TL;DR: Yes, you absolutely can control your Google Ads budget. Whether you’re working with $10 a day or $20,000 a month, Google Ads offers flexible budget options that let you stay in control of your spend and ROI. Here’s how…
Can I Control How Much I Spend on Google Ads?
When it comes to running Google Ads, one of the first questions clients ask us at Stellar Digital Media is: “Can I control how much I spend?”
The short answer? Yes. Absolutely. And if your current agency says otherwise, it’s time to talk to us.
Google Ads is built to give you complete control over your advertising spend, right down to the cent. Whether you’re a small business or an enterprise-level brand, you set the budget and Google works within it.
Here’s how it works.
Daily Budgets vs Monthly Spend: What’s the Difference?
When setting up your campaigns, Google Ads asks you to set a daily budget for each campaign. This is the average amount you’re comfortable spending per day.
Good to know: Google may exceed your daily budget on high-traffic days, but it won’t go over your monthly limit (calculated as daily budget multiplied by 30.4). So if your daily budget is $20, your monthly cap is approximately $608.
Ways to Control Your Google Ads Spend
- Campaign-Level Budgets – You can set a maximum daily budget per campaign. This helps you keep your spending segmented and manageable.
- Shared Budgets Across Campaigns – Perfect when multiple campaigns support the same objective. You set one shared cap and Google automatically distributes the spend.
- Bid Strategies and Limits – Smart Bidding strategies like Target CPA (Cost per Acquisition) or Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) let you control your spend while aiming for specific outcomes. You can also set maximum cost per click bids.
- Ad Scheduling – Avoid wasting budget during low-engagement times. You can choose to only show ads during your business hours or peak periods.
- Geo-Targeting – Only show ads in the locations you actually serve. That way, you don’t spend money on clicks that can’t convert.
What Happens If I Hit My Budget Cap?
Your ads stop running. Simple. Google automatically pauses your ads once your budget is reached. You’ll never receive a surprise invoice at the end of the month, provided your settings are correct.
Tips to Maximise Your Ad Budget
If you’re keen to get the most bang for your buck, we recommend:
- Using conversion tracking to measure performance
- Optimising landing pages to improve ad quality and lower costs
- Adding negative keywords to avoid irrelevant clicks
- Regular monitoring to adjust and improve results over time
Want expert eyes on your account? Let’s talk Google Ads
Why Work with Stellar Digital Media?
At Stellar, we make your budget work smarter. We don’t just “set up ads.” We create Google Ads campaigns backed by strategy, data and experience.
No fluff. No overspend. Just clever digital marketing that delivers.