business

    We check your company, your website and the business details Google will see. Legal name, address and domain must match across your documents.

  3. Get the terms in writing

    Your fee tier, what's included and the timeline arrive in writing. The exact rate is confirmed before you pay.

  4. Account set up for your business

    The Google Ads account is created for your verified business and linked to our agency manager account (MCC). You receive an invitation and work in it with your own Google account. Usually ready within 48 hours of your business verification.

  5. Fund it and launch

    Top up the prepaid balance and launch. Follow spend in the dashboard; monthly statements show platform spend and our fee on separate lines, and your manager is on Telegram.

Krög services for Google Ads.

  • $250 one-time

    Google Ads: managed account under our manager account (MCC)

    A Google Ads account for your verified business, managed under our agency manager account.

    Service fee
    8–12% of ad spend
    Timing
    Usually ready within 48 hours of your business verification
    • A Google Ads account for your business
    • Campaign setup access, subject to Google's eligibility checks

Billing, plainly

  • Service fees run from 2% to 17% of ad spend, depending on the platform and your volume.
  • Your exact rate is confirmed in writing before you pay.
  • Prepaid balance: you top up, the platform spends, our fee is shown on its own line.
  • Monthly statements, dashboard access and a dedicated manager on Telegram.

04  Verification

What gets checked.

Google looks at the business behind every advertiser. Have these ready before you order and setup moves faster.

  • Advertiser verification

    Google asks advertisers to verify their identity and business operations, and may ask for registration documents. The name you verify is the name shown in Google's ad disclosures.

  • Names that match exactly

    Use your company's legal name in exactly the same form everywhere: registration documents, the platform's business settings, your website footer and invoices.

  • A destination that works

    Landing pages must load, work on mobile and make the business behind them clear, with contact details and policies easy to find.

  • Merchant Center, for retailers

    If you run Shopping or Performance Max with a feed, your Merchant Center account goes through its own checks of your website, shipping and returns.

  • Category certifications

    Some categories need certification from Google before ads can serve, such as gambling, some healthcare and some financial services, depending on the country.

Read more: Business verification across the major ad platforms

05  Policy essentials

The rules that matter most.

In general terms. Google's own policies decide, and they change, so read the official text before you launch.

  • Prohibited content

    Counterfeit goods, dangerous products or services, enabling dishonest behavior and inappropriate content can't be advertised.

  • Prohibited practices

    Practices that abuse the ad network or interfere with review, such as showing reviewers a different page than users see, are treated as serious violations and can lead to account suspension.

  • Misrepresentation

    Ads and pages must be honest about who you are, what you sell and what it costs. Missing business details, unclear billing or unrealistic claims are frequent reasons for disapproval.

  • Restricted content

    Alcohol, gambling, healthcare, financial services, political content and more are allowed only under conditions that often depend on the country you target.

  • Editorial and destination

    Ads must meet Google's editorial standards, with no gimmicky capitalization or punctuation, and point to a working destination that matches the ad.

  • Appeals

    Disapproved ads and account issues are appealed from the Policy manager inside Google Ads. Fix the issue first, then appeal. Google decides.

Read the source

Ads go through Google's standard review, like any advertiser's. Appeals go through Google's own process, and Google decides.

Read next: Preparing a landing page for ad review

06  Launch checklist

Before you launch.

What to have in place before the first dollar is spent. Tick things off as you go.

Google Ads launch checklist

0 of 10 ready

Your ticks are saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent to us.

07  Common mistakes

What usually goes wrong.

The Google Ads mistakes we see most often, and what to do instead.

  • Broad match without guardrails

    Broad match with no negative keywords and no conversion data can spend on loosely related searches.

    Instead

    Start with tighter match types or strong negatives, and widen once conversions are flowing.

  • Counting the wrong conversions

    Counting page views or small actions as primary conversions trains Smart Bidding on the wrong goal.

    Instead

    Keep one or two primary conversions that reflect real value and mark the rest as secondary.

  • Performance Max as a black box

    Launching Performance Max with weak assets and no audience signals gives Google very little to work with.

    Instead

    Give it strong assets, a clean feed and first-party audience signals, and read its insights every week.

  • Thin landing pages

    Pages without clear business information, prices or policies invite misrepresentation reviews.

    Instead

    Show who you are, how to reach you and the full terms of the offer.

08  FAQ

Questions about Google Ads.

  • A manager account: Google's tool that lets an agency manage client accounts from one place, with consolidated billing. Your account is created for your business, linked to ours and never shared with another advertiser.

  • Yes. Verification is done for your business under its own legal name. Your manager guides you through what Google asks for.

  • Yes. The account ID is visible under your own login, and the monthly statement shows platform spend and our fee on separate lines.

  • No. Ads go through Google's standard review under its policies, like any other advertiser's.

  • Yes, with Google's own tools such as Google Ads Editor. Your manager can help you plan the move so tracking keeps working.

09  Keep learning

Go deeper.

Last reviewed October 19, 2026. This guide summarizes publicly available information in general terms; Google's own documentation is the source of truth. Platform names and logos belong to Google. Krög Digital is an independent agency, not affiliated with or endorsed by Google.

—  Google Ads with Krög

Set it up properly.

Tell us your business, website and monthly budget for Google Ads. We confirm what applies, and the exact rate arrives in writing before you pay.

  • Usually ready within 48 hours of business verification
  • Exact rate confirmed in writing before you pay
  • Ads follow Google's own policies and review