The Palos Publishing Company

Troubleshooting No Impressions in a New Google Ads Account After 16 Days

If you’ve been running a Google Ads Grant account with active campaigns but have yet to receive any impressions after 16 days, there may be a number of factors at play. Even though your campaigns are set up correctly, there are various reasons why they might not be getting the expected visibility. Below is a guide on how to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue, helping you kick-start performance and gain the impressions you need.

Step 1: Review Account and Campaign Settings

  1. Ensure Your Campaign is Approved for Google Grants:
    • Google Ads Grant accounts have specific requirements for approval. Make sure that your campaigns and account are in full compliance with Google Grants policies. Even if your campaigns are enabled, if they don’t meet the necessary requirements, such as keyword relevance, ad text, and landing page quality, they may not show impressions.
    • Double-check that your account is still within the 90-day review period. Sometimes Google Ads might temporarily hold back ads until they pass all checks for the Grant program.
  2. Campaign Settings:
    • Campaign Type: Make sure your campaigns are set to Search Network. Google Grants do not support Display Network campaigns.
    • Ad Rotation: Ensure your ads are set to rotate evenly. If you are using the “optimize” setting, Google might prioritize some ads over others, leading to limited impressions for others.
  3. Ad Scheduling:
    • Review your ad schedule settings. If your ads are only running during certain times of the day or week, this could limit impressions.
    • Ensure your campaigns are scheduled to run at times that align with when users in your target region are searching for your keywords.

Step 2: Keywords and Targeting

  1. Keyword Selection:
    • Even though you mentioned that your keywords have significant search volume, competition can be an issue, especially during peak times. This is particularly true if you are targeting highly competitive keywords. Consider the following:
      • Long-Tail Keywords: If your keywords are too broad or competitive, try incorporating long-tail keywords (more specific phrases that may have less competition and lower cost-per-click).
      • Keyword Match Types: Check if you are using a broad match or phrase match for your keywords. While broad match increases the reach, it might also lead to very high competition. You might want to consider switching to exact match or phrase match for better targeting and lower cost-per-click.
  2. Negative Keywords:
    • Double-check if you’ve inadvertently added negative keywords that could be limiting the reach of your ads.
  3. Location Targeting:
    • You’re targeting Montana, Wyoming, and parts of South Dakota, which could be limiting the number of searches depending on the overall search volume and user activity in these areas.
    • Test with a Broader Location: Try expanding your location targeting to include nearby states or more general geographic regions to increase your impressions.

Step 3: Bid Strategy and Budget

  1. Maximize Conversions Strategy:
    • The Maximize Conversions bidding strategy can be very effective, but it may take time for Google to optimize campaigns and start delivering impressions.
    • Maximize Clicks: Since you switched two campaigns to Maximize Clicks, monitor the performance of those specific campaigns. If they still don’t receive impressions, consider using manual bidding or Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) to better control your budget allocation.
  2. Budget:
    • Even with the maximum Grant budget, Google Grants can sometimes be restrictive in how they allocate budget, especially if there’s significant competition in your region. Google may limit how much of your budget is spent if you aren’t getting enough quality traffic.
    • Increase Budget for Testing: While you’ve set the maximum budget, you might want to increase the budget slightly for specific high-performing keywords or campaigns to see if this drives more impressions.
  3. Quality Score:
    • Ensure that your Quality Score is optimal. Google Ads uses Quality Score to determine ad placements and costs. If your Quality Score is low, your ads may not appear as frequently. Focus on improving the quality of your ad copy, keywords, and landing pages to boost your Quality Score.

Step 4: Review Ads and Assets

  1. Ad Text and Assets:
    • You mentioned that your ads are well-written with sitelink, callout, and image assets. However, ensure that these elements are aligned with user intent. Google looks for relevance between your ads and landing pages to serve them to the right audience.
    • Test multiple ad variations: Even if you have well-written ads, testing different headlines, descriptions, and calls to action (CTA) can help determine what resonates most with your target audience.
  2. Landing Page Experience:
    • The landing page experience is critical in getting your ads approved and served. If the page is slow to load, not mobile-friendly, or lacks content relevant to the keywords, Google may limit your ad visibility.
    • Run a landing page diagnostic to check for any issues that could be affecting your campaign’s performance. Ensure your page is fast, clear, and relevant to the keyword targeting.

Step 5: Monitor Performance and Troubleshoot

  1. Check Google Ads Diagnostics:
    • Review the Diagnostics section in your Google Ads account. Google will show any issues or policy violations that might be limiting your impressions.
    • Look for any disapproved ads or keywords that are restricted or underperforming.
  2. Use the Google Ads Keyword Planner:
    • Check for any potential issues with keyword selection. Use the Keyword Planner tool to check the expected search volume for your selected keywords in your target locations. This will help you ensure that your keywords are getting enough traffic.
  3. Utilize Google Ads Support:
    • If you’ve confirmed that everything is set up properly and the issues persist, consider reaching out to Google Ads support. They can perform a deeper audit and help you identify any account-specific issues that might be affecting your campaigns.

Conclusion

If your new Google Ads Grant account has not received impressions after 16 days despite following best practices, the issue could lie in several areas, including campaign settings, keyword targeting, bidding strategy, and account structure. Start by reviewing your campaign settings and ensuring full compliance with Google Grant policies. Check for issues with ad relevance, keyword competition, and location targeting. Finally, experiment with bid strategies like Maximize Clicks, and consider adjusting your keyword selection or negative keywords. By taking these steps, you can improve the likelihood of receiving impressions and drive the performance needed to generate meaningful results for your nonprofit.

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