Why Are My Google Ads Not Working?

Start by defining "not working"

Before changing anything, be specific. Each symptom points to a different cause:

• No impressions: ads disapproved, budget or bids too low, keywords with no search volume, or payment problems.
• Impressions but few clicks: weak ad copy, low position, or ads showing for the wrong searches.
• Clicks but no enquiries: wrong traffic, a poor landing page, or tracking that is not recording conversions.
• Enquiries, but poor quality: broad keywords, loose location settings, or an offer that attracts the wrong people.

Write down which one you have. Then work through the checks below in order.

1. Conversion tracking

This is the most common problem we find. Typical faults:

• The conversion fires on page load of the contact page rather than on a successful form submission.
• The same lead is counted twice, once from a GA4 import and once from a Google Ads tag.
• Phone calls from the website are not tracked at all.
• Consent Mode is missing, so conversions from UK visitors who decline cookies are not modelled.

If tracking is wrong, Smart Bidding optimises towards the wrong thing. Fix it before judging anything else. See our guides on GA4 key events and Consent Mode v2.

2. Search terms, keywords and location

• Search terms report. Open Insights and reports, then Search terms. If you see jobs searches, DIY questions, competitor names you do not want, or places you do not serve, add them as negative keywords.
• Match types. Broad match on a small budget with no negatives is a common reason for wasted spend. Phrase and exact match give more control while you learn.
• Location options. In campaign settings, check whether you target people "in or regularly in" your locations or people showing interest in them. For most local businesses, presence is the safer choice.
• Networks. Check whether your Search campaign also runs on the Display Network. If you did not mean it to, switch it off.

3. Bidding, budget and ad quality

• Bid strategy mismatch. Target CPA or target ROAS set too tight can stop the campaign spending. Maximise Conversions with very few conversions can wander. Match the strategy to the data you have.
• Limited by budget. If the campaign is marked limited by budget and the cost per lead is good, that is a reason to spend more. If cost per lead is poor, fix that first.
• Quality Score. Look at expected CTR, ad relevance and landing page experience for each keyword. Below average on any of them raises your costs.
• Ads. Responsive search ads allow up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions (Google Ads Help). Use them: include the keyword, your price or a starting price, location, and a reason to choose you.
• Assets. Sitelinks, callouts and call assets make ads larger and add useful information.

4. The landing page and the follow-up

Ads can only deliver the visitor. The page has to do the rest. Check it on a phone:

• Does the headline match what they searched for?
• Is the phone number tappable, and is the form short?
• Does it load quickly on mobile data?
• Is there proof: reviews, accreditations, photos of real work?

Then check what happens after an enquiry. Leads that wait a day for a reply often go elsewhere. Ask your team how fast they respond. Our landing page optimisation service works on the page itself, and a Google Ads audit covers the account.

5. Performance Max and brand traffic

If you run Performance Max, check how much of its spend goes on searches for your own brand name. Those people may have found you anyway. Since 2025 Google lets advertisers add campaign-level negative keywords to Performance Max, and search terms reporting is available for all Performance Max campaigns. Use both to see what you are paying for. Our guide what is Performance Max explains the controls.

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