How to Set Up Google Ads in Singapore (2026)

Before you touch Google Ads, gather everything on this checklist. Getting stuck halfway through setup because you cannot find your ACRA number is frustrating and avoidable.

• Google account — a personal Gmail or Google Workspace address. Use one tied to your business rather than a shared personal account, because permissions get messy later
• Business website with a clear conversion action — a contact form, phone number, WhatsApp button or purchase flow. If you do not have a website yet, start there first
• Credit or debit card — Visa, Mastercard and Amex are all accepted for Singapore accounts
• ACRA business registration number — required if you select "Organisation" as your account type during billing setup
• GST registration number — only if your business is GST-registered. You will need this to claim input tax on ad spend (more on this in Step 2)
• A rough list of keywords — the search terms your customers use when looking for your service. We will refine these in Step 3
• A dedicated landing page URL — not your homepage. A page specifically about the service or product you are advertising converts significantly better

Got everything? Good. Let us create your account.

Go to ads.google.com and click "Start now." Sign in with the Google account you prepared.

Google will immediately try to push you into Smart Mode, a simplified interface that hides roughly 80% of the controls you actually need. Smart Mode does not let you set negative keywords, choose keyword match types, control which networks your ads appear on, or review search term reports. It is designed for convenience, not performance.

How to switch to Expert Mode: look for the small "Switch to Expert Mode" link at the bottom of the Smart Mode setup wizard. Click it before you do anything else.

Once in Expert Mode, you will see options to create your first campaign. Do not create one yet. Instead, click "Create an account without a campaign" (usually a text link below the campaign type options). This lets you configure your account settings properly before spending any money.

On the next screen, set these critical account-level settings:

• Time zone: (GMT+08:00) Singapore
• Currency: SGD (Singapore Dollar)

Warning: time zone and currency cannot be changed after account creation. If you accidentally select USD or the wrong time zone, you will need to create an entirely new account. Double-check both before confirming.

Click "Submit" and your account is created. You will land on an empty dashboard, which is exactly where you want to be.

Google will not run your ads until billing is configured. Navigate to the gear icon (top right) and select "Billing & payments."

Billing country: Singapore. This should already be pre-selected based on your account settings.

Account type: choose between "Organisation" and "Individual." If you are running ads for a registered business, select Organisation. You will need your ACRA-registered business name (it must match your BizFile exactly) and your UEN. Individual accounts are simpler but lack some invoicing features businesses need.

Payment method: add your credit or debit card. Singapore accounts use automatic payments, meaning Google charges your card after you accumulate costs (the threshold starts at around SGD 400 and increases as your account builds history). You can also set up a monthly invoicing arrangement for larger spenders, but card payment is standard for new accounts.

Adding your GST registration number

If your business is GST-registered with IRAS, add your GST registration number in the billing settings. This is important because Google charges 9% GST on all ad spend for Singapore accounts. For a SGD 3,000 monthly ad spend, that is an extra SGD 270 going to GST. GST-registered businesses can claim this as input tax, but only if the GST number is correctly recorded in your account. Navigate to Billing > Settings > Tax information to enter it.

If your business is not GST-registered (annual taxable turnover below SGD 1 million), you still pay the 9% GST but cannot claim it back. Factor this into your budget from the start. For detailed budget planning, see our complete guide to Google Ads cost in Singapore.

Advertiser verification

Google requires identity verification for Singapore advertisers. You will receive a notification in your account (or via email) asking you to verify. The documents you need are:

• ACRA BizFile or Certificate of Incorporation (for businesses)
• NRIC or passport of the authorised representative

Verification typically takes one to three business days. Your ads can still run while verification is pending, but failing to complete it within the deadline will result in your ads being paused.

Keywords determine who sees your ads. Get them wrong and you will pay for clicks from people who have no intention of buying. Get them right and every dollar works harder.

In your Google Ads dashboard, navigate to Tools > Planning > Keyword Planner. You will see two options:

• "Discover new keywords" — enter your service or product and Google suggests related search terms. Use this when you are starting from scratch
• "Get search volume and forecasts" — paste a list of keywords you already have and see their monthly search volume and estimated cost. Use this to validate ideas

Start with "Discover new keywords." Enter two or three seed terms (for example, "renovation contractor Singapore" and "HDB renovation") and review the suggestions. Pay attention to three columns:

1. Average monthly searches — aim for keywords with 100 to 1,000 searches per month. Under 100 is too niche for a starting campaign; over 10,000 is usually too broad and expensive
2. Competition — a rough indicator of how many advertisers bid on this term. "Low" and "Medium" keywords are often better value for new accounts
3. Top-of-page bid (high range) — this tells you what you will likely pay per click. Use it to estimate daily budget requirements

Select 10 to 20 high-intent keywords for your first campaign. High-intent means the searcher is looking to take action: "renovation contractor quote Singapore" has stronger intent than "renovation ideas."

