Time to read: 7 minutes
Utilizing Google Ads can be greatly beneficial for your business, as they can drive new customers to your site and boost your revenue. And once you start a Google Ads campaign, you’ll certainly want to start keeping an eye on everything – unfortunately, sometimes you can hit a snag.
It is important to know that on some occasions, you may not always see your advertisements run when you do a Google search of your own. This is completely normal, so don’t worry!
There are many different reasons why you may not be able to see your ads, especially right after you begin your campaign. Let’s take a look at what’s going on.
Why Can’t I See My Ads? 11 Common Issues You May Be Having
There are both performance and non-performance-related challenges that might be preventing your ads from running on Google. So even if you are following Google’s best practices, it is possible that your ads still might not be running due to one of the following:
- Your bids need adjustments – Your budget for each of your Google Ads campaigns is set by you. If your maximum cost-per-click (CPC) bid for a keyword is higher than your campaign’s total budget, your ad won’t appear for searches related to that keyword. On the contrary, your ads won’t show because your bids are too low, meaning some competitors’ ads may appear first if they paid more for that advertisement space.
- Organic results show instead – When you conduct a Google search, your business may show up organically based on the keywords you entered, omitting a paid ad.
- Results appearing on later pages – Again, depending on your budget, your advertisement may show up on the second or third page of Google.
- Google thinks you aren’t interested – If you type in keywords to find your ad, but you do not click on the ad, Google may think that you are not interested. So, it will not keep showing you the same advertisement in the future.
- Your IP address is linked to your Google Ads account – If your IP address is linked to your Google Ads account, Google will not show you your own ads because you are the creator of them.
- Your payment didn’t go through – Google charges you when you reach your pre-set payment threshold or when you reach the end of your current billing period. For the payment to be processed, the payment information must be valid and up-to-date. If Google can’t charge you, your ads will not show up.
- Keyword search volume is too low – The ads tied to your keyword may be ineligible to show if the keyword drives minimal search traffic. If Google sees you targeting a low-volume keyword, it deactivates it in your account. Once the search volume returns to a reasonable level, Google reactivates the keyword.
- Your account is under review – If Google detects unusual activity or billing issues, there is a possibility that your account will be under review. Since this is a security threat, your campaigns will be inactive while the account is under review. Unfortunately, there is a temporary pause in your ads during this time.
- Negative keywords are canceling out active keywords – Negative keywords allow you to keep your ads targeted to relevant queries. If your ads aren’t showing, it may be due to the fact that you have negative keywords working against your active ones.
- There’s a targeting or scheduling mistake – You tell Google which days of the week and hours of the day you want your ads to show. There is a possibility that there is not enough keyword search traffic coming from the geographic region you are trying to target. It is important to make sure your campaign targeting isn’t set to be too narrow.
- Recently launched or updated campaigns – New or edited ads can take time (up to 24 hours) to pass Google’s approval process before they start showing up in Google. Therefore, recently launched or updated campaigns might not be showing up on Google.
“A lot of factors can contribute to an ad not showing during a Google search, including keywords being outbid, quality score, ad schedule, search frequency, and limited daily budgets. It’s important to know that ads may not show in every search and just because you aren’t seeing your ad, it doesn’t mean that your ad wasn’t selected for a different search. It could also possibly be further down on the second or third results page.” – Andrea Ozello, PPC Director
FAQs About Google Ads Troubleshooting & How to Fix It
Here are some commonly asked questions about troubleshooting why your ads aren’t showing on Google:
What are some strategies that can be used to improve ad performance?
- Use AI to help write headlines – Try using AI to structure messaging to closely align with brands, enhancing the quality of the content.
- Perform A/B testing – Use A/B testing to optimize ads, landing pages, and keywords that you are using. It is also possible to test campaigns against each other with the same budget to see which is going to perform the best.
- Include assets – Add photos, videos, links, and other CTAs that make ads more dynamic and improve chances of being clicked on. Then, track their success within the “assets” feature within Google Ads.
How can I contact support?
Get support through live chat, phone, or email in your dashboard. Higher-spending accounts may have access to dedicated account managers, while smaller businesses use help or email.
How long does the ad review process take?
Google usually approves ads within 1 business day, but manual reviews or sensitive ads may take up to 2 business days.
How can I fix a suspended Google Ads account?
If you notice your Google Ads account is suspended, review the reason for suspension, resolve the policy or billing issues, and then file an appeal with detailed explanations and evidence that the issue was fixed.
How Do I Make Sure My Ads Are Effective?
Now that we have determined some of the possible causes as to why you might not see your ads in a Google search, let’s highlight some of the ways to ensure your ads are getting out there.
- Include a call-to-action – By telling people explicitly what you want them to do in your ads, you encourage them to engage with your business.
- Rewrite underperforming ads – If you notice that some ads aren’t performing as well as others, you may want to consider rewriting them, utilizing stronger or simpler language, or showcasing your company’s strengths.
- Bid on higher keywords – In the world of digital marketing, it is crucial to bid on keywords that best relate to your business. Sometimes these can cost a bit more per click, but they can be worth it.
- Utilize GA4 to target your audience – In Google Analytics, you can track when your target consumers are most likely to see your ads, along with valuable demographic information.
- Rotate the circulation of your ads evenly – By doing this, you will be able to determine which ads appeal more strongly to your target audience when compared to the rest in your campaign.
Need Help with Google Ads?
At Sixth City, we provide clients with a full team dedicated to helping them accomplish their goals and gain more leads. Contact us today to learn more about our PPC management and other digital marketing services and see all that we can do for you!
This post was originally published in November 2019 and has been updated to reflect new information.
