The world of Google Ads can often feel complex when trying to figure everything out. Especially when you come across issues such as a new ad group that is getting limited to no traffic. This can halt your marketing efforts and wonder where you are going wrong.
Understanding the common reasons behind this dilemma is crucial for marketers to optimise their campaigns and ad groups properly. This helps to maximise an ad’s visibility and drive relevant traffic.
We’ll take a close look into why this is happening and offer practical solutions to ensure that your ad reaches its intended audience effectively. So, let’s get to the bottom of it, why is your new ad group getting no traffic?
There are several reasons why a Google Ad group receives limited traffic, such as:
Read on to learn more about the key factors that impact Google Ads traffic.
We’ve already touched on the reasons why ad groups might receive limited or no traffic. Below we go into more detail about each factor.
Your selected keywords for your ad group may have low search volume, which means not enough people are searching for these terms. In turn, this affects how many clicks you could be receiving. For example, the broad search term “how to train my dog” could have 10,000 searches per month as opposed to “vets for my pug in Sheffield”, which could have 250 searches per month. It’s about finding balance and using broad and narrow keywords together.
Poor relevance would reflect that your keywords may not match the intent of your target audience’s searches. For example, having the keyword “chiropractor” in your search keywords and display ads when you are advertised as a sports therapist would deter your ad from being clicked. Or if it was clicked, there would be no relevance, which would be wasting your money on the wrong search terms.
There are certain factors which contribute towards your quality score which are all based on relevance, such as landing page experience and expected click-through rate (CTR). A lower quality score can affect ad placement positions and higher ad costs. The scores for this are excellent, good, average, and poor. Aim for excellent or good to give you the best chance of having a quality ad.
Your ad copy can play a crucial role in your click-through rate (CTR). as it may not be compelling or engaging enough to influence the target audience selected. For instance, attempting to market a product through a nondescript and dull image advertisement that either lacks a compelling CTA or doesn’t include one at all.
Your target settings (locations, demographics, languages) might be too narrow or not aligned with your target audience. For example, mistakenly promoting a product in an incorrect city, targeting solely one gender or age group, or using a language that differs from the official one of the chosen region.
High Competition with your target keywords can make it difficult to stand out against your competitors. When businesses aim to rank for the same keywords in the digital space, this becomes more competitive. The more competitors that are bidding on the select terms would make this become a bigger challenge for your business in terms of traffic.
Budget issues can significantly impact their effectiveness and overall reach. This occurs when your budget is too low for your ads or if your daily budget is used up too quickly. This will stop you from getting any clicks and will limit your ad visibility. A limited budget would make it difficult to allow you to adapt your ads for the best practice & limit your ability to scale moving forward.
Ad scheduling issues occur when your ads are not running during peak and optimal times when your target audience is likely to engage. For example, launching a campaign to sell a product for an eCommerce store exclusively between the hours of 11 pm and 5 am, rather than during daytime hours, could significantly impact the number of clicks received. This is because the majority of potential customers are likely asleep during this timeframe. This scheduling misalignment with user activity could result in lower engagement, reduced traffic to your website, and ultimately, fewer sales conversions compared to advertising during peak hours when more people are online and actively shopping.
Policy violations happen when your landing pages or ads do not comply with Google ads policies, which end up in disapprovals. Google has established a comprehensive set of rules that ensure the ads are safe, appropriate and respectful towards users to provide a positive experience overall. Violations can happen inadvertently or deliberately & can have actions such as account suspension or ad disapprovals.
What Can I Do to Get More Clicks on My Ad Group?
Now you know more about why your ad groups might be getting less traffic than you’d like, here are a few ways that you could turn things around.
To increase clicks to your ad group you should use higher-volume keywords that are relevant to your business. Long-tail keywords would be highly beneficial. Keyword research tools such as keyword planners can be crucial for finding accurate terms with shown search volumes.
Make sure your keyword plan is aligned with what your potential customers are searching for. Review your keywords for relevance and also make sure you are using the correct match type to balance your reach and relevance. This will be highly beneficial to improve clicks to your ad.
To improve your ad quality score you should consider making sure your ad copy is related to your selected keywords whilst also keeping the landing page aligned with the overall relevance. A better experience for a user can be beneficial for improving your click-through rate (CTR) and helping increase your ad positions. Thus, leading to high-quality relevant traffic.
Improve your ad copy by first utilising a clear message that includes benefits-focused ad copy with powerful calls to actions (CTAs). This enables your potential customer to not miss out on what is offered. Where relevant, also include ad extensions to provide additional information to your targeted users. Improved ad copy encourages your target audience to click through to your website.