Understanding match types

Every keyword you add has a match type that controls how broadly Google interprets it:

• Broad match (renovation contractor) — Google shows your ad for anything it considers related, including "renovation tips" or "contractor jobs." Burns budget fast for beginners
• Phrase match ("renovation contractor Singapore") — your ad shows when someone searches for this phrase or close variations. Good balance of reach and control
• Exact match ([HDB renovation contractor Singapore]) — your ad shows only for this specific query or very close variants. Most controlled, least volume

Recommendation for beginners: start with Phrase and Exact match only. Broad match is useful once you have conversion data and smart bidding enabled, but it will drain your budget in the first few weeks without tight controls.

Build your negative keyword list from day one

Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches. This is one of the highest-impact things you can do, and most beginners skip it entirely.

For a renovation contractor, you would add negatives like: "DIY," "free," "course," "salary," "job," "internship." For a clinic, you might exclude "home remedy," "free consultation," "NHS." Think about what searches look relevant on the surface but signal zero buying intent.

This is the core of the setup. From your dashboard, click "+ New campaign."

Goal and campaign type

Select your campaign goal: Leads (for service businesses generating enquiries) or Sales (for e-commerce). Then choose Search as the campaign type. Do not start with Display, Video or Performance Max; Search campaigns give you the most control and clearest data on what is working.

Campaign settings

• Campaign name: use a descriptive naming convention. For example: "Search | Renovation | Singapore" or "Search | Dental Implants | SG." You will thank yourself when you have five campaigns running and need to find something quickly
• Networks: uncheck both "Google Display Network" and "Search Partners." This is a common beginner mistake. Leaving Display Network checked on a Search campaign sends a chunk of your budget to banner ads on random websites, diluting your results. Keep your Search campaign focused on Search

Location targeting

Under Locations, target Singapore. Then open "Location options" and change the setting from "Presence or interest: People in, regularly in, or who've shown interest in your targeted locations" to "Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations."

This single setting change is critical. Without it, someone sitting in London who searches "renovation contractor Singapore" (perhaps researching on behalf of a relative) could see and click your ad. You pay the same CPC but the lead is far less likely to convert. Switching to "Presence only" ensures your budget goes to people physically in Singapore.

Language, budget and bidding

• Language: English. Add Chinese (Simplified) if your audience includes Mandarin speakers
• Daily budget: start with SGD 20 to 50 per day. This gives Google enough data to optimise without burning through cash. At SGD 30/day, your monthly spend is roughly SGD 900 plus 9% GST
• Bidding strategy: select "Maximise Clicks" with a maximum CPC cap (set it to SGD 3 to 5, depending on your industry's average CPC). Run this for the first two weeks to gather data. Once you have 15 or more conversions, switch to "Maximise Conversions" or "Target CPA" to let Google's machine learning optimise for actual leads, not just clicks

Ad groups and keyword organisation

Create one to three tightly themed ad groups, each containing 10 to 20 related keywords. For a renovation company, you might have:

• Ad Group 1: "HDB Renovation" (keywords: "HDB renovation contractor," "HDB renovation Singapore," "BTO renovation package")
• Ad Group 2: "Condo Renovation" (keywords: "condo renovation Singapore," "condo interior design," "condo renovation cost")
• Ad Group 3: "Kitchen Renovation" (keywords: "kitchen renovation Singapore," "kitchen remodel cost," "kitchen renovation contractor")

Tight ad groups mean your ad copy can speak directly to the searcher's intent. Someone searching "HDB renovation" sees an ad about HDB renovation, not a generic renovation ad.

Writing your ads

Google uses Responsive Search Ads (RSAs). You provide up to 15 headlines (30 characters each) and 4 descriptions (90 characters each), and Google tests different combinations to find what performs best.

