It’s not easy to be patient while you’re waiting for Google Ads to pay off, “watched pot” nonsense or not. You’re not the first or last business owner to panic because you can’t find your ads online. Why don’t you see your Google ads if you’re searching for them specifically?
Why Your Google Ad Doesn’t Show Up
Most of the time, there’s a harmless reason why you don’t see your Google Ads in your browser. This “problem” can be a good thing, a sign that Google is doing what you’re paying it for: showing your ads to people who are likely to become paying customers.
1. Google’s Ad Targeting Features
Google Ads provides a wide variety of demographic characteristics you can use to define the target audience for your ad:
- Recent purchase intent
- Search interests and behaviors
- Age
- Household income percentage
- Gender
- Parental status or life events (e.g., marriage, new parent, or retirement)
Chances are good that you don’t fit the target profile. After all, you’re a business owner, not a consumer. In normal circumstances, you probably never Google the topics related to your campaign.
2. Browsing Without Clicking
Google likes to serve users ads that interest them. It wants clicks. If you only search for your ad to see its position, and you don’t click (which you shouldn’t), sooner or later, Google stops showing it to you.
3. Location Settings
Google Ads also lets you set location data for advertising. You can target (or exclude) countries, regions, and cities. If the search engine detects that your device isn’t in the target area, your Google ad doesn’t show up even if you search for it. This can happen if:
- You use a VPN to mask your IP address.
- You don’t allow Google to track your device’s location data.
- You’re on vacation abroad.
- Your U.S.-managed campaign is targeted at audiences in Canada, Europe, or Australia.
Something similar happens with time-targeted campaigns. Let’s say you’re prioritizing advertising from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. If you check Google Search at 8:00 p.m., you’re not going to see your ad.
4. Wait Time
Text ads for Google Search take up to 48 hours for approval. They won’t display until then. Display campaigns and image ads can require 72 hours. Getting impressions and clicks takes a while longer.
Other Reasons Why You’re Not Seeing Your Google Ads When You Search
We’ve covered the common, no-worry reasons for Google ads not displaying. Now it’s time to consider a few potential warning signs of problems with the ad campaign itself.
5. Mistakes With Your Campaign Budget
Budget errors can cause major problems with Google Ads campaigns. If you suspect that your ads aren’t working correctly, this should be the first place you look. Here are the most common budget mistakes:
- Keyword bids are too low: Your maximum CPC for the target keyword is much lower than your competitors.
- Daily budget exceeded: Your ads have already received the max number of clicks your budget supports for the day.
- CPC and budget conflicting: The maximum cost-per-click of your target keywords is larger than your campaign budget.
- Monthly budget used already: If your monthly budget is too small, ads can stop showing a few weeks into your campaign.
Estimating how much to bid for keywords is equal parts skill, art, and experience. Keeping track of campaign performance and making adjustments are essential. Google’s Bid Simulator tool can also help you figure out how much to budget for your campaign goals and ad placement preferences.
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6. Ad Activation Issues
Google Search ads won’t show if they’re not active. This checklist is the PPC equivalent of “shut it off and turn it on again.” Look for:
- Your payment didn’t work or hasn’t been processed yet.
- There’s a problem with your account’s payment method.
- The ad status is “deactivated” or “paused.”
- Your ad was disapproved.
You can check the status of your campaigns in the Google Ads dashboard under the Ad Groups tab. For payment issues, go to Billing > Summary.
7. Mobile Advertising Issues
Are you searching for your Google ad on a mobile device? If you don’t see any results, your campaign may not be configured for mobile users.
Considering that mobile users account for 60% of global searches and about 45% of website traffic in the U.S., this isn’t an audience you typically want to exclude. Text ads for Google Search are compatible with smartphones and tablets automatically, but image ads require you to advertise with the Google Display Network (e.g., YouTube, apps, and Gmail).
8. Low Search Volume
Finally, Google doesn’t display ads for search terms that fall below a certain threshold of monthly searches. This helps you avoid wasting money. If you run into this issue, use Google AdWords to look for keywords that have a similar search intent but a higher volume.
A Better Way To See Your Google Ads and Track Performance Metrics
Instead of searching in a browser, you can see Google Ads with the Ad Preview and Diagnosis Tool. Find it under Tools > Troubleshooting > “Ad preview and diagnosis.” This tool shows you what your ads look like on different devices, without messing up your impressions vs. clicks ratio.
To check ad performance, open your Google Ads dashboard and visit Campaigns. Select the type of campaign you want to view. You should see statistics for your target keywords. As long as your ads are delivering impressions, it means the campaign is running, even if Google Ads aren’t showing in Search.
Solve Problems With Google Ads Not Showing When You Search
The solution to Google Ads not displaying surprises many business owners: Follow SEO best practices. Relevant, high-quality content. Smart keyword research.
The stronger your site, the better your results with paid search campaigns. Your CPCs are lower and your traffic is higher. If you’re not seeing Google Ads when you search for them, let our experienced team improve your campaign the right way.
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