Make sure to review and correct your targeting settings to ensure you’re reaching the desired audience for your ad. Consider a broader targeting strategy to expand your reach where you can make it beneficial. Correct targeting will align with your audience and give more potential for them to click through to your ad.
Competition is a significant element in ensuring your ads are noticeable. Concentrate on using niche-specific keywords to better connect with your audience and differentiate your ads from competitors. Thus, leading to higher-quality traffic with your clicks. It’s beneficial to employ both narrow and broad keywords to enhance your ad’s relevance and optimise your bidding strategy effectively.
Adjusting your bidding strategy for your ads or increasing your bids budget can improve traffic to your ads & can help for more competitive positioning. Make sure your budget allows you to run your ads throughout the desired times.
Use best practices for ad scheduling to ensure your ads appear at times when your target audience is most active and likely to engage. Scheduling your ads for the most convenient times your audience is likely to interact will improve the amount of traffic.
Traffic may come to a halt if you run into policy violations. Make sure to review Google Ads policies and ensure ads and landing pages comply. Adjust to make necessary adjustments and request a review if your ads are disapproved.
Wildcat Digital has a team of PPC specialists who have a deep understanding of various industries within the digital advertising landscape. We work to craft tailored advertising strategies that align with your business objectives, budgets, and audience. Aiming to get you the best ROI possible for your business.
Our key mission is to get your business to achieve relevant quality traffic that is most targeted to convert. Optimising for the best practices in this area is what we are proficient at working with, we take the legwork out of you deciding how and what to optimise to perform for the most effective techniques for your ads. We have built a structure with a dedicated team behind us that can put our experience to the most efficient use to achieve the best possible results for your company.
Get in touch today to learn more about our bespoke PPC services including Paid Search, Paid Social, Display Ads and Video Ads.
PPC Executive
Founder
Our founder, Will Hitchmough, worked at a number of high profile Sheffield Digital Agencies before founding Wildcat Digital in 2018. He brings an extensive knowledge of all things related to SEO, PPC and Paid Social, as well as an expert knowledge of digital strategy.
Digital Marketing can be a minefield for many businesses, with many agencies ready to take your money without knowing how to deliver results. I founded Wildcat Digital to deliver digital success to businesses with smaller budgets in a transparent way.
Content Strategist Team Lead
With a degree in Marketing and a background in more traditional, offline marketing, Chloe joined Wildcat in 2021 after deciding to move into the digital marketing industry. She joined us as a Content Specialist and quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a Content Strategist and later an SEO Team Leader.
Outside of work, Chloe is an avid creative. If she’s not knitting, you’ll likely find her behind a sewing machine or in the kitchen trying (and often failing!) to make sourdough.
SEO Account Director
Paul has a strong background in SEO, having previously founded and ran a successful eCommerce business, as well as running a personal blog that achieves an average of 17K users per month. Paul’s knowledge of SEO is extensive, with a strong emphasis on client handling and technical SEO.
Outside of work, Paul enjoys spending time with his family and staying active with weight lifting and combat sports.
Head of Operations
Nadea joined Wildcat in 2021 and has since overhauled the way we work. She has a background in various administrative, operations and HR roles, which gave her the experience and skills needed to lead and organise a growing business.
Outside of work, Nadea loves anything that keeps her active, but she especially enjoys hiking, camping and mountain biking.
SEO Account Manager
With a background in sales, Molly is a natural Account Manager, brilliantly handling any issues that come her way. Having joined us as a Digital Marketing Executive, and working part-time through her final year of University, Molly is a shining example of how hard work pays off. She is now an SEO Account Manager with a particular interest in Content and Client Management.
In her spare time, Molly loves to get out in nature, hiking and exploring the Peak District. She also loves cooking and likes to unwind with a bit of yoga.
Senior PPC Account Manager
Libby joined Wildcat in 2021 as our first PPC hire. With a degree in Digital Media Production, a Master’s in Digital Media Management and previous experience in Social Media Management, Libby hit the ground running and has since climbed the ranks to Senior PPC Account Manager and has a particular interest in the eCommerce sector.
Outside of work, Libby likes gaming, and cooking and likes to keep active by lifting weights.
SEO Team Leader
Jasmine joined Wildcat in 2022 with a strong background in SEO and Account Management. At the time, she was finishing up a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and has since worked her way up to SEO Team Leader. Jasmine excels at content writing and promotion, and particularly enjoys finding creative ways to join the dots on multi-channel campaigns.
