Why Your Google Ads Aren’t Showing (Top 12 Causes & How to Fix Them)

Urwa Mehmood • November 27, 2025

Why Your Google Ads Aren’t Showing (Top 12 Causes & How to Fix Them)

Nothing is more frustrating than launching a Google Ads campaign, especially for trades like electricians, plumbers, roofers, builders or any service-area business - only to find your ads aren’t showing at all.

No impressions.
No clicks.
No calls.
No traffic.

This guide breaks down the 12 REAL reasons your Google Ads aren’t showing, how to diagnose the issue, and how to fix it quickly.

If you want expert help, visit 👉 Google Ads Management for UK Trades - Connect SEO

Why Google Ads Visibility Problems Matter
How to Diagnose Missing Impressions
Top 12 Reasons Your Google Ads Aren’t Showing
Budget issues
Bids too low
Limited search volume
Location targeting conflicts
Billing or payment errors
Ad disapprovals
Policy violations
Negative keywords blocking traffic
Keyword match type problems
Low Ad Rank / Quality Score
Limited by bid strategy
Ad scheduling issues
How to Fix Each Issue
Troubleshooting Checklist
FAQs

Why Google Ads Visibility Matters

If your Google Ads don’t show, your business gets:

£0 traffic
£0 enquiries
£0 return on ad spend

Most trades rely on urgent intent searches, such as:

“emergency electrician near me”
“Plumber available now”
“roofer Brighton”
“landscaper Sussex”

When ads don’t show, you miss high-intent leads worth hundreds or thousands of pounds.

How to Diagnose Missing Ad Impressions

Check these before troubleshooting:

Are impressions at 0?
Are ads “eligible” or “limited”?
Is the account showing warnings?
Has billing failed recently?
Do your keywords have search volume?
Is your location targeting too small?

Now let’s break down the 12 causes.

The 12 Most Common Reasons Your Google Ads Aren’t Showing

1. Your Budget Is Too Low

If your daily budget is below £10–£20 in competitive niches (like trades), your ads may show rarely or never.

Google will prioritise higher-budget competitors.

Fix:
Increase the budget to meet local CPC levels.

2. Your Bids Are Too Low

If your max CPC or automated bidding limit is too low, you simply won’t enter the auction.

Fix:
Raise bids or use “Maximise Clicks” temporarily.

3. Your Keywords Have Low or No Search Volume

This affects trades that choose overly specific service keywords.

Examples:
❌ “electrician kitchen spotlights Brighton installer now”
✔ “electrician Brighton”

Fix:
Use broader, high-intent keywords.

4. Your Location Targeting Is Too Tight

Targeting a 1-mile radius or multiple excluded areas leads to zero impressions.

Fix:
Set a 10-20 mile radius for trades.

5. Billing or Payment Issues

If your card declines or your balance is overdue, Google stops showing ads immediately.

Fix:
Update billing → ads resume within 1–2 hours.

6. Ad Disapprovals

If even ONE ad in an ad group is disapproved, Google may pause the entire group.

Disapproval causes include:

“Misleading claims”
“Destination not working”
“Unacceptable business practices”

Fix:
Check Ads → Status → Disapproved → Request Review.

7. Policy Violations

Your ads may be blocked for:

mentioning guarantees
restricted services
spelling mistakes
capital letters
promotions
unsafe content

Fix:
Edit the ad to follow policy → resubmit.

8. Negative Keywords Blocking Traffic

One negative keyword can block every single relevant search.

Example:
Negative “electrician” + keyword “emergency electrician Brighton”
= No impressions.

Fix:
Review negative lists carefully.

9. Match Type Problems

If you only use phrase match or exact match, you may get no impressions.

Fix:
Use a blend of broad match + negative filters.

10. Low Ad Rank (Quality Score too low)

Low Quality Score = poor ad rank = no impressions.

Google hides low-quality ads.

Fix:
Improve:

CTR
Relevance
Landing page
Keyword alignment

11. Limited by Bid Strategy

Bid strategies like tROAS or tCPA may throttle traffic.

Fix:
Switch to “Maximise Conversions” or “Maximise Clicks” temporarily.

12. Ad Scheduling Issues

If ads are set to run only during limited hours, you might assume they aren’t showing.

Fix:
Set ads to run 24/7, then analyse data.

Fix Your Google Ads Visibility Issues With Our Expert Ads Support

How to Fix Each Issue (Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide)

Below is the complete framework our Google Ads specialists use when a campaign is not serving impressions.

