Why Your Google Ads Aren't Converting (And How to Fix It)

This is the single most common reason we see when auditing accounts that report “no conversions.” In many cases, conversions are actually happening — they're just not being recorded properly.

Broken tracking can mean Google Tag Manager isn't firing, conversion actions are set to the wrong counting method, or the tracking code was removed during a website update. We regularly find accounts where the tracking pixel was installed on a “thank you” page that no longer exists.

How to fix it: Use the Google Tag Assistant or the tag diagnostics in Google Ads to verify every conversion action is firing correctly. Test each conversion path yourself — submit a form, make a test purchase, call your tracking number. If you're using Google Analytics 4 imported conversions, check that the GA4-to-Ads link is active and the events are being imported.

Not all keywords are created equal. If you're bidding on broad, informational terms, you're attracting people who are researching — not buying. A solicitor bidding on “what is employment law” will get clicks from students, not potential clients.

The other common mistake is using broad match keywords without sufficient negative keywords. Google's broad match has become increasingly liberal, and your ads may be showing for searches that have little to do with your actual service.

How to fix it: Review your Search Terms report weekly. Look for queries that are irrelevant or have the wrong intent. Shift budget towards keywords with clear commercial or transactional intent — terms that include “hire,” “cost,” “near me,” “quote,” or “buy.” Consider tightening match types from broad to phrase or exact where conversion data supports it. Our free Wasted Spend Analysis identifies exactly which keywords are burning budget without converting.

Your ad got the click — great. But if the landing page doesn't deliver on the ad's promise, visitors will bounce. The most common landing page mistakes we see are: sending all traffic to the homepage, slow page load speeds, no clear call to action above the fold, and a disconnect between the ad copy and the page content.

A user who searches “emergency plumber London” and clicks your ad expects to land on a page about emergency plumbing services in London — not your generic services page listing 15 different offerings.

How to fix it: Create dedicated landing pages for your top-performing ad groups. Ensure the headline matches the search intent, include trust signals (reviews, certifications, case studies), and make the conversion action obvious and easy. Test your page speed with Google PageSpeed Insights — aim for a mobile load time under 3 seconds.

Generic ad copy attracts generic clicks. If your ads look identical to every competitor's, you're competing solely on position — and that's an expensive game. Weak ads also mean lower click-through rates, which hurts your Quality Score and raises your cost per click.

We frequently see ads that fail to include the target keyword in the headline, don't mention a specific benefit or differentiator, and use vague calls to action like “Learn More” instead of “Get a Free Quote.”

How to fix it: Include the primary keyword in at least one headline. Lead with a specific benefit, not a feature. Use numbers and specifics (“Save 30%” beats “Great Prices”). Add urgency where appropriate. Test at least 3 responsive search ad variations per ad group and let Google optimise towards the best performer.

Your bid strategy tells Google what to optimise for. If you're using Maximise Clicks, Google will get you as many clicks as possible — regardless of whether those clicks convert. If you're using Target CPA but your target is unrealistically low, Google will throttle your traffic to almost nothing.

The wrong bid strategy is particularly damaging in new accounts. Automated strategies like Maximise Conversions need historical conversion data to work properly. Switching to automated bidding before you have 30-50 conversions per month often leads to erratic performance.

How to fix it: If you have fewer than 30 conversions per month, start with Manual CPC or Maximise Clicks with a bid cap. Once you have consistent conversion data, move to Maximise Conversions or Target CPA. Set realistic targets based on your actual historical data, not aspirational numbers. A Google Ads audit can identify whether your bid strategy is costing you conversions.

A common mistake is splitting a small budget across too many campaigns, ad groups, or keywords. If you're spending £20/day across 10 campaigns, each campaign gets £2/day — not enough for Google's algorithms to learn or for you to gather meaningful data.

Limited budgets also mean your ads stop showing partway through the day, missing peak conversion hours. You might be running out of budget by 2pm and missing all the evening traffic.

How to fix it: Consolidate. Focus your budget on 2-3 top-performing campaigns or ad groups. Pause everything that isn't converting and redirect that spend to what is working. Use ad scheduling to show ads only during your highest-converting hours. It's better to dominate a small segment than to spread yourself invisibly thin across everything.

Without negative keywords, your ads show for searches that have nothing to do with your business. We've seen accountancy firms paying for clicks on “free accounting software,” law firms showing for “law degree courses,” and plumbers getting clicks from people searching for “plumber salary.”

Every irrelevant click costs you money and drags down your conversion rate. Over time, this wasted spend also pollutes your conversion data, making automated bid strategies less effective.

How to fix it: Build a negative keyword list before launching any campaign. Include obvious exclusions like “free,” “jobs,” “salary,” “courses,” and “DIY.” Then review your Search Terms report at least weekly and add new negatives. Create shared negative keyword lists at the account level for terms that apply across all campaigns. Our Wasted Spend Analysis reveals exactly how much you're losing to irrelevant search terms.

Even with the right keywords, you can still waste budget by targeting the wrong audience. Common mistakes include targeting too broad a geographic area, not excluding existing customers, showing ads to demographics that never convert, and not using audience exclusions for remarketing campaigns.

Location targeting is a frequent culprit. If you're a local business in Manchester, you might be showing ads to people across the entire UK — or even globally — if your location settings aren't configured properly. Google defaults to “people in, or who show interest in” your target locations, which can include tourists and people casually browsing.

How to fix it: Review your location targeting and switch to “Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations” for local businesses. Check your demographic data and exclude age groups or genders that consistently don't convert. Layer in-market and affinity audiences as observation targets to gather data, then use bid adjustments to focus spend on high-converting segments.

Quality Score is Google's rating of the quality and relevance of your keywords, ads, and landing pages. A low Quality Score (1-5 out of 10) means you're paying more per click and getting lower ad positions. This directly impacts your conversion rate because you're paying a premium for less visibility.

Quality Score is made up of three components: expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience. If any of these are rated “Below Average,” you're leaving performance on the table.

How to fix it: Check Quality Score at the keyword level in Google Ads. For keywords scoring below 6, review the three component scores. Improve ad relevance by ensuring keywords appear in ad headlines. Boost expected CTR by writing more compelling ad copy. Enhance landing page experience by improving page speed, mobile usability, and content relevance. Even a 2-point Quality Score improvement can reduce CPCs by 20-30%.

Ad extensions — now called “assets” in Google Ads — give your ads more real estate on the search results page. Ads without extensions look smaller, less credible, and get fewer clicks. Fewer clicks means fewer chances to convert.

Many accounts we audit are missing basic extensions like sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, and call extensions. Others have extensions set up but with generic, unhelpful text that doesn't add value.

How to fix it: At minimum, add sitelinks (4+ with descriptions), callout extensions (highlighting key benefits), structured snippets (service types, brands, etc.), and call extensions if you take phone enquiries. For local businesses, add location extensions. Review extension performance quarterly and replace underperformers. Well-crafted extensions can improve CTR by 10-15%.