The order matters. Setting up Google Ads before GA4 is tracking conversions is like buying a car before building the road. Each step in this timeline unlocks the next one, and skipping ahead creates gaps that are frustrating to fix later.
Image placeholder
Setup timeline overview graphic
A horizontal timeline graphic showing all 7 steps across a roughly 4-week arc. Steps 1-3 are in the first week, steps 4-5 in week two, steps 6-7 in weeks three and four. Visual indicator shows which steps are free vs paid. Helps readers see the full journey before they start.
1
Day 1 · 30 minutes
Create a Google account and set up GA4
Go to analytics.google.com and create a new GA4 property. Add the Google tag to your website (your developer, WordPress plugin, or Google Tag Manager can do this). Verify data is flowing in by checking the Realtime report. Until you have seen live data in GA4, nothing else is reliable.
2
Day 1 · 15 minutes
Set up Google Search Console and verify ownership
Go to search.google.com/search-console and add your property. The quickest verification method is through your Google Analytics tag (if you already have it on your site, Search Console can use it). Once verified, submit your sitemap so Google can crawl your pages more efficiently.
3
Day 2 · 20 minutes
Link Search Console to GA4
In GA4, go to Admin, then "Search Console links" and connect your property. This gives you organic search query data inside GA4. It takes a day or two before data starts flowing through the link.
4
Week 1 · 45 minutes
Define and configure your conversion events in GA4
Decide what a "conversion" means for your business: a purchase, a form submission, a phone number click, a booking completion. Mark those events as key events in GA4. This step is a prerequisite for running paid ads intelligently. Do not move to step 5 until this is done.
Image placeholder
GA4 key events configuration screenshot
Annotated screenshot of the GA4 Admin panel showing the "Key events" screen with a purchase event and a form submission event both marked as key events. Callout highlights the toggle that marks an event as a key event. Common mistake shown: having zero key events configured.
5
Week 2 · 30 minutes
Set up Google Ads and link it to GA4
Create your Google Ads account at ads.google.com. Then in GA4, go to Admin and "Google Ads links" to connect the two. Once linked, import your GA4 key events into Google Ads as conversions. This is the step that allows Google Ads to optimise for real business results rather than just clicks.
6
Week 3 · 60 minutes
Set up Merchant Center (eCommerce only)
If you sell products, go to merchants.google.com and create your account. Prepare a product feed (Google's format for your product catalogue) and submit it. Fix any feed errors before they accumulate. Link Merchant Center to Google Ads so you can run Shopping campaigns. If you are not selling products, skip this step entirely.
7
Week 3-4 · Ongoing
Launch your first paid campaign
You are now ready to run paid ads with a proper measurement foundation. In Google Ads, build your first campaign (Search campaigns are a good starting point for most businesses). Set a conservative daily budget, write at least 3 ad variations per ad group, and let the campaign run for at least two weeks before making major changes. Google's smart bidding needs conversion data to calibrate.
The most common timeline mistake is setting up Google Ads in week one before GA4 is collecting conversions. If you skip step 4, you will spend money on clicks with no way to tell which ones turned into customers.
The timeline above gets you from zero to a fully instrumented paid campaign in about three to four weeks. In Chapter 5, we look at what to actually watch once everything is live.