In this Google Ads tutorial for beginners (2026 edition), I walk you through setting up your first Search campaign from scratch—step by step—so you can start driving traffic, leads, and sales without burning your budget on the wrong settings. I start by explaining how Google Ads actually works behind the scenes: every search triggers an auction, and you don’t automatically win by bidding the most. Google also weighs ad quality, expected click-through rate, and landing page relevance, which is why a well-built campaign can outperform a bigger budget. Then I go into the full setup workflow: creating your account, choosing the right campaign goal, and—most importantly—avoiding Performance Max at the start so you stay in control. I show you the exact settings beginners mess up, like locations (use “presence” so you’re not paying for clicks from people you can’t serve) and networks (uncheck Display Network if you want search intent). From there, I cover keyword strategy (broad vs phrase vs exact), audience segments (and why I recommend “observation” early on), and how to write ads that convert—plus why you should almost never send paid traffic to your homepage. Finally, I show you a practical budgeting range ($10–$30/day) and how to think about target CPA so every dollar has a job.