Fix 1 - Increase Your Budget to Match Local CPC

Trades in the UK face some of the highest CPCs:

Electrician: £3–£10
Plumber: £4–£12
Roofer: £4–£15
Locksmith: £5–£20
Emergency services: up to £25

If your budget is too low, Google won't enter the auction.

Solution:
Start with a minimum of £20–£40/day for trades.

Fix 2 - Raise Bids or Switch to Maximise Clicks

Low bids = zero impressions.

Solution:
Use:

“Maximise Clicks”
Add bid cap
Increase bids until impressions appear

Fix 3 - Replace Low-Volume Keywords With High-Intent Terms

Remove long-tail, rarely searched keywords.

Replace with:

“electrician near me”
“emergency plumber Brighton”
“roofer Sussex”
“landscaper Surrey”

These keywords bring the highest conversion intent.

Fix 4 - Expand Your Location Targeting

Service businesses should target 10–20 miles, not 1–5.

Solution:
Target:

Your main town
Neighbouring towns
Key service areas

Avoid overusing exclusions.

Fix 5 - Resolve Billing Issues Immediately

If your card declines, impressions stop instantly.

Solution:

Update card
Clear the outstanding balance
Check the bank fraud block

Ads resume within 1–2 hours.

Fix 6 - Fix Ad Disapprovals

Check the Ad Status column.

Solution:
Click “Disapproved → Request Review”.
If rejected again:

Reword headline
Remove restricted claims
Fix URL issues

Fix 7 - Resolve Policy Violations

Check the “Policy Manager” account.

Common violations include:

“Capitalisation”
“Misleading content”
“Destination mismatch”

Solution:
Edit ads → resubmit.

Fix 8 - Review Negative Keywords

Remove or adjust negative keywords blocking your traffic.

Example:
Negative “installation” blocks “boiler installation”.

Solution:
Review:

Campaign-level
Ad-group-level
Shared lists

Fix 9 - Adjust Match Types

If you're using only Exact Match, volume is limited.

Solution:
Use:

Broad Match + Smart Bidding
Phrase Match for core services
Exact Match for high-intent

Fix 10 - Improve Ad Rank by Boosting Quality Score

Quality Score is based on:

Expected CTR
Landing page experience
Ad relevance

Solution:
Improve:

Ad copy
Headline relevance
Landing page load time
Keyword grouping

Fix 11 - Change Your Bid Strategy

If Google throttles traffic due to tCPA or tROAS, switch strategies.

Solution:
Use:

Maximise Conversions
Maximise Clicks
Run this for 7–14 days to re-train the algorithm

Fix 12 - Check Ad Schedule

Many businesses restrict ads to unrealistic hours.

Solution:
Run ads at least 6am–10pm Or set 24/7 and optimise later.

Google Ads Troubleshooting Checklist (Use Before Making Edits)

✔ Is your budget competitive?
✔ Are bids high enough?
✔ Any disapproved ads?
✔ Any policy violations?
✔ Is billing up to date?
✔ Are keywords high-volume?
✔ Is location targeting too small?
✔ Are negative keywords blocking traffic?
✔ Is match type correct?
✔ Is ad schedule restricted?
✔ Is Ad Rank too low?
✔ Is bid strategy restricting spend?

This checklist fixes 90% of “no impression” cases in Google Ads.

FAQs - Google Ads Not Showing

1. Why are my Google Ads getting zero impressions?

Most commonly due to:

low budget
low bids
location too small
disapproved ads
restricted keywords
billing issues

2. Why does Google throttle my ads?

Smart bidding strategies may limit impressions if the algorithm lacks data.

3. Why are my ads “eligible” but not showing?

This means you’re in the auction but losing due to low Ad Rank.

4. How long does it take for ads to start showing?

Usually instantly - but for new accounts, 6–24 hours depending on reviews and checks.

5. Why do my competitors show, but I don’t?

They have:

higher budgets
higher bids
Better Quality Score
more search volume
correct location settings

Final Outcome

When your Google Ads aren’t showing, your business can lose leads, phone calls, and revenue instantly. The good news is that every visibility issue has a clear cause and a clear fix. By checking your budget, keywords, bidding strategy, ad approvals, location settings, and Quality Score, you can restore impressions quickly and ensure your ads enter every eligible auction.

For trades and service-area businesses, the difference between showing and not showing can mean dozens of missed enquiries per week. Use the troubleshooting steps in this guide to regain visibility, or get expert help to fix the issue fast.

About Connect SEO

Connect SEO Ltd offers professional Google Ads management, troubleshooting, optimisation, and conversion strategy for UK trades and service businesses. We specialise in fixing campaigns that are not showing, not spending, or not converting.