{"id":6605,"date":"2023-12-13T09:07:54","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T04:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/?p=6605"},"modified":"2024-10-29T13:55:41","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T08:55:41","slug":"google-ads-impression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/google-ads-impression","title":{"rendered":"Not Getting Enough Impressions in Google Ads: How to Drill Down the Issue"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Google Ads impressions on your campaign is a good indicator of how visible your ads &#8212; and your brand &#8212; are in search engine results pages (SERPs). As such, impressions are an important first step in reaching prospective customers.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/google-ads-impression-1-1.png\" alt=\"Google Ads Impressions\"><\/div>\n<p>So, what do you do when your impressions are falling dramatically? Worse still, what if you aren&#8217;t getting any impressions at all?<\/p>\n<p>In this article, we\u2019ll explore the possible reasons for low Google Ads impressions, and give you the solutions to make your ads more visible online.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/PPC-Signal\/best-ppc-optimization-tool\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345 ppc_signal_top_ads\" src=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ppcsignal-homebanner.png\" alt=\"google ads promo code\" width=\"650\" height=\"296\"><\/a><\/div>\n<h2>10 Aspects to Check When You Have a Low Google Ads Impressions<\/h2>\n<p>If you&#8217;re new to <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/ppc\">PPC advertising<\/a>, struggling with impressions is par for the course. However, even seasoned PPC managers can face this problem.<\/p>\n<p>Here are ten areas of your campaign that can impact <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/google-ads\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google Ads<\/a> impressions:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Keywords<\/li>\n<li>Search Volume (and Timing)<\/li>\n<li>Match Types<\/li>\n<li>Negative Keywords<\/li>\n<li>Budget<\/li>\n<li>Competition<\/li>\n<li>Scheduling<\/li>\n<li>Targeting<\/li>\n<li>Quality Score<\/li>\n<li>Clickthrough Rate (CTR)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Okay, let\u2019s consider each of these areas in detail to help you get to the root of the problem.<\/p>\n<h2>1. Keywords<\/h2>\n<p>Keywords are the building blocks of your campaign. If you get them wrong, your ad may never show up. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Low keyword bids<\/strong> (in comparison to your competitor\u2019s bids) may result in you missing out on a search term, which increases the likelihood that your ad won\u2019t run. Sometimes, increasing your bids can trigger a host of benefits, including higher quality, relevance, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/ad-rank-and-ad-position\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ad rank<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Niche keywords <\/strong>will often have a low search volume. If you target specific <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/long-tail-keyword-examples\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">long-tail keywords<\/a>, your ads may not register many impressions because nobody is using the search terms. Try broader terms (or match types) to attract more attention.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>2. Search Volume (and Timing)<\/h2>\n<p>The search volume that specific keywords generate is directly linked to your potential impressions. Naturally, keywords with a higher search volume tend to drive higher impressions. Think about the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Seasonality Events<\/strong> \u2014 If you target keywords like <em>winter clothing <\/em>or <em>Christmas jumpers, <\/em>you can expect a drop-off in search volume in the off-season.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Trending Keywords<\/strong> &#8211; As search volume increases, a keyword will generate <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/how-to-improve-impression-share\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">more impressions<\/a>. When you launch a new product, it can take a little time for traffic to kick start. Black Friday is a good example of this in action.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>3. Match Types<\/h2>\n<p>A lot of people in PPC advertising don\u2019t fully understand keyword match types, much to the demise of their Google Ads impressions.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s make things clear:<\/p>\n<h3>Exact match types can restrict your impressions<\/h3>\n<p>Of course, you don\u2019t want a lot of irrelevant traffic, but neither do you want to limit the potential of your campaign.<\/p>\n<p>This is especially true if you have listed close variants and synonyms as <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/negative-keyword-examples\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">negative keywords<\/a>, as your ads will only be triggered when user search queries match your keywords 100% exactly.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Tip: <\/em><\/strong><em>You need to find a balance between reach and relevance. The answer is to use a modified broad match type.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Phrase match with negatives can reduce impressions<\/h3>\n<p>Let&#8217;s say you have a lot of phrase match types listed as negative keywords. Your impressions are likely plummeting. Ideally, you should analyze <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/search-keywords-analysis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">historical search data<\/a> to identify which phrase keywords will drive impressions. Doing this will help you refine your negative keyword list, so you don&#8217;t filter out quality traffic.