The Complete Checklist for Onboarding a New Google Ads Client

Client onboarding is where agencies set the trajectory for the entire relationship. Rush it, and you spend the next three months cleaning up avoidable problems. Do it systematically, and you build a foundation that makes ongoing management smoother and results faster.

This checklist is designed to be handed directly to an account manager. It covers everything from the first access request through the handoff to ongoing management at day 30.

Phase 1: Pre-Launch (Days 1-5)

Access and Account Setup

• [ ] Obtain MCC access to the client's Google Ads account (or create a new account under your MCC if starting fresh)
• [ ] Verify billing is set up under the client's payment method, not the agency's
• [ ] Request Google Analytics access (at minimum Editor-level on the relevant property)
• [ ] Get Google Tag Manager access if the client uses it (most should)
• [ ] Request access to the client's CRM or lead management system if running lead gen campaigns
• [ ] Confirm Google Merchant Center access if running Shopping or Performance Max with product feeds
• [ ] Document all account IDs (Google Ads, Analytics, GTM, Merchant Center) in your client record

Conversion Tracking Audit

This is the single most important pre-launch task. Bad conversion tracking invalidates every optimization decision you'll make.

• [ ] Audit existing conversion actions. Are they tracking the right events? Are there duplicates? Are values accurate?
• [ ] Verify tag firing using Google Tag Assistant or GTM preview mode. Test every conversion action on the actual website.
• [ ] Check for double-counting. A common issue: the same conversion tracked via both Google Ads tag and imported from Analytics, or firing on page load instead of form submission.
• [ ] Set up offline conversion import if the client has a sales cycle (B2B, high-value purchases). Get the technical requirements documented early -- this often takes longer than expected.
• [ ] Configure conversion windows appropriately. The default 30-day click-through window works for most cases, but adjust for longer sales cycles.
• [ ] Set primary vs. secondary conversions. Only the actions you want Smart Bidding to optimize toward should be primary. Everything else (page views, micro-conversions) should be secondary/observation.

Discovery and Research

• [ ] Conduct a client intake meeting covering: business goals, target audience, competitive landscape, past advertising history, seasonal patterns, and budget expectations
• [ ] Review historical account data if the account has history. Identify what worked, what didn't, and why previous efforts may have stalled.
• [ ] Run a competitor analysis. Use Auction Insights (if the account has data), and tools like SpyFu or SEMrush to understand competitor positioning, ad copy themes, and estimated spend.
• [ ] Analyze the client's website for landing page quality, load speed, mobile experience, and conversion path. Flag issues that will affect campaign performance.
• [ ] Document the client's unique selling propositions. What makes them different? This drives all ad copy.
• [ ] Identify geographic targeting requirements. Where does the client serve? Are there regions to exclude?
• [ ] Understand the client's capacity constraints. Can they handle 50 leads/week? 200? Overdelivering leads that can't be followed up is worse than underdelivering.

Keyword and Audience Research

• [ ] Build a keyword universe using Google Keyword Planner, client input, competitor analysis, and search term data from any existing campaigns. Our keyword mixer can help you quickly combine modifiers, services, and locations into a complete keyword list.
• [ ] Segment keywords by intent: brand, non-brand high-intent, non-brand mid-intent, informational (usually exclude)
• [ ] Estimate search volume and CPC for budget validation — our CPC calculator can help here. Does the client's budget support the coverage they expect?
• [ ] Build initial negative keyword lists. Apply your agency's universal negative list plus any client-specific exclusions.
• [ ] Identify audience segments for observation or targeting: in-market audiences, custom segments, remarketing lists (if pixel data exists)

Phase 2: Launch Week (Days 5-10)

Campaign Structure

• [ ] Build campaigns following your agency's standard structure. Document any deviations and why.
• [ ] Separate brand and non-brand campaigns. Brand campaigns should have their own budget and bidding strategy.
• [ ] Create tightly themed ad groups with 5-15 keywords each (adjust based on match type strategy)
• [ ] Set geographic targeting at the campaign level. Use "Presence" targeting, not "Presence or interest" (the default), unless you specifically want to show ads to people researching the location.
• [ ] Configure ad scheduling if the client has hours of operation or if data suggests certain hours underperform
• [ ] Set device bid adjustments if there's historical data indicating device-level performance differences

Ad Copy

• [ ] Write 2-3 responsive search ads per ad group with at least 10 unique headlines and 4 descriptions per RSA. Use our character counter to check headlines (30 chars) and descriptions (90 chars) before uploading.
• [ ] Include the primary keyword theme in headlines 1-2. Pin only when you have strong reasons (brand compliance, proven winners).
• [ ] Add a clear call to action in at least one headline and one description
• [ ] Set up all relevant ad extensions:

- Sitelink extensions (minimum 4, ideally 6-8)

- Callout extensions (minimum 4)

- Structured snippets (at least 1 relevant header)

- Call extensions (if phone leads matter)

- Location extensions (if local business)

- Image extensions (if available and appropriate)

• [ ] Submit ads for client approval before launch if your contract requires it. Don't let this become a bottleneck -- set a 24-48 hour review window.

