Google Ads Not Working?

Why You’re Getting No Traffic (or Wasting Your Budget) — and How to Fix It

If you’ve set up Google Ads hoping for instant traffic, leads, and sales, only to see no clicks, no enquiries, or your budget vanish overnight, you’re not alone.

At CitCom, we regularly speak to small business owners who’ve tried running Google Ads themselves — full of optimism at first — but quickly end up frustrated. Common complaints include:

• “I’m getting no traffic on Google Ads.”
• “Google Ads is too expensive and I’m not getting sales.”
• “I’m wasting money and I don’t know why.”

This guide explains why your Google Ads might not be working, the most common mistakes that cause wasted spend, and how to turn things around.

1. You’re Paying for Clicks That Don’t Convert

One of the biggest frustrations is spending money but getting zero leads or sales. This often happens because of:

• Broad keywords attracting the wrong audience
  If you’re bidding on vague terms like “marketing” or “plumbing,” you’ll compete with huge companies and pull in irrelevant clicks. Instead, focus on long-tail keywords such as “emergency plumber in Worcester” or “digital marketing for small businesses in Worcestershire”. These bring in people who are far more likely to buy.
• Irrelevant ad copy
  If your ad isn’t closely tied to the searcher’s intent, you’ll get the wrong clicks. For example, if someone searches “emergency electrician” but your ad focuses on “rewiring services,” they’ll click — and quickly leave.
• Broken sales funnel
  If your landing page doesn’t deliver what the ad promised, visitors will bounce. The message needs to match from ad to page, and there should be a clear call-to-action (e.g., “Call now,” “Book a free quote”).

2. You’re Getting No Traffic on Google Ads

On the flip side, some campaigns barely get impressions or clicks at all. Common causes include:

• Bids that are too low
  If your bid is far below competitors’, your ads might never appear.
• Poor Quality Score
  Google ranks ads based on relevance, keyword match, and landing page quality. A low score means fewer impressions and higher costs.
• Limited targeting
  If your targeting is too narrow — wrong location, small audience, or overly restrictive keywords — you could be shutting out potential customers entirely.

3. Your Costs Are Sky-High for Very Little Return

If each click costs a fortune, your campaign probably has:

• Low Quality Scores caused by irrelevant keywords or weak landing pages.
• Too much competition for broad, high-value keywords.
• Poor campaign structure, where unrelated ads and keywords are thrown into the same ad group.
  

The fix?

Tightly align ad copy, keywords, and landing pages so they’re laser-focused on searcher intent. Google rewards relevance with better ad positions and lower costs.

4. Google Ads Account Suspended or Ads Disapproved

Sometimes, your ads don’t run at all because Google blocks them. Reasons include:

• Policy violations (e.g., misleading claims, prohibited products).
• Website issues like malware or broken landing pages.
• Repeated disapprovals that escalate to account suspension.
  

A disapproved ad can often be fixed with a small tweak. But a suspended account can require a time-consuming appeal process.

Why DIY Google Ads Can Be More Expensive Than You Think

Running Google Ads without experience often leads to:

• Money wasted on irrelevant clicks.
• Campaigns with no traffic or leads.
• Slow, expensive trial-and-error learning.
  

Hiring a Google Ads expert isn’t an extra cost — it’s an investment that can save you thousands in wasted spend.

At CitCom, our Google Partner-accredited team handles:

• Strategic planning so your budget is used efficiently from day one.
• Keyword and audience research to find your most profitable traffic sources.
• Ongoing optimisation to improve results every week.
• Staying ahead of Google changes like Performance Max, Shopping Ads, and new targeting rules.
  
  

Stop Guessing — Start Getting Results

If your Google Ads are not working, not getting traffic, or draining your budget, it’s time to change approach.

At CitCom, we specialise in creating campaigns that actually generate leads and sales — not just clicks.

Don’t let another month of ad spend go to waste. Get in touch with our team today and start seeing a real return on your investment in 2025.