In this guide · 8 sections
- 01Before you start: own the account
- 02Account settings you can't change later
- 03Billing and advertiser verification
- 04Conversion tracking before your first click
- 05Campaign settings for Singapore: location, language, networks
- 06The full Google Ads setup checklist
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
Create the account in your own Google login, in Expert Mode, with SGD and the Singapore time zone (both permanent). Add billing, a second admin and conversion tracking before launch. Target people in Singapore (Presence) and decide on search partners and Display on purpose.
Before you start: own the account
Create the Google Ads account with a Google login your business controls, such as a shared marketing address on your own domain. If an agency or freelancer creates it under their own manager account, your campaign history and conversion data sit with them, and leaving can mean starting again.
- Your login, your account: agencies get access as users or through a manager account link that you approve, and you can remove them later. Google's access management article explains how to grant, edit and remove access.
- Two admins: Google warns that if an account has only one administrator, you may lose access to your tags if that person becomes unavailable.
- Expert Mode: Google's help says a Smart campaign sign-up creates the account in Smart Mode, and you can switch to Expert Mode at any time to use other campaign types. Expert Mode gives you the settings in this checklist.
If you are choosing who runs the account, our guide to choosing Google Ads management in Singapore covers what to ask.
Account settings you can't change later
Two choices on the billing screen are permanent. Google's settings article says the currency is used to determine how you are billed and the time zone is a fundamental part of reporting and billing, so neither can be updated; the only fix is a new account.
| Setting | Can you change it? | Pick for a Singapore SME |
|---|---|---|
| Currency | No, permanent | SGD, so ads bill in the same currency as your bank |
| Time zone | No, permanent | (GMT+08:00) Singapore, so ad schedules match your opening hours |
| Billing country | Set at sign-up | Singapore, matching your business registration |
| Payment setting | Sometimes, in Billing settings | Postpay on a company card for most SMEs |
Billing and advertiser verification
Google's payment settings article describes three options, depending on your country: postpay (formerly automatic payments, charged after ads run), prepay (formerly manual payments, you top up first and ads stop when credit runs out) and monthly invoicing (a credit line for larger advertisers).
- Use a company card or account, not a staff member's personal card, so billing doesn't break when someone leaves.
- Set a monthly spending limit you're comfortable with before the first campaign goes live.
- Expect Google to ask for payment and advertiser verification. Our Google Ads advertiser verification guide lists the documents a Singapore business needs.
- Download the monthly invoices or statements from the billing section for your accountant.
Conversion tracking before your first click
Without conversion tracking, Google's bidding optimises for clicks, not customers, and you can't tell which keywords bring enquiries. Google's conversion measurement article covers the options.
Decide what counts as a conversion
Pick one to three real outcomes: a submitted enquiry form, a booking, a purchase, or a click on your phone number or WhatsApp button.
Install the Google tag
Add the Google tag to every page, directly or through Google Tag Manager or your website platform's integration.
Link Google Analytics 4 or set up Ads conversions
Google says importing GA4 key events needs Admin access in Google Ads and Edit access in the linked Analytics property, and only events marked as key events can be imported.
Check auto-tagging is on
Google says auto-tagging is on by default for new accounts and is needed to track conversions on all browsers and import Analytics data.
Test a real conversion
Submit your own form or make a test booking, then check that the conversion appears in Google Ads within a day.
Also check the page people land on: a fast page that matches the ad improves results and Quality Score, as our landing page quality guide explains.
Campaign settings for Singapore: location, language, networks
These are set per campaign, and the defaults suit large advertisers more than a local business.
| Setting | Google's default | Typical choice for a local SME |
|---|---|---|
| Location options | Presence or Interest: people in, regularly in, or interested in Singapore | Presence: people in or regularly in Singapore |
| Language | Set per campaign | English, plus Chinese or Malay if you run ads in those languages |
| Search partners | Included by default for Search campaigns | Off at launch; test later with its own budget |
| Display Network on Search campaigns | Display Expansion controlled by channel settings | Off or low priority at launch |
| Ad schedule | All days and hours | Your opening hours, if you only answer calls then |
Google's advanced location options article says the default reaches people in your location as well as people who've shown interest in it, and suggests 'Presence' when you only want people actually in the area. Its Search Network article says search partners are included by default and you can opt out at any time, and the Display Expansion article explains the channel prioritisation settings that control Display spend from Search campaigns.
The full Google Ads setup checklist
Run through this before you switch the first campaign on.
Google Ads launch checklist
Do it yourself or get help?
If you have an afternoon and a clear idea of what a lead is worth, you can set up a small Search campaign yourself using this list. The parts people most often get wrong are conversion tracking that doesn't fire, permanent settings chosen by accident, and budgets leaking to partner sites in the first month.
Our Google Ads Setup (Search + Performance Max) (S$690) creates the account in your name linked to GA4, sets up and tests conversions, builds one Search campaign with up to 3 ad groups, adds a negative keyword list, sets location, language and schedule targeting, and sends a two-week check-in report. The ad budget is paid by you directly to Google.
Frequently asked questions
No. Google Ads Help says the currency is set permanently when you create the account, because it determines how you are billed. If you need a different currency, you have to create a new account and choose the right currency at sign-up. The same applies to the account's time zone.
Google includes search partners by default in Search campaigns, and you can opt out in campaign settings at any time. For a new Singapore small business account, we suggest starting with Google Search only, then testing partners later with a separate budget once you have conversion data to compare.
Presence shows ads to people likely to be in or regularly in your chosen locations. Presence or Interest, Google's default, also includes people outside the area who have shown interest in it. Local service businesses in Singapore usually choose Presence so ads don't reach people searching from overseas.
You. Create the account on a Google login your business controls and add the agency as a user or link it to their manager account. You keep the account, its history and conversion data if you change agencies. Google also recommends having more than one admin so tags aren't lost if someone leaves.
You should set it up before launch. Without it, Google can only optimise for clicks and you can't see which keywords bring enquiries or sales. Install the Google tag, define one to three conversions such as form submissions or calls, and test them with a real submission before spending money.