How to Use Google Ad Manager for Your Small Business

What is Google Ad Manager?

Google Ad Manager is an ad management platform that helps businesses create and run campaigns. It debuted in June 2018, merging Google’s older advertising platforms, DoubleClick for Publishers and DoubleClick Ad Exchange. Google Ad Manager can act as an ad server or a platform for managing online ad sales.

Google Ad Manager — not to be confused with Google Ads — is primarily used to elevate the ad experience and optimize advertising campaigns for large digital publishers. It also helps advertisers and marketers analyze ad revenue and improve ROI through comprehensive, insightful reports.

Google says Google Ad Manager is a tool for professionals who need one location for monetizing all inventory types, including websites, mobile apps, videos and games. This platform also allows businesses to manage their ad revenue and use third-party networks to compete for ad inventory.

Google Ads vs. Ad Manager vs. AdSense vs. AdMob

Google is known for its suite of efficiency-boosting business tools. However, it can be challenging to differentiate between its various ad-management products and when to use them.

Here’s a brief overview of four popular Google business tools:

• Google Ads: Google Ads, which used to be called Google AdWords, is the company’s online ad platform. If you buy Google Ads, they can appear on an extensive network of Google properties, including Google Search, YouTube and the Google Display Network. Google Ads are a great way to drive traffic, increase brand awareness and boost sales.
• Google Ad Manager: Ad Manager is a management platform for Google Ads that includes comprehensive tools for campaign management, ad serving and more. Businesses or marketing agencies with more than one Google Ads account often use it to optimize ad revenue.
• Google AdSense: AdSense is a program that helps website owners reach target customers via displayed ads. These ads are placed based on a site’s content and user interests. If a user selects the ad, the website publisher gets paid.
• Google AdMob: AdMob focuses on mobile ads for app developers who want to grow their companies; developers can monetize their apps by serving global ads.

How to sign up for Google Ad Manager

Creating a Google Ad Manager account is straightforward for existing and new users.

Create a Google Ad Manager account.

1. Go to the Google Ad Manager homepage and select Go to Manager Accounts.

2. Sign in to your Google account or create a Google account. If you have multiple Google Ads or Gmail accounts, sign in under the account you want to establish as the managing account. You can use the same email address for up to 20 Google Ads accounts.
3. Enter an account display name and select whether you’re managing your own or other people’s accounts. Then fill in your billing country, time zone and the currency you’ll use to conduct business. (Google recommends choosing the time zone in which you work. Once established, the time zone can’t be changed.)
4. Complete the Captcha and select Submit. 

4. You’ll be taken to an overview of your new Google Ad Manager account. 

Add another Google Ad Manager account. 

There are two ways to create an additional Google Ad Manager account: from the sub-account settings and the performance page.

Create another Google Ad Manager account from the sub-account settings page:

1. Sign in to your Google Ad Manager account and select Accounts > Sub-account settings from the menu on the left. 

2. Select the blue plus sign.

3. Select Create new manager account.

4. Fill out the required information, complete the Captcha, and select Save and continue.

5. Click Select accounts to move specific accounts to the new Ad Manager or link accounts by entering customer IDs. Select Done. 

Create another Google Ad Manager account from the performance page:

1. Sign in to your Google Ad Manager account and select Accounts > Performance from the menu on the left. 

2. Click the blue plus sign and select Create new manager account.

3. As above, fill out the required information, complete the Captcha, and select Save and continue. Link accounts as necessary.

Invite users to your Google Ad Manager account.

It’s easy to invite employees and collaborators to your Google Ad Manager account and control permissions. 

1. Sign in to your Google Ad Manager account and select Admin > Access and security. 

2. Select the blue plus sign and fill out the required information on the users you’re inviting, including the permissions you want to allow.
3. Select Send invitation. 

How does Google Ad Manager work?

Google Ad Manager connects publishers with advertisers through a real-time bidding system, where ad inventory is auctioned to the highest bidder in milliseconds. Ad Manager also offers tools for managing direct ad sales, setting up campaigns, targeting specific audiences and tracking ad performance.

To use Google Ad Manager, publishers set up ad units within the platform and define their inventory’s parameters, such as ad formats and placements. They can then either sell this inventory to advertisers or allow it to be auctioned in Google’s ad exchange. The platform’s built-in analytics and reporting tools help publishers monitor ad performance and make data-driven decisions to maximize revenue.

Does Google Ad Manager really work for small businesses?

Google Ad Manager can be an effective tool for small businesses, particularly if they are looking to maximize ad revenue from multiple sources and have dedicated resources to leverage the platform’s comprehensive capabilities. According to Alexa Kurtz, marketing strategist and paid ad specialist for WebTek, small businesses will likely appreciate how easy Google Ad Manager makes conversion tracking.

“[It] is a great way to track your return on investment,” Kurtz noted. “Google [Ad Manager] will allow you to enter specific details when setting up conversion tracking, like lead worth. Thanks to that information, once you start generating leads, it can project about just how much profit you can expect to earn from the ads.”

Still, small businesses should note the following if they want to explore Google Ad Manager: 

• Small businesses should set goals. According to Kate Bielinski, owner of Kate Bielinski Marketing & Consulting, successfully using Google Ad Manager requires set goals and a matching strategy. “The ads, whether served on Google Ads or programmatic platforms, only bring users to the site,” Bielinski explained. “The advertiser needs to be prepared to convert the user with relevant and engaging content. This will also improve your conversion costs since part of Google’s bidding system ranks sites by Quality Score [and] relevance.”
• Small businesses must watch their ad spend. Small businesses must also pay careful attention to ad spending if they’re working with Google Ad Manager. Daniel Digiaimo, president of Baker Street Funding, cautions businesses to stay on top of their company’s ad spending and content. “If you just set it and forget it, you will end up with a mind-numbingly expensive bill and nothing to show for it,” Digiaimo warned. 

If your business has more straightforward needs and just wants to buy online ads to promote its products, Google Ad Manager may be overkill. Using a simpler tool like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or other platform-specific tools may be a better bet. 

Should small businesses work with advertising professionals?

While small businesses can create, run and optimize their own ads, many experts recommend hiring a professional — such as a marketing company — to manage all digital advertising and marketing efforts, including landing page optimization. Rhianna Chung, senior account manager at iQ 360 Inc., is one proponent.

“[When using a professional], you’ll generally get better ROI and protect your brand,” Chung explained. “A professional digital marketer may also help you with recommendations on how to optimize your landing pages, teach you best practices, and give you an edge against competitors.”

Chung also recommends looking for a certified Google Partner when choosing an agency to manage your ads because Google Partners are constantly evaluated on the performance of the campaigns they manage. Additionally, they have experience trafficking ads and knowledge of Google’s unique platform and promotions.

“Working with a certified Google Partner to manage your paid advertising campaign has a world of benefits,” Kurtz noted. “The one our clients tend to enjoy the most is simply the peace of mind in knowing that their PPC ads are in good hands. As a small business, or anyone choosing to partner with a company offering professional advertising services, you can rest assured knowing that while you manage your business, your partner is managing theirs. Being able to trust your PPC agency is a huge win.”

Maximize ad success with Google Ad Manager

Google Ad Manager provides a one-stop shop solution for businesses managing multiple ad accounts, allowing them to streamline operations, optimize ad performance and increase revenue. With comprehensive ad management tools, Google Ad Manager helps businesses maximize the value of their ad inventory across platforms like websites, mobile apps and videos. This platform is particularly useful for larger publishers and businesses needing to centralize their ad operations and gain deeper insights into their ad performance.

Amanda Clark contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.