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Learn More:<\/em><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/keyword-match-types\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Effective Use of Keyword Match Types in PPC Campaigns<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>4. Negative Keywords<\/h2>\n<p>In PPC campaigns with a poor impressions, the problem often lies with the negative keyword list. You can create these lists of filter keywords at:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Campaign level<\/li>\n<li>Ad group level<\/li>\n<li>Shared Library (to then apply to multiple campaigns of your choosing)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For instance, you may sell winter clothes, but your negative keyword list includes the keyword <em>winter.<\/em> This would be a big blow to your Google Ads impressions, so you must learn to use negative keywords wisely.<\/p>\n<h2>5. Budget<\/h2>\n<p>How is your budget?<\/p>\n<p>If everything else on your list so far is in order, then your budget may be the cause of your underwhelming impressions.<\/p>\n<p>A low daily budget won\u2019t deliver a lot of impressions, especially if your keywords have a high <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/average-cpc-vs-average-cost\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">average cost per click<\/a> (CPC).<\/p>\n<p>Imagine you have a daily budget of $5, but your keywords have an average CPC of $8-10. Even a single click is out of your budget, so your ads won\u2019t show at all.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/ppc-audit\/free-ppc-audit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345 ppc_audit_middle_ads\" src=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ppcaduitaccount-1.jpg\" alt=\"ppc audit report top\" width=\"650\" height=\"290\"><\/a><\/div>\n<h3>Inappropriate Ad Delivery Method<\/h3>\n<p>In this scenario, you should look at your Standard Delivery Method. With Standard Delivery, your budget will be optimized to last the day, sacrificing some morning impressions so that your ad shows up in the afternoon and evening.<\/p>\n<p>This may not benefit every business. For example, a breakfast cafe owner would prefer her ads to target users in the morning.<\/p>\n<p>You can adjust scheduling (more on that later) to ensure your budget is optimized for better results.<\/p>\n<h2>6. Competition<\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes, you can do everything right, but you lose out on impressions because of a competitor with deeper pockets muscles in on your niche. If a big player outbids your keywords, they can quickly outrank you in the SERPs.<\/p>\n<p>Try the <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/auction-insights-report-to-beat-your-ppc-competitors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Auction Insights<\/a> report from Google Ads to identify issues like this. For instance, if you saw a drop in traffic on September 20th, you could:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Run the report for August, then save it.<\/li>\n<li>Run the report for September thus far.<\/li>\n<li>Compare the impression share data, position above rate, and overlap rate.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If there are significant differences, a new competitor may be the reason.<\/p>\n<h2>7. Scheduling<\/h2>\n<p>You determine your Ad Schedule at the Campaign level, effectively telling Google when you want your ads to show. You can define this by days of the week and hours of the day.<\/p>\n<p>If your scheduling is too restrictive, you don\u2019t give your target audience much opportunity to search and find your ads. It may be best to loosen the leash a little bit to increase your impressions.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, if your ads are scheduled for times when your <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/you-can-use-audience-targeting-to-show-your-ads-to\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">target audience<\/a> isn\u2019t active, you may not get impressions as they aren\u2019t searching for it at that time of day.<\/p>\n<h2>8. Targeting<\/h2>\n<p>In Google Ads, targeting the right audience is vital. You can refine your targeting in a number of ways, most notably by device and by geographic location.<\/p>\n<h3>Device Targeting<\/h3>\n<p>Nowadays, consumers use more than one channel before making a purchase, so advertisers must engage prospects across multiple devices.<\/p>\n<p>You can optimize your spend to focus on the devices your audience use, but it\u2019s tricky territory that can lead to a slump in impressions.<\/p>\n<p>Check the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Negative Bid Adjustments<\/strong> &#8211; Take caution when using negative bids adjustment. If it is set to -100%, your ads will never run. Even if it is set to something a little lower than \u2014100%, it may still be too low to give your keywords the Ad Rank they need to reach your audience. Your mobile campaign may be underperforming because you have set some keywords to a <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/google-ads-bid-adjustments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bid adjustment<\/a> of -100% on mobile. Experiment with higher bid adjustments to boost your Ad Rank.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Low budget<\/strong> &#8211; When everything else like your ad, keywords, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/ppc-landing-pages-best-practices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">landing page look good<\/a>, take a look at your budget. By bumping up your spend on mobile, you may garner more impressions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Different devices will generate different results. It\u2019s important to manage your ads differently depending on which device they target.<\/p>\n<h3>Maximize your mobile targeting<\/h3>\n<p>With the rise in mobile search traffic, it\u2019s a good idea to tailor your ads and targeting to reach users there.