Bidding and Budget

• [ ] Choose an initial bidding strategy. For new campaigns without conversion data, consider starting with Maximize Clicks (with a max CPC cap) for the first 2-4 weeks to build data, then switching to a conversion-based strategy.
• [ ] Set daily budgets with a 10-15% buffer below the monthly target to account for Google's daily overspend allowance
• [ ] Configure shared budgets if multiple campaigns should draw from the same pool
• [ ] Document the target CPA or ROAS the client expects (use our CPA calculator and ROAS calculator to validate), and confirm whether it's realistic given keyword CPCs and expected conversion rates

Pre-Launch QA

• [ ] Review every campaign setting one more time: targeting, bidding, budget, schedule, networks (disable Search Partners and Display Network for Search campaigns unless intentional)
• [ ] Click through every ad's final URL to verify landing pages load correctly and tracking parameters pass through
• [ ] Test conversion tracking one final time end-to-end
• [ ] Take a screenshot of key settings as a "launch state" reference

Launch

• [ ] Enable campaigns during business hours so you can monitor initial performance
• [ ] Check delivery within the first 2 hours. Are ads showing? Are impressions and clicks coming in? Any disapprovals?
• [ ] Resolve any ad disapprovals immediately. Common issues: trademark usage, landing page policy violations, formatting errors.
• [ ] Send the client a "we're live" notification with a summary of what was launched

Phase 3: First 30 Days (Days 10-40)

Week 1 Post-Launch (Days 10-17)

• [ ] Monitor daily: spend pacing, CTR, impression share, and any delivery issues
• [ ] Review search terms report on day 3 and day 7. Add negatives for irrelevant queries. This is especially critical in the first week when broad and phrase match keywords are finding their footing.
• [ ] Check Quality Scores for all keywords. Flag any below 5 for investigation.
• [ ] Verify conversions are recording correctly in the account. Compare Google Ads conversion data with the client's CRM or Analytics to ensure numbers align.
• [ ] Adjust bids or max CPC caps if costs are significantly higher or lower than projected

Weeks 2-3 Post-Launch (Days 17-31)

• [ ] Conduct first performance review. Enough data has accumulated to identify early trends.
• [ ] Pause underperforming keywords that have accumulated sufficient data (typically 100+ clicks with no conversions, or a CPA 3x above target)
• [ ] Test new ad variations based on initial performance data. Which headlines are showing most? Which have the best CTR?
• [ ] Expand keyword lists based on search term opportunities found in the report
• [ ] Evaluate bidding strategy transition. If using Maximize Clicks, do you have enough conversion data (15-30 conversions in 30 days) to switch to Target CPA or Maximize Conversions?
• [ ] Set up automated rules or scripts for budget pacing alerts and performance anomaly detection
• [ ] Review landing page performance in Analytics. High bounce rates or low time-on-page may indicate a mismatch between ad messaging and landing page content.

Reporting Setup

• [ ] Build the client's recurring report. Include: spend, conversions, CPA/ROAS, CTR, impression share, and trend comparisons.
• [ ] Schedule the first client report delivery. Most clients expect a report within the first 2-3 weeks of launch.
• [ ] Prepare a narrative summary for the first report. Don't just send numbers -- explain what you're seeing, what you've changed, and what you plan to do next.
• [ ] Set expectations about the learning period. Month 1 is about building data and establishing baselines, not hitting final performance targets.

Baseline Documentation

• [ ] Document baseline metrics at the 30-day mark: average CPC, CTR, conversion rate, CPA, impression share, Quality Score distribution
• [ ] Record the current campaign structure as the "post-launch baseline" so future changes can be measured against a known state
• [ ] Note any client-specific quirks discovered during onboarding: seasonal patterns, internal approval processes, landing page limitations, CRM integration issues

Phase 4: Handoff to Ongoing Management (Day 30+)

• [ ] Conduct an internal handoff review (even if the same AM continues managing). Walk through what was learned, what's working, what needs attention.
• [ ] Transition to your standard optimization cadence: weekly search term review, biweekly bid adjustments, monthly reporting, quarterly strategy review.
• [ ] Set 60-day and 90-day performance milestones based on the 30-day baseline
• [ ] Schedule the first quarterly strategy review with the client to discuss results, adjust goals, and plan expansion
• [ ] Update your team's account documentation with everything learned during onboarding

Making This Work in Practice

Print this checklist. Put it in your project management tool. Assign deadlines to each phase. The specific items may need adjustment for your agency -- add steps for industries you specialize in, remove steps that don't apply to your service model.

The value isn't in the list itself. It's in the consistency. When every new client goes through the same thorough process, you eliminate the class of problems that come from things being forgotten, skipped, or assumed. The account manager who just joined your team last month should deliver the same onboarding quality as your most experienced team lead.

That's what process gets you. Not perfection, but a reliable floor that protects both your clients and your reputation.