Checks to run, in order
Run them in this order. The first three cost nothing to check, and they are the ones our media buyers at RunAds and Every Friday, our agency, look at first on an account with clicks and no leads.
- 01
Confirm conversions are being recorded
In Google Ads, open Goals, then Conversions, and check each primary conversion action's status. Make a test lead or purchase and confirm it appears. If nothing records, the ads may be working and the tracking is not.
- 02
Check you have enough clicks to judge
At the 8.18% average conversion rate LocaliQ reports, 30 clicks with no conversion happens by chance about 8% of the time. Past about 50 clicks with zero conversions, treat it as a real problem.
- 03
Wait out bid strategy learning
If you changed the bid strategy, its settings, or added or removed campaigns or keywords, Smart Bidding may show Learning for up to 7 days. Google suggests judging over 2 conversion cycles or 2 weeks, whichever is longer.
- 04
Read the search terms report
Open the search terms report for the last 30 days, sort by cost, and add negative keywords for searches that will never buy, such as jobs, free, DIY or a competitor's name you don't want.
- 05
Check the ads match the search
Look at Quality Score and its parts: expected CTR, ad relevance and landing page experience. A keyword rated below average on ad relevance usually needs its own ad group and ad.
- 06
Test the landing page on a phone
Click your own ad on a phone. The page should repeat the ad's promise, load fast, and put the call button or form above the fold. Submit the form and confirm you receive it.
- 07
Compare the offer with competitors
Search your main keyword and read the other ads. If they offer a lower price, a faster appointment or a guarantee you don't, the click goes to you and the conversion goes to them.
Is zero conversions just bad luck?
Sometimes. The table shows the chance of getting zero conversions by luck alone if your true conversion rate equals the LocaliQ benchmark. It is (1 - rate) raised to the number of clicks.
| Conversion rate | 20 clicks | 30 clicks | 50 clicks | 100 clicks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All industries (avg), 8.18% | 18.1% | 7.7% | 1.4% | <0.1% |
| Dentists, 10.67% | 10.5% | 3.4% | 0.4% | <0.1% |
| Attorneys, 5.55% | 31.9% | 18.0% | 5.8% | 0.3% |
| Shopping and gifts, 4.01% | 44.1% | 29.3% | 12.9% | 1.7% |
A shopping store converting at 4% can see 30 clicks without a sale almost a third of the time, so judge it on more clicks. A dental practice at 10.67% that gets 30 clicks and no booking has a problem worth looking for today.
What conversion rate should I expect?
| Industry | Avg conversion rate | Clicks per conversion |
|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8.18% | about 12 |
| Dentists and dental services | 10.67% | about 9 |
| Home and home improvement | 8.05% | about 12 |
| Attorneys and legal services | 5.55% | about 18 |
| Shopping, collectibles and gifts | 4.01% | about 25 |
Common mistakes that look like a conversion problem
- Counting page views or button clicks as primary conversions, so Smart Bidding chases the wrong action.
- Two tags firing for one purchase, so the numbers look fine while the real cost per sale is double.
- Changing bids or budgets every day, which restarts learning before the strategy settles.
- Broad match keywords with no negative keyword list in the first weeks.
- Sending every ad to the homepage instead of a page about the thing searched for.
- A form that emails a dead inbox, so leads arrive and nobody sees them.
Running the checks with RunAds
The Account Audit pulls campaigns, keywords, search terms, products, ad copy and audiences from your account, then writes a report of wasted spend, top performers, quick wins and risks. Ad Grades gives each ad a letter grade on its copy, creative and landing page, with the reasons. Smart Pixel adds server-side conversion tracking with gclid attribution, so real orders flow back to Google Ads.
If you use Claude or ChatGPT, you can run the same audit from chat with the RunAds MCP connector and ask which search terms spent money without converting.
Every account starts with 500 free credits, which cover the first $100 of Google ad spend. The audit and Ad Grades are included. Start free.