10 Reasons Your Google Ads Aren't Showing—And How to Fix It
So, you've thrown a pile of cash at Google Ads, but your ads are nowhere to be seen. Frustrating, isn't it? You're haemorrhaging money and opportunities because your ads are playing hide and seek. Well, it's time to get to the bottom of this mess. Here are 10 reasons why your Google Ads aren't showing—and, more importantly, how to fix them.
1. Ad Disapproval Due to Policy Violations
The Problem
Google isn't shy about pulling the plug on ads that violate their policies. If your ad breaches any of their guidelines—think misleading content, prohibited products, or inappropriate language—it won't see the light of day. Common culprits include:
- Unacceptable Content: Ads promoting counterfeit goods, dangerous products, or illicit services.
- Misleading Claims: Overpromising or making unverifiable claims like "Cure cancer in a week!"
- Trademark Violations: Using trademarked terms without permission.
How to Fix It
- Check Notifications: Google usually sends an email or displays a notification in your account explaining why your ad was disapproved.
- Review Google's Ad Policies: Familiarise yourself with the policies to understand where you went wrong.
- Edit Your Ad: Make the necessary changes to comply with the guidelines. This might involve rewording your ad copy, removing prohibited content, or adjusting your landing page.
- Resubmit for Approval: Once you've made the changes, resubmit your ad. Google typically reviews ads within one business day, but it can take longer.
Pro Tip
Keep a copy of the policy guidelines handy when creating new ads to avoid future disapprovals. Prevention is better than cure.
2. Low Ad Rank
The Problem
Your Ad Rank determines whether your ad shows up at all and in what position. It's calculated based on:
- Your Bid Amount
- Ad Quality (Quality Score)
- Expected Impact of Ad Extensions and Formats
If your Ad Rank is too low, your ad won't display, especially in competitive markets.
How to Fix It
- Increase Your Bid: If you're being a tight-arse with your bids, consider upping them to be more competitive.
- Improve Ad Quality:
- Enhance Ad Relevance: Ensure your ad copy closely matches the keywords you're targeting.
- Boost Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR): Write compelling ad copy that encourages clicks.
- Optimise Landing Page Experience: Make sure your landing page is relevant, loads quickly, and is easy to navigate.
- Utilise Ad Extensions: Add site links, callouts, structured snippets, and other extensions to make your ad more appealing and improve its expected impact.
Pro Tip
Regularly monitor your Quality Score to identify areas for improvement. A higher Quality Score can lower your cost per click and improve your ad position.
3. Budget Constraints
The Problem
If your daily budget is tighter than a fish's backside, your ads might not show all the time—or at all. Once your budget is depleted for the day, Google stops showing your ads, leading to missed opportunities.
How to Fix It
- Increase Daily Budget: Allocate more funds to keep your ads running throughout the day, especially during peak times.
- Optimise Spend:
- Pause Underperforming Keywords: Shift budget away from keywords that aren't delivering results.
- Adjust Geographic Targeting: Focus on locations that generate the most conversions.
- Use Bid Adjustments: Decrease bids for less profitable times of day or devices to stretch your budget further.
- Implement Shared Budgets: If you have multiple campaigns, a shared budget can help distribute funds where they're needed most.
Pro Tip
Use the "Limited by budget" indicator in your Google Ads account to identify campaigns that might need budget adjustments.
4. Keyword Bid Is Too Low
The Problem
Your keyword bids might be so low that you're not even in the running. If competitors are outbidding you, your ads will be left in the dust, especially for high-competition keywords.
How to Fix It
- Raise Your Bids: Increase your maximum cost-per-click (CPC) bids to be more competitive in the auction.
- Focus on Long-Tail Keywords: Target less competitive, more specific keywords that are often cheaper and have higher conversion rates.
- Use Bid Simulators: Google's bid simulator can help you understand how bid changes might affect your ad's visibility and performance.
- Implement Automated Bidding Strategies: Use strategies like Target CPA or Maximise Conversions to optimise bids automatically.
Pro Tip
Balance is key. Don't just throw money at the problem; ensure that higher bids are justified by the potential return on investment.
5. Ad Scheduling Restrictions
The Problem
You've set your ads to run only at certain times, and surprise, surprise—they're not showing when you expect. Maybe you didn't realise your scheduling was set to the wrong time zone or excluded peak hours.
How to Fix It
- Review Ad Schedule Settings: Check your campaign settings to see when your ads are set to run.
- Adjust Time Zones: Ensure your account is using the correct time zone, especially if your target audience is in a different region.
- Expand Schedule: Consider running ads 24/7, especially if you have an e-commerce site that can take orders around the clock.
- Use Bid Adjustments: If certain times perform better, increase bids during those periods rather than restricting other times completely.
Pro Tip
Analyse performance data to identify peak times for conversions and adjust your ad schedule accordingly.
