Are you having trouble getting visibility with your Google ads?
Google ads not showing is a common problem for those who don’t have the inside track on AdWords.
It’s also troubling, particularly if you’re in a local market and not getting leads.
Fortunately, there are a few easy fixes that can make sure your advertisements are plastered over the top of the page. Let’s get right to it and we’ll help you troubleshoot your advertisements.
First Things First: Declined Payments and Paused Campaigns
The first things to take a look at are obvious, but you’d be surprised at how often users fall prey to them.
An errant click will occasionally pause a campaign. The first thing to do is to make sure that the campaign is still running. If you’ve accidentally checked the pause button you’re not going to show at all.
The second thing you’ll want to make sure of is that your last payment to Google AdWords went through. Sometimes a card gets declined for various reasons and if you haven’t paid last month’s bill Google isn’t going to show your ads.
Check Your Bids
Bidding is the central component of your PPC campaigns and it’s one of the most common reasons for ads failing to show.
Bid too low and you’ll end up not showing at all. Most people are aware of that, but the other direction can be just as detrimental.
When you bid too high you may burn through your budget before you’ve even had a chance to make your first sale. It’s a common mistake for newbies and you can adjust your bids or budget accordingly to get your ads showing again.
Bidding really high isn’t always the best way to do things, however, even if you have the budget to do so. You may end up spending ten times more than your competitors if you don’t keep a tight leash on your AdRank as well.
Take a Look at Your Keywords
Sometimes the search volume for the keyword targeted isn’t there. Keyword research isn’t something you can skip over, particularly if you’re new to using AdWords.
Search volume indicates how many monthly searches roll in for each of the keywords that you’ve chosen to use. Despite what some people will tell you, you can actually use the built-in keyword tools quite effectively.
It can take some additional research into how to use Google Keyword Planner more effectively if you’re insistent on handling things yourself, but the effort will reward you with better results than virtually any other aspect of your PPC campaign.
Or, you may be stuck bidding for keywords that have huge search volumes and commercial potential. In those cases, the competition may simply be drowning you out through virtue of higher budgets and professional assistance.
You may need to move to long-tail keywords and question-like queries in order to have your ads seen on a regular basis.
When it comes down to it, your keywords are the beating heart central to your paid advertising and the time spent will be well-rewarded in most cases.
Is Your Copy Relevant?
Google AdWords doesn’t allow a lot of room for advertising copy. You’ve really only got 270 characters to make the most of.
That means a tight focus on keywords and relevancy, rather than flowery ad copy, is the best way to increase your AdRank.
Leave out the mottos and slogans, unless they were designed with keywords in mind, and instead focus on making sure that anyone reading it knows exactly what you’re selling before they click on the ad.
The truth is that this limitation isn’t too bad. When someone is targeting a keyword with commercial intent they’ll often only read the headline. Just make sure to keep things tight and relevant for the best results.
Your Landing Page and CTR
There are two more components that people often overlook.
Your landing page has to be relevant to the keywords and ad copy you use. People will occasionally get the bright idea to slide into a niche with higher volume but zero relevance towards what they’re selling.
Think someone selling hiking boots but using ads masquerading for cheap Air Jordan sneakers and you’ll see the problem. Google’s focus is always on the end user’s experience and if your ad detracts from that it’ll get shuffled out quickly.
Google’s algorithms are great at sniffing out schemes like that. You can also do it on accident, just not showing what users what their original search intent was looking for. It’s a good idea to check which keywords you’re looking at and see if there could be any confusion.
Google also rewards ads that perform well in the first place. If your click-through ratio is too low you’ll be penalized, while ads that are relevant and receive a lot of clicks will generally have their AdRank improved over time.
It’s all about relevance for the end-user and whether or not Google thinks your ad will be helpful. You’re certainly paying them well, but they’re a titan because they focus on the search engine user and not necessarily on the people who are paying for their ads to be placed.
Google Ads Not Showing? Not a Problem
It can be frustrating to find your Google ads not showing. We recommend going through the above before you start to panic, they’re all quick and easy fixes after all.
In the end, however, many small businesses simply don’t have time to create campaigns that are complex enough to really shine. That’s where professionals come in.
If you’re looking to make sure that your next Google AdWords campaign really makes a splash, why not contact us and see what we can do to help your marketing efforts.