SEO Optimization Strategy: Why Is There Still No Traffic Despite Running Google Ads?

2019 / 12 / 04
Why is there still no traffic even after investing in Google Ads? Google Ads is not only a critical component of online promotion strategies but also a powerful tool for driving website traffic. However, many clients have recently reported to Arachne Group Limited that despite having “invested” in Google Ads, they are still receiving very few customer inquiries, and their website traffic has not improved.

What could be the reason?

After in-depth investigation and analysis by the professional team at Arachne Group Limited, it was found that the poor performance of clients’ Google Ads is primarily related to the ads not being displayed properly on Google.

What Are the Reasons Preventing Ads from Being Displayed?

Reason 1: Final URL

The Final URL is the actual webpage link that users land on after clicking your ad. Imagine a user clicking an ad with high expectations, only to encounter a 404 error page or be redirected to a page completely unrelated to the ad content. Such an experience will undoubtedly disappoint them and may even create a negative impression of the brand.

Therefore, ensuring that the final landing page is valid and correctly displays the content of the ad campaign can reduce ad waste and user loss due to invalid links. Tools like Uptrends Uptime can be used to check the global accessibility of the site, while Google’s PageSpeed tool can optimize page loading time—making every second count in retaining users.

Reason 2: Use of Numbers and Symbols

In ad copy, the use of numbers and symbols can often add a finishing touch, but excessive or inappropriate use can backfire. Examples include adding extra spaces (e.g., Huge S A L E), omitting spaces (e.g., HugeBlackFridaySale), overusing symbols (e.g., Try for Free!!!), or using inappropriate numbers or symbols (e.g., $#op Now.).

In fact, Google has strict rules regarding numbers and symbols in ads—for instance, only one exclamation mark is allowed in responsive ad descriptions. Violating these rules can not only make the ad appear cluttered but also prevent it from being displayed.

Reason 3: Illegal Content in Ad Copy

While pursuing traffic, it is essential to adhere to legal and ethical standards. Ensuring that ad copy does not contain any illegal content is a fundamental principle of running Google Ads.

In addition to the ad copy itself, images and content on the landing page must also be free of any illegal or non-compliant material. Crossing this line will not only result in ad rejection but may also cause irreparable damage to the brand’s image.

Reason 4: Trademark and Copyright Issues

The use of trademarks and copyrights in ad creatives requires extreme caution. Unauthorized use may not only lead to legal disputes but also harm the brand’s reputation.

encountering trademark or copyright issues, consider replacing problematic text with synonyms or contacting the copyright owner for permission. This approach maintains the creativity and appeal of the ad while avoiding unnecessary legal risks.

Reason 5: Ads Under Review or Disapproved

To ensure account security and verify billing information, Google periodically reviews accounts. If an account is under review, ads will not be displayed during this period. Therefore, it is crucial to regularly check the Google Ads backend to see if ads are under review.

For disapproved ads, promptly check your email for any rejection notices from Google Ads, which may provide reasons and solutions for the disapproval.

Reason 6: Exhausted or Restricted Budget

If your set average daily budget is exhausted, your ads will stop displaying for the remainder of the day. This means your ads will not be delivered. Therefore, it is important to regularly monitor the budget in Google Ads. For example, if you set a daily budget of €600 for a European campaign and the overall account budget is €1,000 per day, once the European campaign reaches €600, the ads for that region will not be displayed even if the overall budget has not been fully utilized.

Additionally, if your account has sufficient budget, your ad might be shown six times, whereas with a lower budget, it might only be shown twice.

Reason 7: Ad Scheduling Settings

Ad scheduling requires strategy. If your ads are set to run during time slots when fewer users are online, naturally, fewer people will see them. Therefore, ad scheduling should be based on an analysis of website traffic patterns across different time periods.

Reason 8: Targeting Devices

Google Ads generate significant traffic on both PCs and mobile devices, with mobile traffic even surpassing PC traffic in recent years. Thus, focusing solely on one device type will result in lost traffic. When setting up an account, consider the devices your target audience uses.

Reason 9: Keyword Quality Score

The display of ads is also influenced by the keyword Quality Score, which depends on the ad’s expected click-through rate (CTR), ad relevance, and landing page experience. If a keyword’s Quality Score is below 2, it is unlikely to be displayed.

Therefore, if other factors seem fine but the ads still aren’t showing, it’s time to optimize the keyword Quality Score.

How to Ensure Your Google Ads Are Effective?

Use the “Ad Preview and Diagnosis Tool” to search for your ads. In the “Status” column of the ads tab, hover over the bubble icon next to the relevant ad to view detailed status information. If the ad isn’t displaying, the tool will explain why and provide suggestions to help restore its delivery.

The “Ad Preview and Diagnosis Tool” also helps you understand why an ad isn’t showing and allows you to preview Google Search results for specific terms. This way, you can see which ads and extensions are triggered by which keywords and under what circumstances your ads appear.

Additionally, the tool offers auto-complete suggestions when you enter search terms and shows whether ad extensions are displayed for specific keywords. If no extensions appear, the tool will explain why.

In reality, ad display issues can be influenced by numerous factors. There’s no need to worry excessively—address the problem from various angles, identify the root cause, and continuously optimize and improve account quality to increase visibility.

Arachne Group Limited offers one-stop digital business solutions, including web design, online promotion, web management and hosting, system development, and other value-added services to fully meet clients’ business needs. Feel free to contact us anytime—Hong Kong Web Page is your best partner for expanding online business opportunities.

Contact: +852-3749 9734

Email: info@hkweb.com.hk

Website: https://hkweb.com.hk

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