Understanding Google ads and why you might not find yours where you expect to
I get it. You’ve invested money in Google ads (smart move!). And you see other people’s Google ads every time you browse the internet.
So how come you never see your own ad?
It’s a question we field from clients all the time. And there’s a simple answer.
But first, to put you at ease: don’t worry. There is nothing wrong if your Google ad is not showing your own personal search results.
In fact, this is often what you should expect.
We’ll cover Google ads and SEM (search engine marketing) in more detail below.
But first, we asked our resident ads expert Daniel Simmons to settle the question once and for all – why can’t you see your own Google Ads?
Understanding Google Ads (and why you don’t see your own)
Google ads can be uses to create brand awareness, but they’re often best used to sell or promote products or services, generate website traffic, or get email list signups. When used in this way, they offer an easy-to-measure ROI, so you can understand how your ads money is working for you.
Ultimately, budget plays a big factor in whether or not you’ll see your own ad. But first, let’s explore the two types of Google Ads – search ads and display ads – because the type of ads you’re using can factor into if and when you’ll see your them personally.
Search Ads
Like the name suggests, Search Ads are ads that appear when someone does a google search. Say you’re a plumber in Kelowna. If someone googles ‘plumber in Kelowna,’ then your ad could appear in their search results.
As you’d guess, these types of ads can be incredibly powerful, as you’re making sure you’re appearing front-and-centre to people who may be looking for your direct services.
The important thing to keep in mind, though, is that your ad won’t appear every single time someone searches for your keywords. You’re actually in a bidding war with every other company that’s using similar keywords (and trust us: the competition is often steep).
So if you have a small budget – say, less than $20/day – then it can get used up pretty quickly each day.
And that means that depending on when you try to find your ad, you might be searching after your ad spend for the day has been used up. In other words, it would be impossible for your ad to show up for you.
This is compounded by your geographic parameters. If you have a very specific location you’re targeting (as in, one small city), then maybe you’ll see your ads, even if you have a small budget.
But if you’re using a limited budget to target a huge area – like, all of North America, for example – then your budget will likely get used up before you have a chance to see your own ads on any given day.
It’s a numbers game. You don’t have to spend lots on Google Ads to get results, especially when you’re using smart SEM. But unless you’re spending lots in a very targeted region, the odds of seeing your own ad just aren’t there.
