Why Can't I See My AdWords Ads? [7 Reasons]
This is undoubtedly one of the most common questions AdWords specialists encounter in their work. The answer is not clear-cut, as every case can be different. What is more, the fact that an ad is not visible during searches does not necessarily mean the campaign is not working and no one is actually seeing it. Below, we present several reasons why clients most often do not see their ads.
1. Depleted daily budget
Entering a daily budget is one of the mandatory criteria when setting up a campaign. No AdWords campaign can be launched without it. With increased interest in an ad or a daily budget that is too low, funds can run out even after 2-3 hours of ad delivery. Naturally, the next day, ad delivery will resume according to the established schedule, and the ads will continue to show as long as the daily budget allows.
2. Campaign settings - targeting, keywords, ad schedule
When checking your ads' visibility, are you 100% sure that the specific phrase has been added to the campaign? Is ad delivery scheduled for the exact time and day when you are searching? Or perhaps your campaign is targeted at London while you are physically in Manchester? Although these seem like trivial questions - answer them before getting upset that your campaign is not working.
3. The way ads are checked
According to Google's recommendations, AdWords ad visibility should not be checked manually - that is, by typing the phrase into the search engine. Although this is the most intuitive and obvious way, it can often be misleading. Why? First and foremost, keep in mind that Google makes every effort to ensure that the results served to internet users match their preferences as closely as possible. Therefore, if the system detects that an ad does not generate interest from a user (they do not click on it), over time it will be replaced by a competitor's ad: "If you repeatedly search for your own business on Google but you don't click your ad, you may stop seeing the ad after a while. That's because Google's system recognizes your computer and stops showing ads that it thinks you aren't interested in." That is why Google recommends checking ad visibility using the official ad diagnostic tool: https://adwords.google.pl/apt/anon/AdPreview?__u=1000000000&__c=1000000000
4. Ad blockers
More and more people use ad-blocking software. Since we usually get used to its discreet presence very quickly, after a while it is easy to forget that the system blocks all ads, not just those of your competitors.
5. Ad disapproved or under review
After launching or editing a campaign, ads must undergo mandatory Google review for policy compliance. This procedure usually takes a relatively short time, but ads can only start showing once it is completed. An ad can also be disapproved by the system for various reasons - even if it was previously active. Various factors can cause this - for instance, a broken landing page URL. Naturally, in such situations, Google sends alerts to the account manager, but after resolving the cause of disapproval, the ad still needs to go through a brief review.
7. CPC bids too low
Google AdWords is an auction-based system. You should regularly check your CPC bids - and whether they are high enough for the ad to secure a spot on the first page of Google results. After all, the competition never sleeps - everyone wants to be as high as possible on the first page of Google. As you can see, there can be quite a few factors, and the above article does not fully cover every nuance we have encountered in our work - only the most common ones. If in doubt, always keep a cool head, take a deep breath, and contact your account manager to determine the reason for the lack of ad visibility. After all, we are here for you. It is also worth reviewing the information in the Google Help Center: https://support.google.com/adwords/troubleshooter/1711301?hl=en