Why Aren’t My Google Ads Showing Up? 7 Fixes for Small Business Owners
As a small business owner, there's nothing more frustrating than investing in Google Ads, only to find your ads aren’t showing up when you search for them. I hear this concern often, and it’s understandable—you’re eager to see your hard-earned budget put to good use.
The truth is, there are several reasons why your ads might not be showing up, and most of them are easy to fix once you know where to look.
So, before you write off Google Ads, let’s dive into the common reasons behind this and how you can get your ads back on track.
1. Your Budget is Running Out Quickly
One of the most common reasons for ads not showing up is that your daily budget is being exhausted too quickly. As a small business owner, you're likely working with a limited budget, and if it’s spent early in the day, your ads won’t appear for the rest of the day.
What to Do:
If this is happening regularly, try lowering your bids or spreading your budget more evenly by scheduling ads to appear during peak business hours.
For example, if your shop operates from 9 am to 5 pm, make sure your ads aren’t running late into the evening, eating into the budget unnecessarily.
This brings us nicely to the next tip.
2. Ad Scheduling Isn’t Optimised
Are you running ads 24/7, or have you set specific hours? If your ads are scheduled to run during off-hours, you may not see them when you search. Many small business owners prefer to schedule ads during their operating hours or when their target audience is most active.
Example:
Imagine you’re a local restaurant. It might make more sense to run ads during lunch and dinner hours rather than all day. This way, you’re reaching people at the most opportune times while conserving your budget for those critical hours.
What to Do:
Review your ad scheduling settings and ensure they align with your business hours or the times your audience is most likely to engage.
3. Location Targeting is Too Limited
If your ads are set to target specific geographic areas and you search outside that area, your ads will likely not appear. This is especially relevant for small businesses with hyper-local targeting.
What to Do:
Ensure your location settings are correct and that you’re targeting the areas where your customers live or work. For instance, if you're a plumber in Exeter but search for your ads while visiting another city, your ad won’t appear because it's only set to show in Exeter.
4. Your Ad Rank is Too Low
Even if your ad is eligible to show, Google prioritises ads with higher ad rank. Ad rank is determined by your bid amount, the quality of your ad, and the expected impact of ad extensions (along with other elements that Google is not specific about).
What to Do:
To help improve your ad rank, focus on increasing your Quality Score by making sure your ads are highly relevant to your target keywords, that your landing pages provide a great user experience, and that your click-through rates are strong.
Metaphor:
Think of ad rank like a bidding war at an auction. Even if you have a great product (your ad), someone with a better bid or a more compelling offering (higher Quality Score) could win the prime spot.
5. Keyword Status: Paused or Disapproved
Sometimes, your keywords might be paused or disapproved, which would prevent your ads from showing up.
What to Do:
Go to your Google Ads account and check the status of your keywords. Make sure none of them are paused or disapproved. If they’ve been disapproved, Google will provide a reason—fixing the issue could be as simple as adjusting the keyword to comply with Google's advertising policies.
6. Ad Disapprovals
If your ads don’t follow Google's advertising policies, they can be disapproved. This could be due to a range of issues, from spelling mistakes to violating content policies.
What to Do:
Check the status of your ads regularly to ensure they’re approved. If any are disapproved, Google will give you a reason why. You can then edit your ad to make sure it complies with their guidelines and resubmit it for approval or you can appeal if you disagree with the decision.
7. You’re Competing in a Crowded Market
In competitive markets, it’s possible that your ad isn’t showing simply because other businesses are outbidding you. Competitors with bigger budgets may bid higher, pushing your ads to lower positions or keeping them from showing entirely.
What to Do:
Consider targeting more niche, long-tail keywords that are less competitive but still relevant to your business. This way, you're focusing on high-intent searches without needing to outbid larger competitors. For example, instead of bidding on a generic keyword like "plumbing services," try "emergency plumber Exeter."
Quick Checklist: Troubleshooting Your Google Ads
Here’s a quick checklist to help you troubleshoot why your ads might not be showing:
- Budget: Is your daily budget running out too quickly?
- Ad Scheduling: Are your ads running during the right hours?
- Location Targeting: Are you targeting the right areas for your business?
- Ad Rank: Could you improve your Quality Score and bid strategy?
- Keyword Status: Are your keywords paused or disapproved?
- Ad Disapprovals: Are your ads compliant with Google’s advertising policies?
- Competition: Are you in a competitive market where higher bids are pushing your ads down?
Need More Help?
If you’ve gone through these steps and still aren’t sure why your ads aren’t showing, or if you need help optimising your campaigns, I’d love to help. Book a Google Ads Power Hour, and we can work together to solve your Google Ads challenges and get your campaigns performing at their best.
