We’ve all had that time where you’ve just Googled your keywords to try and trigger your ads but … no ad. You can’t get it to trigger at all no matter what you try so you start wondering, “Is it still running?”.

It’s a totally fair question considering we are all invested in ensuring that our ads perform well, and it can be frustrating when you’re trying to search for your ads with your highly-relevant keywords but they’re nowhere to be seen. However, here’s the thing: not seeing your ad doesn’t mean it’s not doing its job.

We’ve been asked plenty of times by clients who ask this very question, even when the campaign was in great shape with: 

• Conversions were coming in daily.

• The CTR (Click-Through Rate) was above benchmark.

• ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) was right on target.

So why can’t you see it when you search? The truth is, Google Ads doesn’t work like a traditional advertising platform that shows your ad to everyone, every time. And because of the Google algorithm, this is exactly how it’s designed to work.

Why Google Ads Doesn’t Show Your Ad to Everyone

It all comes down to how Google Ads prioritises where and when your ads show up. There are several factors that can affect this – some of which are totally normal and even beneficial for your campaigns. Here's what was happening with that particular ad:

1. Limited Budget

Google is smart. It knows where to get the best return on your investment, so it prioritises showing your ad to high-intent users who are more likely to convert. When the budget is limited, Google will make sure it’s only spending on those users who are most likely to take action. So, if you're not seeing your ad, it could be because it's focused on the most relevant audience, and you’re just not in the right place at the right time.

2. Geo-targeting

This one is a bit straight forward in that you may be searching from outside the location you are targeting. Google Ads can use geo-targeting to show ads to specific areas, right down to a certain post code. So if you’re running a campaign that’s focusing on a specific town/city/county, and you search from another location then geo-targeting is the very reason you will not see it.

3. Smart Bidding

Google’s smart bidding algorithm optimises for conversions, meaning it’s going to show your ad to people who are most likely to convert. If you’ve set your campaign up to focus on a particular type of user (like those with a high chance of making a purchase), and you’re not part of that group, the system may decide not to show your ad to you.

4. Past Behaviour

Google tracks every single user behaviour , and if someone sees your ads multiple times but doesn’t click on them, then Google would deem that ad irrelevant to them and will eventually stop showing it to them. This is always the most likely case with clients searching their own ads.

This is part of Google's effort to reduce ad fatigue and make sure users aren’t bombarded with ads they’re not interested in. So, if you’ve seen the ad already and didn’t engage with it, Google might just stop showing it to you.

5. Manual Search

Here’s a little tip: when you manually search for your ad, you’re actually hurting your performance over time. Google’s algorithm takes manual searches into account, and if it sees that people aren’t engaging with your ad (even though you’re actively looking for it), it could lower your ad’s visibility in the future. So, your own searches could be skewing the results.

How Can You Check If Your Ad Is Actually Live?

If you’re concerned that your ad isn’t running, don’t just rely on your own search results. Instead, use Google’s Ad Preview & Diagnosis Tool. This tool allows you to see whether your ad is showing without wasting any impressions. You’ll get a snapshot of your ad’s status in real-time, and you’ll know for sure whether it's active or not.

If you are desperate to see your ad in the search results however, use another device where you are not logged in (or incognito mode), and search with that.

The Real Job of Your Ads

At the end of the day, your ad’s job isn’t to impress you in the search results. It’s to bring in the right traffic, at the right time, and, most importantly, convert that traffic into valuable outcomes for your business.

So all in all, it doesn’t mean your ad is not working if you cannot see it. It’s likely that this is just Google doing its job of only showing the ad to the people it believes are most likely to take action.

Wrapping Up

All in all, seeing your ad in the search results shouldn’t be the final indicator that your ads are doing well. The real focus should be on how well your ad is performing in terms of real-world conversions, return on ad spend (ROAS), or whatever other metric you are benchmarking. If your metrics are good, then there shouldn’t be any worry about if your ad pops up when you search for it personally.

Also to remember: if you’re ever in doubt, use the Ad Preview & Diagnosis Tool, it’s the best way to check if your ad is live without wasting impressions.

Your ad’s job is to bring in the right traffic at the right time. And that’s what Google Ads is built to do, even if it’s not showing you the ad every time you search for it.

#GoogleAds #PPC #DigitalMarketing #PaidSearch