<\/p>\n<p>When you create separate PPC campaigns for mobile users, make sure to go back to the original campaign and adjust the settings, so your ads only show on desktop and tablets. Otherwise, your two campaigns will compete against one another.<\/p>\n<p>Another idea is to responsive search ads (RSAs), as these automatically adjust your ad\u2019s display size according to the user\u2019s device.<\/p>\n<h3>Geo-Targeting<\/h3>\n<p>You can set <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/adwords-geo-targeting-best-practices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Location Targeting<\/em><\/a> at the campaign level to choose the specific geographic regions that will see your PPC ads.<\/p>\n<p>You can target entire countries or smaller ZIP code areas. With narrow targeting, you reduce your scope for impressions, clicks, and conversions. Expanding your scope will increase the chances of higher Google Ads impressions.<\/p>\n<p>If you serve ads to the wrong location straight away, it&#8217;s unlikely your ads will generate a decent return on advertising spend (<a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/what-is-roas\">ROAS<\/a>). Start with broad location targeting, then hone your focus once you have enough data about the precise locations of genuine, interested audience members.<\/p>\n<p>However, be aware of going too broad as well.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you run a Google Shopping campaign for your e-commerce store, it\u2019s easy to get drawn into the trends of the larger markets in the U.S. Your entire brand, its products, and services, may appeal to the masses in America.<\/p>\n<p>However, if you set your targeting to reach global customers in countries all over the world, a lot of your advertising spending may go nowhere, as people aren&#8217;t interested in the same trends. You may not get the Google Ads impressions you expect, and your budget will go to waste.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Tip:<\/em><\/strong><em> Set your preferred locations to &#8220;Added&#8221; instead of &#8220;Excluded.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Another possibility is that you find the right audience that is interested in your products and services, but they have temporarily moved location. This can trigger a decrease in impressions.<\/p>\n<h2>9. Quality Scores<\/h2>\n<p>Having a <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/how-to-improve-quality-score-in-google-ads\">high-Quality Score<\/a> is good news, but it doesn\u2019t guarantee a high Google Ads impressions.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few reasons why:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your competitor\u2019s bids are higher than yours, so your ad placement falls.<\/li>\n<li>Your ad scheduling isn\u2019t aligned with your audience\u2019s online activity.<\/li>\n<li>Your device targeting isn\u2019t aligned with your user\u2019s device activity.<\/li>\n<li>You are targeting people in the wrong geographic location.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you focus on improving your quality score, you can improve a lot of things in your PPC campaign.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Learn More:<\/em><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/google-ads-quality-score\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Google Ads Quality Score: Essential Knowledge for PPC Advertising<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>10. CTR<\/h2>\n<p>When Google determines your Quality Score, it considers several important factors, one of which is <em>Expected CTR. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>A lower clickthrough rate inevitably leads to a lower Quality Score, which has a negative impact on your Ad Rank. Soon enough, your Google Ads impressions will plummet &#8212; unless you start bidding more.<\/p>\n<p>So, why would your CTR be low?<\/p>\n<p>One reason is because of aggressive bidding from competitors. If they push their promotions more, you can lose out on clicks.<\/p>\n<p>Keep an eye on your <a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/what-is-a-good-ctr\">CTR<\/a> and click volume. If both start to slide, use the Ad Preview Tool to analyze your keywords, so you can determine whether or not your ads are still the most attractive in Google SERPs.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/PPC-Signal\/best-ppc-optimization-tool\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4345 ppc_signal_bottom_ads\" src=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ppcsignal-homebanner2.png\" alt=\"google ads promo code\" width=\"650\" height=\"296\"><\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Wrap Up<\/h2>\n<p>Impressions are the first step of the PPC life-cycle for users. For many people, it\u2019s the first time they discover your brand, so if your Google Ads impressions are falling, it\u2019s bad news for brand awareness.<\/p>\n<p>With the advice in this article, you have everything you need to turn things around so that you optimize your PPC budget to reach a large, relevant audience.<\/p>\n<p><em>Want to know more? Read our blog on <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/ultimate-campaign-optimization-5-core-areas-and-20-tricks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Ultimate Campaign Optimization<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><p>Your Google Ads impression is a crucial first step in the PPC life-cycle. If it\u2019s falling, you need to take action.<\/p>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/google-ads-impression\"><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41016,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[785],"tags":[276],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6605"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6605"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6605\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41019,"href":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6605\/revisions\/41019"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ppcexpo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}