Why Is My Ad Impression Share Low? A Guide for Local Businesses in Milton Keynes

Understanding Ad Impression Share and Its Importance

Ad impression share is a key metric in Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising that indicates the percentage of times your ad was shown out of the total possible opportunities.

For local businesses in Milton Keynes, maximising impression share can significantly increase visibility and attract more local customers.

Low impression share often signals missed opportunities and can hinder your overall ad performance.

Common Reasons for Low Ad Impression Share

1. Budget Limitations

If your daily or monthly budget is too low, your ads may not be shown as often as they could be.

This cap limits the number of impressions your account can generate, reducing overall impression share.

2. Low Ad Relevance or Quality Scores

Google prioritises ads with high relevance and quality scores for user experience reasons.

If your ads aren’t relevant enough or have low quality scores, your ad rank diminishes, lowering impression share.

3. High Competition

Milton Keynes is a competitive local market, and rivals with larger budgets or better quality ads may dominate ad spaces.

When competitors outbid or outrank you, your impression share decreases accordingly.

4. Poor Keyword Strategy

Using overly broad or mismatched keywords can lower your ad visibility.

Non-targeted or irrelevant keywords might cause your ads to appear less frequently or in less ideal contexts.

5. Limitations in Targeting Settings

Restrictive location, device, or demographic targeting can limit your ad reach, reducing impression share.

If your settings are too narrow, your ads may not be shown to the broader potential audience.

How to Improve Your Ad Impression Share

Optimise Your Budget and Bidding Strategies

Ensure your daily budget aligns with your campaign goals and competitive landscape.

Consider using automated bidding strategies like Maximise Clicks or Target Impression Share to improve visibility.

Enhance Your Ad Relevance and Quality

Write compelling ad copy that matches your keywords and local audience needs.

Regularly optimise your landing pages to improve user experience and quality scores.

Expand and Refine Keyword Lists

Use a mix of broad, phrase, and exact match keywords to increase ad opportunities.

Regularly review search term reports to exclude irrelevant searches and find new keyword ideas.

Adjust Targeting Settings

Broaden location targeting within Milton Keynes or nearby areas to reach more potential customers.

Consider expanding device targeting if your audience uses multiple platforms frequently.

Monitor and Analyse Campaign Performance

Use Google Ads insights to identify gaps and optimise settings.

Track impression share metrics regularly to measure the impact of your optimisations.

Additional Tips for Maximising Your PPC Campaign Success

Leverage Ad Extensions

Adding phone numbers, locations, and sitelinks can improve your ad prominence and click-through rates.

More prominent ads tend to gain higher impression share naturally.

Schedule Your Ads Strategically

Run your ads during peak hours when your target audience in Milton Keynes is most active.

This ensures maximum visibility when it matters most.

Utilise Localised Campaigns

Tailor your ads with Milton Keynes-specific keywords and messaging.

This boosts relevance and improves your chances of capturing local search traffic.

Why Partnering with Milton Keynes Marketing Can Help

Our local PPC experts specialise in developing customised strategies to boost impression share.

We analyse your competition, optimise your campaigns, and ensure your ads reach the right local audience.

Partnering with us means you’ll get expert guidance to turn low impression share into increased local visibility.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is a good impression share?
   Typically, a good impression share varies by industry, but aiming for anything above 70% is considered solid.
2. How does impression share impact my ad performance?
   Higher impression share usually correlates with better visibility and potential for more clicks and conversions.
3. Can low impression share be due to ad scheduling?
   Yes, if your ads are not scheduled during peak times, your impression share can decrease.
4. Is increasing budget always the best solution?
   Not necessarily. Improving relevance, targeting, and bidding strategies can have a similar or better effect.
5. How often should I review my impression share?
   Regular reviews, ideally weekly or bi-weekly, help optimise performance and catch issues early.
6. Can offline factors affect my impression share?
   Yes, factors like store location, local competition, and seasonal trends can influence your ad visibility.
7. What tools can I use to track impression share?
   Google Ads provides detailed impression share metrics within the Campaigns tab and via in-depth reports.
8. Does high competition mean I cannot improve impression share?
   Not at all. Strategic optimisations can help you compete more effectively, even in competitive markets.
9. How important are ad extensions for impression share?
   Very important. Extensions make your ads more prominent and can improve your impression share.
10. Should I focus on increasing impression share or conversions?
    Ideally, balance both. Increasing impression share boosts visibility, but ensuring conversions is crucial for ROI.

Conclusion

Low ad impression share can hinder your local visibility in Milton Keynes.

By understanding the causes and implementing targeted optimisations, your business can enhance ad visibility and attract more local customers.

Partnering with Milton Keynes Marketing ensures expert support to maximise your PPC efforts and grow your local presence effectively.