Guidance to get you going on Google
Google Ads
Get help advertising your business on Google
Your questions answered
What is Google Ads?
Google Ads is Google’s online advertising program. With Google Ads, you can create online ads to promote your business, help sell your products or services, raise your brand awareness, and increase traffic to your website.
How much does Google Ads cost?
Google Ads is a pay-per-click advertising platform, meaning that you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. The cost of your ads will depend on a number of factors, including your industry, your target audience, and the keywords you choose. To learn more about budgeting, visit the Google Ads Cost page.
What do I need to get started with Google Ads?
To get started with Google Ads, you’ll need a Google Ads account, a budget, and a website. You’ll also need to choose your campaign goals, ad type, and keywords. Once you’ve set up your account and campaign, you can start running your ads.
How do I set up a Google Ads account?
To set up a Google Ads account, first click the “Start now” button on our website. Then, enter your business information like your website URL. After that, choose your campaign goals, upload your creative assets and set your budget. Finally, enter your payment method. Once your account is set up, you can start creating and managing your ads.
Where can I find expert support?
To contact a Google Ads expert, schedule a call, or chat live, visit the Google Ads Expert Support page.
Where can I find out even more about Google Ads?
To find out even more details about the Google Ads product, please visit Google Ads Help Center.
Google Merchant Center
Get help selling your products on Google
Your questions answered
What is Google Merchant Center?
Merchant Center is a free tool that helps millions of shoppers on Google discover, explore, and buy your products. With a Merchant Center account, you can upload and manage your product data so that your products appear across Google Search, Maps, YouTube, and more.
How much does Merchant Center cost? Is it really free?
Creating a Merchant Center account and showing your products on Google is free of cost. You can add and manage your product listings directly from Merchant Center.
When you’re ready, you can supplement your organic listings with paid advertising. Paid product ads show up more prominently and can reach even more potential customers. With our Performance Max campaigns, you choose the goals you want to achieve, and you’ll never pay more than your monthly budget cap.
What do I need to create a Merchant Center account?
You need to be a retailer selling products through a website, in a physical store, or both. To sign up, you’ll need a Google account. If you don’t have one yet, you can create one for free on the Create an account page. Then visit Merchant Center to tell us about your business, choose where your customers will check out (on your website or at your local store), and add your products.
Learn more about getting started and how to manage your products across Google’s surfaces by visiting the Google Merchant Center Onboarding Guide.
Where will my products show up on Google?
Once your products are added and confirmed as eligible, they can show up across different Google surfaces, such as Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Shopping tab and Google Images. Learn more about where your products show and the requirements by visiting the Where Google shows your free listings help page.
How does Merchant Center work?
Merchant Center is a free tool that enables retailers to add product information and data so that their products can appear across Google surfaces.
After you add your products, you can use your Merchant Center account to manage your product inventory across Google and get personalized reports & insights on product performance, trends & competitor benchmarks.
How do I add my products to Merchant Center?
If you use Shopify, Woo, PrestaShop, or another supported e-commerce platform, you can automatically add your products to Google when you link your e-commerce store to your Merchant Center account. Any future changes you make to products are automatically synced to Google.
If you don’t use a supported platform, Google can automatically add products from your website or you can manually add your product offerings via a file or spreadsheet, or by entering individual products.
Will Google ship my products?
No, Google only helps customers find your products and your store. When they are interested in buying from you, they visit your website and go through your checkout process like any other website visitor. You decide how to ship the products.
How do I promote my products on Google?
When you’re ready, you can promote your products with Performance Max, our paid advertising campaigns that use Google AI to reach the right customers at the right time. You stay in full control of your budget and only pay when someone engages with your ad.
How do I get Google Merchant Center support?
You can fix common issues, understand how to measure your results, and troubleshoot with ease by visiting Google Merchant Center Help Center.
What is Performance Max?
As the next generation of Smart Shopping and Local campaigns, Performance Max is a goal-based campaign type that helps you access all of Google Ads inventory from a single campaign. It’s designed to help you find more converting customers across all of Google’s channels like Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, and Maps.
Performance Max campaigns can be run directly from Merchant Center. For additional functionality, you can manage your campaign in Google Ads.
Can I use other third party tools to run Performance Max campaigns?
If you use an e-commerce platform like Shopify, Woo, or PrestaShop, you can easily sync your products and run Performance Max campaigns directly from your e-commerce platform.
Can Performance Max be used to target multiple goals?
In Google Merchant Center, Performance Max campaigns optimize for online sales. If you manage your campaign in Google Ads, you can optimize to one or more goals, such as online and in-store conversions, from a single Performance Max campaign. To help maximize conversion value for your budget, learn how to track the value for all your conversion goals on the About conversion tracking help page.
