Why Isn’t My Ad Showing Up When I Google Myself?

The Ultimate Google Ads PPC Kit

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When you put a lot of thought and effort into crafting a great Google ad, a logical next step is pulling up Google and searching your practice. It’s reasonable to think that your new ad would pop right up with the search terms you’re targeting, but it’s important to know this isn’t always the case. There are plenty of reasons that Google ads don’t show up on the search results page (or even the Ad Preview tool). Here we’ll troubleshoot some of the main reasons your ads aren’t showing up and how your marketing specialist can help.

Payment issues

Google paid ads only function smoothly when your finances are in order. Firstly, check that your payments went through. Be aware of your payment schedule (when you hit your payment threshold, or you reach the end of your billing period) so you can keep an eye on your accounts and make sure there’s sufficient funds there – also make sure your information is up to date. If Google can’t draw funds from your account, your ads won’t show up.

Minimum and maximum bids

Make sure to double check your daily budget for Google Ad campaigns. If your maximum cost per click (CPC) bid is higher than your campaign budget, it can cause your ads to be absent even for searches that match your keywords. On the other side, Google won’t show ads for bids that are too low. Make sure to check in with your marketing specialist or use the bid simulator in your Google Ads account to find the sweet spot for your ad campaign.

Negative bid adjustments

Negative bid adjustments will automatically decrease your bids based on parameters you set (like location, device, and time of day). Although this can be extremely helpful, if you set these to be too extreme, it can automatically knock you out of the competition. Play around with the bid simulator in your Google Ads account or consult your marketing specialist to find the right adjustments.

Negative keywords

Negative keywords keep your ads from showing up in irrelevant searches. It’s always good to have a large, robust list of negative keywords to make sure your ad ends up in front of the right users. However, negative keywords can negate your target keywords and override them, causing the ad to not show up. For example, let’s say you’re running an ad targeting “breast reduction” for women. A logical negative keyword would be “male breast reduction,” but since they so closely overlap, your negative keyword can cancel it out. A quick fix is to set “male breast reduction” to be an exact match rather than a broad match so you won’t have men searching for gynecomastia surgery ending up with your ad for breast reduction.

Low search volume

The visibility of your Google ad depends on the search volume demanding it. If you’re targeting a search term that has very little traffic, Google will mark your ad as inactive before automatically reactivating it when there’s more interest in your keyword. This means it’s important to be strategic about targeting keywords with sufficient volume with the help of your marketing specialist.

Low click-through rate

Your click-through rate is a measure of how successful your ads are at getting users to click on them. The reality is that Google rewards advertisers that create engaging and compelling ads. If your click-through rate is low, it may be time to take another look at your ad copy and keyword targets with the help of your marketing specialist.

Removal, disapproval, or paused status

Sometimes, ads can accidentally be paused or removed. Make sure to double check that your ads are enabled (as well as the campaigns that contain them). You can also check your change history to see if anything has been accidentally removed from your account. Finally, it’s possible that your ad has been disapproved by Google’s ad policies and won’t show up – in this case, you’ll need to make changes to your ad to get it back up and running.

Scheduling or targeting mistakes

You can customize your Google ads to target specific days and hours, as well as locations. Make sure to double check that your parameters aren’t too narrow and are relevant to your targets. It’s possible that the times you’ve selected are too brief or there isn’t enough traffic coming from the targeted location.  Finally, double check that your targeted location is correct and hasn’t accidentally been set to a different place.

Not enough ad focus

Even the best Google ad is only as effective as its keyword focus. Google delivers your ad to users who enter a specific query, so if your keywords are too broad, you’re likely to be outbid by higher-budget ads (which can more competitively target generic search terms). The best way to build an effective ad campaign is by selecting specific keywords that are closely related so your ad has a greater chance of encountering users – no matter which related keyword they use.

Poor content optimization

In order for Google to know that your ad is relevant to a search, it has to be optimized for that keyword. If your content isn’t keyword-focused, it’s likely that Google doesn’t see it as relevant to a user’s query. In fact, your ad should have lots of relevant keywords in order to match up with users – but don’t just plug in keywords haphazardly. Consult your marketing specialist or use the Google Ads keyword tool for the most relevant keywords that will deliver your ad to users.

Irrelevant landing page

Google actually looks at your landing page along with your ad. It determines whether your landing page is relevant to your ad and, in turn, whether your ad will deliver relevant content to users. So, if your landing page is advertising a different product or service than what you’re targeting with Google Ads, it can hurt your chances. For example, your ad is targeting tummy tuck, but your landing page is optimized for breast augmentation. This is where it can be helpful to consult your digital marketing team on how your ad can inform your landing page and vice versa.  

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Still got questions about Google Ads? Our team of marketing specialists and PPC experts can help you optimize your ads to boost clicks and deliver your practice to the right users. Give us a call to learn more about our digital marketing products and services or fill out our online contact form.