Google Workspace for Brand Email: Complete Setup Guide

Why Google Workspace for Your Brand

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is the most popular business email solution for good reason. You get Gmail's powerful interface with your custom domain, plus Google Drive, Calendar, Meet, and Docs — everything a new brand needs to operate professionally.

Plans and Pricing

Business Starter ($7/user/month)

• 30GB storage per user
• Custom email (you@yourbrand.com)
• Google Meet (100 participants)
• Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides

Best for: Solo entrepreneurs and small teams.

Business Standard ($14/user/month)

• 2TB storage per user
• Recording in Google Meet
• Shared drives for team storage

Best for: Growing teams needing more storage and collaboration.

Business Plus ($22/user/month)

• 5TB storage per user
• Advanced security features
• Vault for e-discovery and retention

Best for: Businesses with compliance requirements.

For most new brands, Business Starter is more than enough.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Sign Up

Visit workspace.google.com and start a trial. You'll need:

• Your business name
• Number of employees
• Your domain name (yourbrand.com)

If you don't have a domain yet, check availability with BrandScout first.

2. Verify Your Domain

Google needs to confirm you own the domain. Options:

• Add a TXT record to your DNS (most common)
• Upload an HTML file to your website
• Add a meta tag to your homepage

The TXT record method is simplest. Google provides the exact record to add.

3. Configure MX Records

Replace your existing MX records with Google's:

| Priority | Server | |----------|--------| | 1 | ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM | | 5 | ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM | | 5 | ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM | | 10 | ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM | | 10 | ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM |

These tell email servers to deliver your mail to Google's servers.

4. Set Up SPF

Add this TXT record to your DNS:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

This authorizes Google to send email on behalf of your domain.

5. Enable DKIM

In the Google Admin Console:

1. Go to Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail
2. Click "Authenticate email"
3. Generate a DKIM key
4. Add the provided TXT record to your DNS
5. Start authentication

6. Configure DMARC

Add a TXT record for _dmarc.yourbrand.com:

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourbrand.com

Start with p=none (monitor only) and move to p=reject once you've verified everything works.

7. Create User Accounts

In the Admin Console, add users. Each user gets:

• An email address (name@yourbrand.com)
• Access to all Google Workspace apps
• Their own storage allocation

Essential Email Addresses to Create

• hello@ or info@ — General inquiries
• support@ — Customer service
• admin@ — Account management (keep private)
• yourname@ — Your personal business email

Set up email aliases (free) for addresses that should forward to a real user.

Google Workspace Tips for Brand Owners

Custom Email Signatures

Create a branded signature with:

• Your name and title
• Company name and logo
• Phone number and website
• Social media links

Use Google Workspace's signature editor or a tool like WiseStamp.

Groups for Team Email

Create Google Groups for shared addresses. support@yourbrand.com can deliver to multiple team members without needing separate accounts.

Drive for Brand Assets

Use Google Drive to organize:

• Brand guidelines and logos
• Marketing materials
• Contracts and proposals
• Shared team resources

Calendar for Scheduling

Set up a branded calendar for:

• Client meetings
• Content publishing schedules
• Team meetings

Migrating From Gmail

If you've been using a personal Gmail account:

1. Set up Google Workspace with your domain
2. Use the data migration tool to import old emails
3. Update your email address with clients and services
4. Set up forwarding from your old Gmail to your new address

Common Setup Mistakes

• Not waiting for DNS propagation — MX record changes can take up to 48 hours
• Forgetting to set up SPF/DKIM — Your emails may land in spam
• Using the wrong MX priority values — Follow Google's exact specifications
• Not testing before announcing — Send test emails to Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo

Your Google Workspace Checklist

• [ ] Account created and trial started
• [ ] Domain verified
• [ ] MX records configured
• [ ] SPF record added
• [ ] DKIM enabled and configured
• [ ] DMARC record added
• [ ] User accounts created
• [ ] Email signatures set up
• [ ] Test emails sent and verified

Start with the right domain. Use BrandScout to find an available domain for your brand, then set up Google Workspace for professional email that builds credibility with every message you send.