Here is an example RSA for a renovation contractor in Singapore:

Headlines:

1. HDB Renovation Contractor SG
2. Trusted by 500+ SG Homeowners
3. Free Renovation Quote Today
4. Licensed & HDB-Approved
5. 10+ Years Reno Experience
6. BTO & Resale HDB Specialist
7. See Our Past HDB Projects
8. Transparent Pricing, No Hidden Costs
9. SGD 30K-80K Packages Available
10. WhatsApp Us for a Quote

Descriptions:

1. Award-winning HDB renovation contractor in Singapore. View our portfolio of 500+ completed homes and get a free, no-obligation quote today.
2. From BTO packages to full resale HDB overhauls. Transparent pricing, dedicated project manager, and a 1-year workmanship warranty on every project.
3. Specialising in HDB and condo renovations across Singapore. Book your free consultation now and get a detailed quote within 24 hours.
4. Trusted Singapore renovation contractor with 10+ years of experience. Licensed, HDB-approved, and reviewed by 200+ homeowners on Google.

Pin your strongest headline (the one with your primary keyword) to Position 1, so it always appears. Let Google rotate the rest.

Ad extensions (assets) to set up immediately

Extensions make your ad bigger and more clickable at no extra cost per click:

• Sitelink extensions: link to key pages (Portfolio, Pricing, Contact Us, FAQ)
• Callout extensions: short selling points ("Free Consultation," "10+ Years Experience," "HDB & Condo")
• Call extension: add your Singapore phone number so mobile users can tap to call
• Location extension: connect your Google Business Profile so your address appears in the ad
• Structured snippets: list your service types ("Types: HDB, Condo, Landed, Commercial")

Ads with extensions typically achieve 10 to 15% higher click-through rates than those without. There is no reason to skip them. For more on campaign type selection and bid strategy, see our Google Ads overview guide for Singapore SMEs.

Conversion tracking is non-negotiable. Without it, you have no way of knowing which keywords, ads and campaigns actually generate leads or sales. Google's automated bidding strategies literally cannot function without conversion data, so skipping this step makes everything else you have done pointless.

Navigate to Goals > Conversions > New conversion action > Website.

Types of conversions to track

• Form submissions: contact forms, quote request forms, booking forms
• Phone calls: calls from your ads (Google call forwarding) and calls from your website (requires a snippet on your site)
• Purchases: for e-commerce, track completed transactions with revenue values
• WhatsApp clicks: particularly relevant for Singapore businesses where WhatsApp is a primary communication channel. Track clicks on your WhatsApp button as a conversion

Method A: Google tag (simpler)

Google generates a tag (a snippet of JavaScript) that you place on every page of your website. Then you add an event snippet on your thank-you or confirmation page. When someone submits a form and lands on the thank-you page, the conversion fires. This method is straightforward and works well for simple setups.

Method B: Google Tag Manager (recommended)

For more flexibility, use Google Tag Manager (GTM). The process is: create a GTM account at tagmanager.google.com, install the GTM container code on your website, then create tags for each conversion action with triggers that fire on the right events (form submission, button click, page view).

GTM is the industry standard because it lets you manage all your tracking tags in one place without editing your website code every time you add a new conversion. If you plan to run campaigns long-term, invest the extra 15 minutes to set up GTM properly.

Enable Enhanced Conversions

While you are in the conversion settings, enable Enhanced Conversions. This feature sends hashed first-party data (like email addresses from form submissions) back to Google, improving conversion attribution accuracy. With privacy regulations tightening and third-party cookies disappearing, Enhanced Conversions help maintain tracking reliability.

Test before you launch

Use Google Tag Assistant (the Chrome extension) to verify that your tags fire correctly. Submit a test form on your website and confirm that the conversion appears in your Google Ads account within a few hours. Do not launch your campaign until you have confirmed tracking works. Once tracking is in place, you are also ready to explore remarketing campaigns as your next step.

Common mistake to avoid: setting up "page view" as a conversion instead of an actual lead action. This inflates your conversion count and completely breaks automated bidding. Only count actions that have genuine business value.

Your campaign is live. The temptation is to check your dashboard every 30 minutes. Resist that urge for the first 24 hours; Google needs time to start serving your ads and gathering data. After that, here is your daily focus for the first week.

Days 1 to 2: Check your search terms report

Navigate to Keywords > Search terms. This shows you the actual queries people typed before clicking your ad. You will almost certainly find irrelevant searches, even with Phrase and Exact match keywords. Add irrelevant terms as negative keywords immediately. This single action typically saves 20 to 40% of wasted spend in the first week.