In her spare time, Jasmine volunteers at a charity, helping combat loneliness & social isolation experienced by older neighbours. Outside of Wildcat, she owns a catering company, Savery Grazing, creating delicious grazing tables & platters for a range of events. She also loves skiing and exploring the Peak District.
Senior PPC Executive
Prior to joining Wildcat, Braden founded and ran his own Social Media Management agency where he gained valuable skills in growing brands’ online presence, which has since proven invaluable in his role at Wildcat.
Outside of work, Braden is a big football fan, regularly travelling to Pride Park to support Derby County. He also enjoys watching and playing snooker, hiking in the Peak District, and attending air and car shows.
Senior SEO Executive
After spending ten years managing businesses, restaurants, cafes and event spaces across Sheffield, Jon decided to change careers and joined Wildcat as an SEO Executive in 2022. He especially enjoys the client management side of the job, helping them to understand digital marketing and ways in which they can build their business’s presence online.
Outside of work, Jon likes to keep fit with running, badminton and football, and also loves music.
SEO Executive
Rachel joined us as a graduate, having recently graduated from Sheffield University with a degree in English Literature. Since joining, Rachel has proven herself to be a Content Queen, and particularly enjoys getting stuck into projects that allow her to explore her creative side.
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys a wide range of hobbies, including rugby, singing, reading, and spending time with her family and three labradors.
PPC Team Leader
Carl joined Wildcat in 2023 with a wealth of experience in PPC. He has experience working with a wide range of clients, industries and budgets, from small local businesses all the way to international e-commerce businesses. Carl has a particular interest in strategic planning and forecasting. He is passionate about data analysis and creating sustainable long-term cross-channel strategies.
In his spare time, Carl enjoys keeping fit by lifting weights, bouldering and running. He’s also a keen musician, having played the double bass and bass guitar for 20 years.
Team Lead & Technical SEO Account Manager
With a degree in Computer Science and SEO experience dating back to 2017, Dariusz has a wide range of SEO skills and knowledge. His specialist knowledge of Technical SEO has firmly landed him the title of Wildcat’s Technical Wizard, and he has recently taken on the responsibility of Team Leader for the Panthers Team.
In his spare time, Dariusz loves hiking, experimenting and trying new coffees and loves learning new things. He is currently learning more about CRO and AI and how this could benefit our clients.
SEO Account Manager
With a degree in Film and TV production, and a varied career history, Jamie made the move to marketing with a Masters degree in Digital Media Management. He has since worked in SEO at Agencies across Sheffield, before joining Wildcat and working his way up to SEO Account Manager. Jamie has a particular interest in backlinks and Digital PR and has recently gained a client a valuable backlink from Forbes!
In his spare time, Jamie is an avid foodie and loves trying new restaurants and cuisines. He also loves to travel and spent a year travelling to Australia after university.
SEO Executive
Andy joined Wildcat in 2023 after starting his digital marketing career in-house for a local Sheffield company. Since joining, he has developed a strong interest in Technical SEO and has strong skills in Account Management.
Outside of work, Andy loves music and plays in a couple of bands. He also enjoys rock climbing, cycling, photography and good food.
Client Success Coordinator
Siena joined us in 2023 with a background in sales and digital marketing. She leads on client relationships across the company, ensuring that our customers are happy throughout their journey with us, from their initial consultation through to onboarding and beyond.
Outside of work, Siena enjoys travelling and getting stuck into the local culture. She likes to make the most of her experiences and particularly enjoys watching sunrises and sunsets from beautiful locations around the world.
Senior SEO Executive
Thea has a wealth of experience in SEO, having previously worked for other Digital Marketing Agencies in Sheffield. She has a particular interest and skills in Technical SEO, but is more than willing to get stuck in and give anything a go.
Outside of work, Thea spends most of her time with her children, but also loves reading, photography and gardening.
PPC Executive
Before joining Wildcat, Tom worked across different industries, building skills in sales and customer service. He later developed a passion for digital marketing whilst working on personal marketing projects and freelance ventures, and gained numerous certifications in PPC and Social Media.
Outside of work, Tom enjoys staying active by going to the gym and hiking. He also loves travelling and motorbiking.
Head of Growth
Rich joined us in May 2024 to head up our growth team. With years of experience helping other agencies to grow, Rich joins us at an exciting time as Wildcat is working on a five-year plan to become one of the biggest agencies in the UK.
Outside of work, Rich is a father to three children, which keeps him very busy! He’s also recently started running again to keep fit and loves a bit of DIY.
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