Most Common Reasons Google AdWords Ads Aren’t Shown

Posted: January 2, 2004

One of the most common questions from both clients and here is why can’t I view my ad on the AdWords network.

Here’s the full list of most common reasons so far.

Note: An ad won’t be shown on Google’s partner sites until it’s reviewed. #6, often comes into play with sudden disappearances on partner sites.

1. Budget Issue. Far and away the #1 reason. If it requires $100 a day for your ads to show all day, and your budget is $50, then your ads will only be shown for 50% of the searches for your term.

1a. Budget Issue #2. You got a lot of clicks in the morning/afternoon, and your budget ran out earlier in the day than Google expected, so your ad won’t be shown at all in the evening.

2. It’s being displayed - look again. People are use to scanning the right side of the screen for ads, and often miss when their ad is in the premium position. Check the 2nd and 3rd pages, until the first ad is redisplayed, to see if you’re listed in a later page.

3. Negative keywords. Often we make lists of 100s of negative keywords to further define traffic. If you input one of these negative words, your ad won’t be displayed.

4. Sensitive keywords. It’s a new ad with a word that is flagged by Google as a ’sensitive’ KW. These rules for what is sensitive is not posted by G, but they maintain a list and auto flag some KWs.

5. 100k Impressions. Congrats your ad was shown this many times. Google reviews ads when they hit this benchmark, and might suspend an ad for a couple days while it’s re-reviewed.

6. Changed Ad Copy. Cardinal rule, if the ad isn’t disallowed, don’t change it - make a new one instead, and delete the old one once the new one is approved. When you change anything on an ad, and Google means any little thing, it’s considered a new ad and must be re-reviewed.

7. Unpaid account. If the credit card or debit card is rejected, and for some reason the funds can’t be replenished by G, the ads are suspended until the account is paid.

8. Geo Targeting. These ads are only displayed if you live in the target region. Even if you live in the target region, G can’t always determine your location, and may serve you national ads.

9. Countries. Same as #7, but easier to add the G extension to the search URL to actually see your ad.

10. Disabled due to low CTR. Ad ad must meet a minimum requirement to be displayed. If it falls below this for the last 1000 impressions, it will be suspended.

11. Deleted and re-added a low preforming KW. If you delete and make a new campaign for a disallowed KW, your KW is still flagged as under-preforming, and you must follow the appropriate steps to get the flag removed.

12. New account. When an account is created, it takes a few hours (possibly days on weekends) for your ad to start showing. G does not send out emails when ads are approved or reviewed, so it could go live at any moment, but if you fall under the ’sensitive KW’ (see #4 above), it will take longer.

13. Duplicate ads for same keyword. Google will only show one ad per website per search. If someone else is bidding on a keyword that goes to the same website, only one ad will be shown.

Related Information:

« What is Google AdWords Keyword Status?

Overture to allow separate content vs search bids »