A common question from beginners is: how much do I need to invest to generate traffic for my website or business? The good news is that, contrary to what many believe, you don’t need a large amount of money to get started.
For example, it’s entirely possible to start your campaigns with a small daily budget. Sounds unbelievable? It’s not. This is one of the great advantages of Google Ads: you have full control over the amount you want to invest.
If you’re already familiar with the advantages of advertising here, you know that the flexibility of investment allows any business — small or large — to start attracting customers in a targeted way.
This means you can adjust the budget based on the results and the stage of your business, starting small and gradually increasing the investment as you learn and optimize your campaigns.
Advertising on the platform is accessible and scalable, providing results for those willing to take the first step, even with a modest investment.
How much to invest? Is $5 per day enough?
When I say that you can start advertising on Google Ads with an investment of $5 per day, the first question that arises is: will I get results with such a small amount?
Think of it this way: imagine your car’s tank is empty. If you put $5 worth of gas, you’ll be able to drive, but just a little — maybe only to the bakery and back. It solves a specific problem, but not many.
Now, if you put $50 of gas, you can go to the bakery, the supermarket, and handle much more. With Google Ads, the logic is the same: $5 per day will generate results proportional to the investment. You’ll get clicks and visits, but limited.
On the other hand, $50 a day, expands your reach, allowing you to impact more people and achieve better results.
Start small, but understand the testing phase
Investing is not an automatic process, like “put money in and come back with customers.” There’s a necessary testing phase to understand:
- Which ads perform better;
- Who the most qualified audience is;
- Which keywords perform best;
- Which targeting brings the highest return.
Even for experienced professionals, this learning phase is crucial. For example, in some campaigns, I might invest $100 just for testing, analyzing which ad delivers the best results before increasing the budget.
Full control over your investment
The great advantage is that you have complete control over your budget:
- You can invest $5 per day for a week and then pause.
- You can invest $50 per day for three days and stop.
Google Ads offers flexibility. You decide how much to spend, when to spend it, and how to adjust the budget over time. This allows you to start small, learn what works, and only then invest more to achieve consistent results.
The key is to start, test, learn from the data, and when you find the right combination of ads, audience, and targeting, increase your investment.
What is the best billing setup?
If you’re starting to advertise on Google Ads, a common question is: should I choose bank slip or credit card? My recommendation is simple: use the bank slip. Below, I explain why this choice and when a credit card becomes the better option.
Why start with a bank slip?
When you’re just starting, it’s natural to make mistakes — especially if you’re still learning the tool. For example:
Imagine you want to advertise a Google Ads course and choose the keywords “course” and “Google Ads.”
What happens? Your ad may appear for irrelevant searches, such as “cooking course” or “download free course.” Result: you spend money with no return.
Cases like this are not uncommon. There are situations where beginners spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars quickly due to a simple configuration mistake.
With the bank slip, you have full control over your budget:
- You generate a slip for the desired amount (e.g., $100).
- When the credit runs out, your campaigns stop automatically.
- If you want to continue advertising, just generate and pay a new slip.
This eliminates the risk of overspending and makes the process much safer for beginners.
When to use a credit card?
The credit card is recommended for those who already have experience and confidence. Professionals who master the platform know how to avoid basic mistakes and have a structured billing cycle. For example:
Google Ads can charge the credit card every time you spend 50 dollars or after a fixed period, such as 30 days — whichever comes first. This is ideal for larger-scale campaigns, where the advertiser already knows what works and can optimize the budget.
If paying bank slips frequently seems inconvenient, an alternative is to use virtual prepaid credit cards, which work like regular cards but with a predefined amount, avoiding unexpected charges.
Summary: Beginners vs. Professionals
- Beginners: Use the bank slip to have full control and avoid surprises in your budget.
- Professionals: Choose the credit card to automate payments and facilitate larger-scale campaigns.
Choose the setup that suits your level of experience and evolve in Google Ads with safety and full control over your investment.
Where and when will your ads be displayed?
A common question among beginners and even clients of agencies is: “Why can’t I see my Google Ads?” Even with approved campaigns, it’s important to understand where and when the ads are displayed and how to check this correctly.
Where can your ads appear?
The display location of the ads depends on the type of campaign you created. Here are the main channels where your ads can appear:
- Search Network:
- Google search results (ads related to searches).
- Google Maps (local search results).
- Display Network:
- Google partner sites (blogs, news portals, etc.).
- Gmail (ads in sponsored emails).
- Blogger (Google’s blog platform).
- YouTube (videos, channels, and sponsored banners).
- Partner apps that display Google ads.
These are the main places where your ads can appear, depending on the strategy and campaign setup.
When will your ads appear?
Even if the campaign is approved, there are some conditions for the ads to be displayed. Here are the main points:
- Approved payment method:
- If you registered a credit card, it must be approved.
- If you use bank slips, credits must be available in your account.
- Budget and bids:
- The daily budget set and the bid amount affect how often your ads appear.
- If your budget is too low or your bids are not competitive, ads may not be displayed frequently.
- Competition:
- If the chosen keywords are highly competitive, the cost per click may be higher. This limits the display of ads if the budget is insufficient.
- Targeting settings:
- Ads set to appear only at specific times or locations will follow these criteria.
How to check your ads without searching on Google?
Many people make the mistake of repeatedly searching Google to see their own ads. This is not recommended because:
- Google may understand that you’re not clicking on the ads, which harms performance.
- Your searches may distort the display metrics.
The best way to check if your ads are being displayed is to use the Ad Preview and Diagnosis Tool within Google Ads. This tool allows you to see your ads without affecting impressions and campaign results.
Step-by-step to test your ads:
- Access your Google Ads account.
- Go to “Tools” > “Ad Preview and Diagnosis.”
- Set the following parameters:
- Location: Choose the targeted region.
- Language: If your campaign is set for a specific language, test it to confirm.
- Device: Simulate the search on desktop, mobile, or tablet.
- Keyword: Enter the keyword for your ad to test.
The tool will inform you:
- If the ad is being displayed.
- Why the ad is not appearing (e.g., budget exhausted, inactive keyword).
Understanding where and when your ads are displayed and using the right tools will give you more control over your campaigns and help you optimize your strategies to reach the right audience at the right time.
Practical Conclusion
Understanding where and when your ads appear is crucial to avoid confusion and deliver real results. Use the preview tool to perform tests and ensure your campaigns are active and properly set up. If your ads are not displaying, check:
- Approved payments;
- Ad approval;
- Defined targeting;
- Budget and CPC aligned with competition.
By doing so, you’ll have complete control over your campaign performance and can even show your client: “Your ad is appearing!”
Google Ads offers a wide range of opportunities to ensure your ads appear on the right channels at the ideal time, whether in the Search Network, where users are actively searching for products or services, or the Display Network, which works reactively for brand reinforcement and strategies like remarketing.
The key to success lies in understanding where your audience is, correctly targeting them, and continuously testing to optimize your campaigns.
Additionally, Google Ads provides powerful tools like the Ad Preview and Diagnosis Tool, which allows you to accurately check if your ads are being displayed and what might be preventing them from appearing.
Factors like ad approval, proper budgeting, competitive CPC, and correct targeting are key to making your campaigns work. With knowledge, testing, and continuous adjustments, it’s possible to achieve significant results and effectively reach the right audience.