Days 3 to 4: Review ad performance

Check which headline and description combinations Google is showing most frequently. Pause any ad variations with a click-through rate (CTR) significantly below 2%. Check the Quality Score for each keyword (visible in the Keywords tab); aim for 6 or higher. Keywords with a Quality Score below 4 are costing you more per click and appearing in worse positions.

Days 5 to 7: Budget and bidding check

Are you hitting your daily budget every day? If yes, you are missing potential impressions. Consider increasing the budget or tightening your keywords. Check your average CPC against industry benchmarks for Singapore. Are conversions tracking correctly? Navigate to Goals > Conversions and confirm real leads are appearing.

Key metrics to watch

• Click-through rate (CTR): aim for 3% or higher on Search campaigns in Singapore. Below 2% suggests your ad copy or keywords need work
• Average CPC: compare to your industry benchmarks. If you are paying significantly more, review your Quality Scores and keyword relevance
• Conversion rate: varies by industry, but 2 to 5% is typical for Singapore service businesses
• Search impression share: the percentage of times your ad showed versus how many times it could have shown. Below 50% means you are missing opportunities

When not to panic: CPCs are often higher in the first few days as Google "learns" your account. Quality Scores may start low and improve as click-through rates build. Give your campaign at least 7 to 14 days before making major structural changes.

When to intervene: if your CTR is below 1% after 1,000 impressions, your ads or keywords need significant revision. If you are spending your budget but have zero conversions after 50 or more clicks, the problem is likely your landing page, not your ads. For a longer-term view on balancing paid and organic traffic, read our Google Ads vs SEO comparison.

We audit Google Ads accounts for Singapore businesses every week. These are the setup mistakes we see most often, all of which are avoidable if you follow the steps above.

1. Staying in Smart Mode: limited control means you cannot optimise properly. Always switch to Expert Mode before doing anything else
2. Setting currency to USD instead of SGD: this cannot be changed after account creation. You will need to start a new account if you get this wrong
3. Not switching location targeting to "Presence only": the default "Presence or interest" setting wastes budget on clicks from people outside Singapore
4. Leaving Display Network checked on Search campaigns: this sends budget to banner ads on websites instead of search results. Uncheck it
5. Using only Broad match keywords: broad match triggers your ads for loosely related searches, burning budget on irrelevant clicks
6. Sending all traffic to your homepage: use dedicated landing pages for each ad group. A homepage tries to do everything; a landing page focuses on one conversion action
7. Skipping conversion tracking: without it, Google's automated bidding has no signal to optimise towards. You are flying blind
8. Setting budget too low (under SGD 10/day): there is not enough data for Google to optimise. You end up spending money without learning anything useful
9. Not adding negative keywords from day one: this typically wastes 20 to 40% of your budget on irrelevant searches
10. Forgetting ad extensions: ads without extensions have lower ad rank and fewer clicks. They are free to add, so there is no excuse to skip them

Most of these mistakes can be fixed after the fact. The exceptions are currency and time zone, which are permanent. If you have already set up an account with the wrong currency, create a new one rather than trying to work around it.

How much does it cost to set up Google Ads in Singapore?

Creating a Google Ads account is free. You only pay when someone clicks your ad. The minimum recommended starting budget is SGD 600 to 1,500 per month (SGD 20 to 50 per day). Google also charges 9% GST on all ad spend for Singapore accounts. For a full cost breakdown including agency fees, see our Google Ads cost guide.

Do I need a business registration to run Google Ads in Singapore?

No, you can run Google Ads as an individual. However, if you select "Organisation" as your account type (recommended for businesses), you will need your ACRA registration documents for advertiser verification.

How long does it take to set up Google Ads?

Account creation takes 10 to 15 minutes. Building your first campaign takes 30 to 45 minutes. Advertiser verification takes one to three business days. Your ads can start showing within hours of campaign launch.

Should I use Smart Mode or Expert Mode?

Always use Expert Mode. Smart Mode hides most controls and limits your ability to optimise campaigns. You cannot set negative keywords, choose match types, or control network targeting in Smart Mode.

Can I claim GST on Google Ads spending in Singapore?

Yes, if your business is GST-registered with IRAS. Google charges 9% GST on all ad spend. Add your GST registration number in Billing settings to receive proper tax invoices for input tax claims.

What is the minimum budget for Google Ads in Singapore?

There is no minimum spend required by Google. However, we recommend at least SGD 20 per day (roughly SGD 600 per month) to gather enough data for meaningful optimisation. Below SGD 10 per day, Google cannot effectively test and learn from your campaigns.