Are other creative assets required if I link to a Google Merchant Center product feed?
If you have a Merchant Center feed, your product images, pricing, and other details will be used to develop engaging creative for Performance Max campaigns. If you are using Google Ads to manage campaigns, we strongly recommend providing additional assets. The more high-quality creative assets you provide for text, images and video, the more ad formats Performance Max can create and the more inventory your ad can appear on to maximize your results.
What are the best practices for Performance Max campaigns?
Get the most out of your campaign by following the best practices found on the Retailer best practices for AI-powered Performance Max campaigns help page.
Google Business Profile
Get help adding your business on Google
Your questions answered
What is a Business Profile on Google?
Your Business Profile is a free tool that allows you to take charge of the way your business appears on Google Search and Maps. With your Business Profile, you can connect with customers, post updates, list your products and services, share your menu, and more. Learn more about how Google sources information about your business on the Google Business Profile help page.
How much does a Business Profile on Google cost?
Creating a Business Profile and listing your business on Google is free of cost. You can claim and manage your business directly from Google Search and Maps to start reaching more customers.
Do I need to download an app to create and manage my Business Profile on Google?
You can use the Google Maps app to manage your Business Profile on your mobile device. On your desktop, you can manage your profile directly from Google Search in the browser. Learn more about managing your profile on the Manage your Business Profile help page.
My business doesn’t have a storefront. Can I still have a Business Profile on Google?
Yes, you can have a profile if your business doesn’t have a physical address as long as you make in-person contact with customers. You can also have a profile if you’re a hybrid business that serves customers at your business address and visits or delivers directly to customers. You may also have a profile if you’re a service-area business that visits or delivers to customers directly, but doesn’t serve customers at its business address, like a plumber or cleaning service. Learn how to claim and verify your profile if you’re a service-area business on the Google Business Profile help page.
How do I add my business on Google Search and Maps?
You can add your business on Google Search and Maps by creating a Business Profile. With a profile you can add and manage how your business information shows up across Google. Create and manage your profile now.
How do I update my business information on Google? How do I update my Business Profile on Google?
You can now update your Business Profile directly from Google Search and Maps. To start, sign in with the Google account used to verify your business. On Google Maps, tap your profile picture on the top right corner of the mobile app and select “Your Business Profile” to access these tools. On Google Search, look up your business by name or search “my business” to update your profile. Learn more about managing your profile from the Manage your Business Profile help page.
Should I create a Business Profile if I already have a website?
Yes, your free Business Profile complements your website by adding more visibility to your current business website on Google Search and Google Maps.
How do I verify my Business Profile on Google?
Most businesses verify their profile ownership via phone, SMS, or by requesting and receiving a postcard to their address from Google. Learn more about verifying your business on the Google Business Profile help page.
Why do I need to verify my Business Profile on Google?
Verification allows us to confirm that you are the rightful owner of the business, so that you have permission to manage your Business Profile. Your security is important to us and we don’t want anyone else but you or your approved managers making updates to your profile.
How do I respond to reviews on Google for my business?
You can respond to reviews for your business if you manage and are signed into your Business Profile account on Google. When you reply to a review, your response appears below the customer’s review on Google Search and Maps under the label “Response from the owner”. Learn more about responding to reviews on the Read & reply to reviews on Google help page.
How do I update my business hours on Google? Can I set hours on my Business Profile for specific services?
You can update your business hours on Google with a Business Profile, directly from Google Search and Maps. If your business provides specific services with different times (e.g. senior hours, delivery, takeout) you can set “More hours” instead of special hours. Learn how to set business hours on the Edit your business hours help page.
Is Business Profile the same as Google My Business?
Yes. Business Profile has replaced Google My Business, Google Places for Business, Google Listings, and Google+ Business Pages.
Does Google have featured partners that help manage Business Profiles?
Yes. Our featured Partners Program highlights partners who provide valuable services to the broader Business Profile merchant community. Learn more about our featured partners.
Can I get tailored advice to help my business?
Yes. If you’re looking for additional guidance, schedule 1-on-1 time with a specially-trained Google Advisor to get recommendations for your Business Profile and more. Learn more by visiting the Small Business Advisors website.
How else can I reach more customers?
You can use Google Ads to reach more customers. Google Ads drives people to your business, no matter what you sell. Learn more about the reach of Google Ads and see what you can achieve with the right campaign on the Google Ads homepage.
Google Analytics
Get help getting insights from Google
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Your questions answered
What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics (GA) is a measurement tool that businesses can use to better understand visitor behavior on their websites and/or apps. For example, GA reports can show what type of online behavior leads to purchases and how to optimize your website.
How much does Google Analytics cost?
Google Analytics is free of charge. Google also offers a paid version called Google Analytics 360, which offers higher data limits and more advanced support options.
