When Google Ads gets clicks and no enquiries, the cause is nearly always one of nine things. Work through them in this order, because the first few are the cheapest to check.
1. Conversion tracking is broken or missing
You may be getting leads and not seeing them. Make a test call and send a test form, then check that both appear in Google Ads. If phone calls are not tracked, most trade accounts are missing the majority of their leads.
2. You are paying for the wrong searches
Open the search terms report. Look for jobs, courses, DIY, free, and services you do not offer. Add each as a negative keyword. Do this weekly in the first month.
3. Match types are too loose
Broad match with a small budget spends quickly on loosely related searches. Move your main keywords to phrase and exact match until tracking has enough conversions to guide bidding.
4. Ads show outside your service area
Check location settings. Choose "presence" (people in your area), not "presence or interest", or you will pay for clicks from people who only mentioned your town.
5. The ad and the page do not match
If the ad says "boiler repair" and the page is your homepage about everything, people leave. Send each ad group to a page about that one service.
6. The landing page makes it hard to enquire
On a phone, can someone call with one tap without scrolling? Is there a short form? Is the page quick to load? Most local searches happen on mobile, so test on your own phone on mobile data.
7. There is no reason to trust you
Add what a stranger needs to see: review score, photos of real work, accreditations, the areas you cover and a real business name and address.
8. Nobody answers
Listen to call recordings or check missed calls. Ads that run when no one picks up waste money. Set an ad schedule that matches when you can answer, or use a call answering service.
9. The bidding strategy has nothing to learn from
Automated bidding such as Maximise Conversions needs conversion data. With few or no conversions it guesses. Start with a strategy you can control, then switch when the account records conversions steadily.
What to check first
If you only have an hour, do three things: make the test call, read the search terms report, and open your landing page on your phone. Those three find most problems.
Common questions
How many clicks before I should worry? If a hundred relevant clicks have produced no enquiry, something on this list is wrong.
Is a low conversion rate always the page's fault? No. Wrong search terms make a good page look bad. Fix the traffic first, then the page.
Related guides
- How Much Does It Cost to Advertise on Google in the UK?
- Google Local Services Ads UK: What They Are, Who They Suit and What They Cost
- Is Google Ads Worth It for a Small Business?
Next step
AdsFlair runs Google Ads for UK trades and local service businesses. Ask for a free Google Ads audit and we will show you where your budget is going and what to fix first. There is no cost and no obligation. See our page on landing page optimisation for how we work.