All your campaigns are set up, you’ve defined all your ad groups and keywords, budgets are set up and your billing information is on the account. You activate your Google Ads campaign with great expectations, and then, nothing. No spend. No impressions. No clicks.
Don’t worry, it can happen to anyone and this is quite a popular question we are asked at Push so we can help you with the answer. Chances are, there is one issue in your account that is preventing your ad text from appearing in the search results. There are several possible reasons why your ads aren’t showing in Google.
We have listed the top 10 reasons below:
1. You’re not running this specific Keyword
One obvious reason on why you are not seeing your ads on Google is that you are searching for a keyword that is not in your campaign. This keyword might not be running due to no search volume, or was running in the past but has been paused due to a high CPA and/or for leads of bad quality.
2. Check your ad status
You might have the scenario that your ad status is “Approved (limited)”. That means Google will still show your ads but not in all situations. Some of Google policies restrict certain ads or the use of certain words. An example of this could be in the use of trademarks if you don’t own them.
3. Your Targeted Keywords have Low Search Volume
Sometimes, even if you have thought through all the keywords combinations, some of your targeted keywords might have low search volumes, meaning not enough people will be searching for your keyword for your ad to trigger. According to your budget, Google Ads will choose to give preference to another combination.
4. You are doing a search in the wrong location
When your campaigns are targeting specific areas, you need to be exactly in that specific area in order to see your ads. But what if your campaigns are targeting Harefield and you are currently doing the search physically in Harefield? When we say “your location” we are in reality referring to your device location. Is your mobile device pinpointing you near the Town Hall or in your previous location when you used the Internet for the last time while you were travelling to go to work? A similar scenario is happening if you use a computer, as the location will be dependent on what IP is identifying you, or the location set up on the Google account you are using. So even if you are physically at the exact location of your campaign to see your ads, the device you use might be somewhere else.
5. You might have an ad schedule in place
Searching for your ads on a Wednesday morning but cannot see any? You might have an ad schedule in place. Often, in order to optimise campaigns, deep dives & analysis allow us to focus on what time of the day (and which days) are the more likely to bring you the highest number conversions. Why should you spend money on a Wednesday morning when you know your conversion rate is really low and you are more likely to convert on a Thursday afternoon? Reattributing your budget is a good idea to maximise the return on investment.
6. Too many searches
Google looks at your daily budget and keywords and tries to ensure it shows you evenly throughout the day. If your budget is low it’s possible your ads will not show at all times. As a rule of thumb, you should never Google yourself. Indeed, when you see your ad but don’t click on it, you are reducing your CTR – in other words, the percentage of people who click your advert over a competitor and this is causing your CPC to increase.
In addition, if you are already searching for your ads sometimes, you should never do it on a regular basis. If you do and don’t click on your ad, Google will just assume your own ad is not relevant to you and will try and show other results. If you want to be sure how often you appear when people search, just have a look at your impression share and your average position.
7. Is your budget enough?
Your actual spend is going to vary each day. It may be that at the time you search, your daily budget is already depleted and you will not show for the rest of the day. If you have budget left but not enough to show your ads for every single search your ad would be relevant to appear, you might not see your ad because Google will, by default, try and stretch your daily budget throughout the day.
8. Campaign/Ad Group Paused
A fundamental element for any Campaign or Ad Group is Active vs. Paused status. It may seem intuitive, but make sure your Campaign and Ad Group are set Active.
9. Negative Keywords
Adding negative keywords to your campaigns is a good great idea to block undesired traffic, but you must be careful, especially when using broad match. Review your negative keyword list and make sure that you have not added Negative Keywords to Campaigns or Ad Groups at the campaign or ad group level that nullify your keywords within any given ad group.
10. Patience
If all else fails, sometimes it is best to wait. Google ad text and keyword approvals can take up to five days. When you submit your ad text and keywords, you will be in the Google review and approvals queue. If it has been more than five days, contact a Google rep to see if your keywords and ads have been approved. Here is a related post about reasons why your ads aren’t showing in Google.
Conclusion
If you have worked through the entire list and still don’t see results, it is time to contact us as your account may have bigger problems than bids, budgets, and ad text approvals and we will be happy to help,
#push4growth
