Spent $300 testing Google Ads and got zero conversions, where did I go wrong?

[FrostyPebble]

Started my first Google Ads campaign last month for my small business. Watched a bunch of YouTube tutorials, set everything up, ran it for 3 weeks and spent around $300. Got clicks but zero conversions. Landing page is decent I think. Keywords seemed relevant. Not sure if the problem is my bidding strategy, my landing page or just wrong keywords. Feels like I just threw money away. Anyone else started out like this? What was the first thing you fixed that actually made a difference?

 

[Chronos Tech]

The advertising strategy or campaign type may be incorrect.

 

[unknownliw]

this is usually happens when targeting is off or the landing page doesn't match what people are searching for Sometimes it also takes more time for Google to learn if data is too low.

 

[DataPhreak]

you're not talking about your business, so what do you do? because the problem might come from there

 

[Korovka]

Hard to say because there is not enough information.
Some of the most common reasons:
- you buy bot traffic from the display network and/or search partners
- your keywords are not really relevant
- your keywords are okay, but you don't have the necessary negative keywords and you show your ads to the wrong audience
- your ads are misleading
- your landing page is not relevant enough
- your competitors are much better

you need to either have someone run an audit of your campaign or provide many more details about your campaign and niche.

 

[EbonFrost]

Started my first Google Ads campaign last month for my small business. Watched a bunch of YouTube tutorials, set everything up, ran it for 3 weeks and spent around $300. Got clicks but zero conversions. Landing page is decent I think. Keywords seemed relevant. Not sure if the problem is my bidding strategy, my landing page or just wrong keywords. Feels like I just threw money away. Anyone else started out like this? What was the first thing you fixed that actually made a difference?

From my experience, $300 with zero conversions usually means something in the funnel is not matching properly, mostly targeting, keywords or landing page intent. I wouldn't reset everything immediately, better to adjust step by step first.

 

[TrafficLoop]

Started my first Google Ads campaign last month for my small business. Watched a bunch of YouTube tutorials, set everything up, ran it for 3 weeks and spent around $300. Got clicks but zero conversions. Landing page is decent I think. Keywords seemed relevant. Not sure if the problem is my bidding strategy, my landing page or just wrong keywords. Feels like I just threw money away. Anyone else started out like this? What was the first thing you fixed that actually made a difference?

Classic first-timer move, happens to everyone.
Most of the time it’s the landing page or offer, not the clicks or keywords.
I’d A/B test the page, tighten your copy, and make sure the CTA is super clear, fixed that first and conversions finally came.

 

[medialounge]

The real.issue is probably the audience
Second thing ..have you tried other platforms aside Google ads too
Certain products may sell actually very well via IG than Google ads

 

[ShadowbladeStorm]

Honestly $300 is not always enough data in some niches, especially on fresh campaigns. I'd optimize slowly first instead of resetting everything too quickely.

 

[WPGads]

$300 for Google Ads is still very little, especially on a fresh account
Most likely broad keywords or bad search intent burned the budget. Check your Search Terms report first, usually the problem is there
Also a lot of people think conversion tracking works, but conversions are not actually being recorded

And don’t optimize for purchases right away on a new account. Better start with leads or add to cart first.

 

[power plus]

Same happend with me in start too. Ussually problem is keywords intent or search terms, not just landing page. I'd check that fist before blaming whole campaign.

 

[BlackVibe]

Honestly, this is super common starting out. First thing I’d check is your landing page, are you sending traffic somewhere that actually convinces people to take action? Even small tweaks like a clearer CTA or faster load can flip things. After that, I’d tweak keywords and match types; broad match eats cash fast.

 

[EmberGem]

It is completely normal to feel this way, almost every beginner faces this exact scenario on their first try. Spending $300 with zero conversions is frustrating, but you didn't throw your money away, you just bought your first set of marketing data.

 

[Nikolaos]

you're not talking about your business, so what do you do? because the problem might come from there

+1 to that. I'm interested to know that as well.

Started my first Google Ads campaign last month for my small business. Watched a bunch of YouTube tutorials, set everything up, ran it for 3 weeks and spent around $300. Got clicks but zero conversions. Landing page is decent I think. Keywords seemed relevant. Not sure if the problem is my bidding strategy, my landing page or just wrong keywords. Feels like I just threw money away. Anyone else started out like this? What was the first thing you fixed that actually made a difference?

What is your niche?

 

[DarkMatterLab]

Check your search terms most likely you are getting low intent clicks. Tighten keywords and add negatives before changing bids.