How do I create a Google Analytics account?
To create a Google Analytics account, you must be logged into a Google account. If you don’t yet have a Google account, you can learn how to create one on How do I create a new Google Account help page. To create a Google Analytics account, visit the Google Analytics website. If you have previously set up a Google Analytics account, you can create a new account by going to Admin (on the bottom left), clicking Create, and then clicking Account. To help you set up your Google Analytics account at your own pace and customize it to your own needs, follow the steps listed on the Set up Analytics for a website and/or app help page.
Where can I get support?
To get Google Analytics training and support, explore the Google Analytics 4 account training and support guide.
What’s the difference between a Google Analytics account and a Google Analytics property?
A Google Analytics account provides access to your Analytics properties. You can have one or more Analytics accounts (up to a 100). Each account can contain up to 2,000 properties. Although an account can include multiple properties and property types, a property can belong to only one Analytics account. A Google Analytics property represents a website and/or app, and it is the container for your reports based on the data you collect. Analytics processes data at the property level and properties can integrate with other Google products, such as Google Ads. For more information, visit the Google Analytics hierarchy help page.
What’s the difference between Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Universal Analytics (UA), and Analytics 360?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the next generation of Google Analytics, designed to provide businesses with a more comprehensive understanding of their customers’ behavior across devices and platforms. If you create a new Google Analytics account today, it will be a Google Analytics 4 property.
Universal Analytics (UA) refers to the previous generation of Analytics. This was the default property type for websites prior to October 14, 2020 and is no longer available.
Google Analytics 360 is a paid version of Google Analytics that offers advanced support and increased data limits for large businesses. It includes all the features of standard Google Analytics, learn more about the functionality and features on the Analytics 360 website.
YouTube Ads
Get help turning viewers into customers
Your questions answered
How much do YouTube Ads cost?
YouTube Ads can work for almost any budget, and how much you spend is always up to you. You also have the option to set your account to bill automatically or manually. Learn more about cost on the Know your billing options help page. Ads pricing depends on the format you choose. Learn about pricing across ad formats.
Do I need a Google Ads account to advertise on YouTube?
Yes. Google Ads helps businesses run ads across the entire Google advertising platform, which includes YouTube. That means you’ll set up, run, and manage your YouTube Ads campaign with a Google Ads account. If you don’t have an account yet, you can sign up for one on the Google Ads sign up page.
Where and when will my YouTube ad show up online?
Your ad can show in different ways, depending on the format you decide to run. For example, some ad formats run before, during, or after a viewer’s video has played, while others appear on the YouTube home feed. Learn about YouTube ad formats for awareness, consideration, and action.
How do I know if my YouTube Ads campaign is working?
When you start a campaign, you’ll get access to free tools that can help you measure how it’s doing.
Can I control who sees my ad?
Absolutely. When you set up a YouTube Ads campaign, you’ll choose the people you want to see your ad based on age, location, interests, and more. Learn how you can use video ads to reach the right people on the Find your audience YouTube page.
Do I need a YouTube channel to advertise?
Yes, you’ll need to upload your video ad to your YouTube channel before you set up a campaign. Learn how to create a channel and upload a video on the Create a YouTube channel help page.
Where can I get help with my video ad?
There are free YouTube creative tools you can use to make your own video ad. If you need more help, our trusted creative partners can work with you to edit existing videos and images into an ad or create one from scratch.
How do I start a YouTube live stream?
YouTube Live is a great way to engage with your audience in real time with a video feed, chat, and more. To start live streaming from your computer, go to YouTube and from the top right, click Create, Go Live. If you haven’t already, follow the prompts to verify your channel. Enabling your first live stream may take up to 24 hours. Once enabled, you can live stream instantly. Learn more about live streams on the Get started with live streaming help page.
Why can’t I access the video promotions feature yet?
Video promotions are currently available for all channels which meet conditions for Advanced features on YT and have >1k subs. Learn more about advanced features on the Access to YouTube tools & features help page.
Will buying Promotions via YouTube Studio guarantee me more views/subscribers for my channel?
Advertising is just one of many tools creators can leverage for audience growth and engagement. For best practices on getting more views/subscribers for your channel, visit the Promote your videos help page.
How are Promotions in YouTube Studio different from Google Ads?
To enable an easier ads buying experience, creators are able to create simple ad campaigns for their videos within the new Promotions tab without being redirected to Google Ads. If you need more ad formats or advanced targeting options, consider creating your campaign in Google Ads.
What kind of ads can I buy using Promotions in YouTube Studio?
Only in-feed video ads are supported. In-stream ads are not supported. Users need to engage with the ad in order to reach the watch page or subscribe. Learn more about how to create and manage promotions.
Still need help?
For additional guidance, please visit our Help Center.