6. Geographic Targeting Issues
The Problem
Your ads are targeting locations where your customers aren't—or worse, they're excluded from areas where your customers are. This can happen due to incorrect settings or misinterpretation of targeting options.
How to Fix It
- Check Location Settings: Go to your campaign settings and verify that you're targeting the correct countries, regions, or cities.
- Adjust Targeting Options:
- Presence or Interest: Decide whether to target people in your targeted locations, those searching for them, or both.
- Exclude Irrelevant Areas: Make sure you're not inadvertently excluding locations where potential customers are.
- Use Location Groups: Target areas based on demographics, such as places of interest or household income levels.
Pro Tip
Use Google's Geographic Report to see where your clicks and conversions are actually coming from, and adjust your targeting based on real data.
7. Negative Keywords Conflict
The Problem
You've added negative keywords to prevent irrelevant clicks, but they've ended up blocking your ads from showing on important searches. Overzealous use of negative keywords can inadvertently suppress your ads.
How to Fix It
- Audit Negative Keywords: Review your negative keyword list for any terms that might conflict with your target keywords.
- Use Keyword Diagnostics: In Google Ads, use the keyword diagnosis tool to identify any negative keyword conflicts.
- Adjust Match Types: Use precise match types for negative keywords to avoid blocking too many variations.
- Regularly Monitor Search Terms Report: Identify any valuable queries that are being blocked and adjust your negative keywords accordingly.
Pro Tip
Be cautious with broad match negative keywords, as they can block a wide range of search queries, some of which might be valuable.
8. Low Search Volume Keywords
The Problem
You're targeting keywords that hardly anyone is searching for. Google deactivates keywords with very low search volumes until activity increases, meaning your ads won't show for these terms.
How to Fix It
- Find Relevant Keywords: Use Keyword Planner to discover keywords with sufficient search volumes that are still relevant to your business.
- Expand Match Types: Consider using broad match or phrase match to capture more search variations.
- Group Similar Keywords: Consolidate low-volume keywords into ad groups with more general terms.
- Monitor Performance: Keep an eye on these keywords; if they start gaining traction, you can adjust your strategy accordingly.
Pro Tip
Balance specificity with search volume. Extremely niche keywords might not be worth the effort if no one is searching for them.
9. Campaign or Ad Group Paused
The Problem
It might sound obvious, but sometimes campaigns or ad groups are accidentally paused or set to end on a past date. This can happen during account maintenance or when multiple people manage the account.
How to Fix It
- Check Status Indicators: In your Google Ads dashboard, look for any campaigns or ad groups marked as "Paused" or "Ended."
- Review Start and End Dates: Ensure your campaigns are set to run during the desired time frame.
- Reactivate as Needed: If something's paused, simply switch it back to "Enabled."
- Implement Change History Monitoring: Regularly check the change history to see if any unintended changes have been made.
Pro Tip
Set up alerts or notifications to inform you if a campaign or ad group has been paused or ended unexpectedly.
10. Billing Issues
The Problem
If there's a problem with your payment method—expired credit card, insufficient funds, or a declined transaction—Google will stop showing your ads faster than you can say "overdraft."
How to Fix It
- Update Payment Information: Ensure your credit card details are current and that the card hasn't expired.
- Check for Payment Holds: Look for any notifications in your account regarding billing issues.
- Add Backup Payment Methods: Include an additional payment method to prevent interruptions.
- Monitor Billing Thresholds: Be aware of your billing thresholds and payment due dates to prevent unexpected pauses.
Pro Tip
Set up automatic payments and notifications to stay ahead of any billing issues that could disrupt your campaigns.
Bonus Tip: Monitor Your Account Regularly
The Problem
Set-and-forget is a recipe for disaster in Google Ads. Without regular monitoring, small issues can snowball into big problems, causing your ads to stop showing without you even realising.
How to Fix It
- Set Up Alerts: Use Google Ads notifications to alert you of any significant changes or issues.
- Regular Audits: Schedule time each week to review your campaigns, keywords, and ads.
- Use Google Ads Scripts: Automate routine checks and get notified of anomalies.
- Stay Updated: Keep abreast of Google Ads updates and policy changes that might affect your campaigns.
Pro Tip
Consider using third-party tools or partnering with a professional agency to keep a vigilant eye on your campaigns.
Final Thoughts
If your Google Ads aren't showing, it's not just a minor hiccup—it's a bloody catastrophe that's costing you leads and sales. But don't panic. By systematically checking these ten common issues, you can identify the roadblocks and get your ads back in the game.
Remember, Google Ads isn't a set-and-forget platform. It requires ongoing attention and optimisation. If you're too busy running your business to play whack-a-mole with ad issues, it might be time to bring in the experts.
At Paragon Panda, we don't just set up Google Ads—we manage them like a well-oiled machine, ensuring maximum ROI and zero headaches. We stay on top of all the nitty-gritty details so you don't have to.
Ready to supercharge your Google Ads and leave your competitors eating dust? Let's chat.