EventValidatorGoogle Ads shows clicks, but the enquiry inbox is empty. Increasing the budget or switching the ads off may seem like the next move. First, find where the journey stops. The ad may be reaching the wrong people, the page may miss their expectations, or a working form may have broken tracking. Those problems need different fixes.
These checks are mainly for search campaigns that promote services and collect enquiries. Look at the ad account, website and destination for submissions together. The numbers in Google Ads alone may not show where the problem starts.
1. Define what counts as an enquiry
Clicking a form button and delivering an enquiry are different steps. Write down what you intend to count: a submission accepted by the server, a completed booking or an actual phone conversation. If you track clicks on phone or WhatsApp links, report them separately from completed enquiries.
Follow a successful submission using test details. Then try missing fields, a failed submission and refreshing the thank-you page. Does a conversion fire when the form is rejected? Is one submission counted twice? At the end, check both the tracking record and the delivered enquiry.
2. Check which conversion the campaign targets
Having a conversion in the account does not mean every campaign targets it. Review the campaign’s goals and the actions included in them. Counting an old button click and a completed form towards the same purpose can make the results difficult to interpret.
Google’s explanation of primary and secondary actions sets out how actions are used for reporting and bidding. With standard goals, a primary action affects bidding when the campaign uses that goal. Secondary actions are generally for observation, with an exception for custom goals. Check the setup before changing an action’s role.
If data is missing in GA4 too, follow our checks for events that do not appear. A GA4 event and an Ads conversion are separate parts of the setup; establish which system sends which action. If the setup needs rebuilding, GA4 setup and consulting can start with a measurement plan.
3. Read the searches, not just the keywords
A keyword may look relevant while the searches it attracts have different intentions. Someone looking to hire a provider has different needs from someone searching for a job, a free tool or an example file. Group the actual queries by what the person seems to need.
The search terms report helps you review those queries. Some low-volume terms are omitted for privacy, so it is not a complete list of every search. Before adding a negative keyword, consider why that query is unsuitable for the service you provide.
Compare campaign targeting with the places you can serve. An online consultancy covering a whole country and a team visiting a few local districts need different plans. When reviewing devices and times, avoid judging a segment from a handful of clicks. Investigate whether people can complete the enquiry in those circumstances.
4. Does the page deliver on the ad’s promise?
If the ad describes a specific service but opens a page listing everything you do, the visitor has to search again. Make the service, its intended customer and the next step clear near the top. Use concrete claims. Do not advertise a free review, discount or turnaround that you do not actually offer.
Open the destination on a phone. Can you use the form fields, understand the error messages and reach the submit button without a cookie banner covering it? If the page needs work, describe those issues in the website design and development brief.
Google’s Quality Score documentation includes ad relevance and landing-page experience as diagnostic components. The score is not a substitute for enquiry results. Judge a page change by whether it helps people understand the service and complete the intended action.
5. Does a submitted enquiry reach the team?
A success message is not enough. Check the email, notification or stored submission. If it goes to spam, reaches an old address or has no person responsible for it, the problem occurs after the ad account. Label test submissions clearly so the team does not treat them as customer requests.
Keep a short internal record of what happens next: received, contacted, suitable need, proposal sent. Do not send names, phone numbers or email addresses in analytics events. These stages help distinguish an absence of enquiries from enquiries that arrive but do not progress towards a sale.
Put the changes in a useful order
- First fix broken forms, incorrect delivery addresses and inaccurate conversion counting.
- Then review clearly irrelevant searches, service coverage and mismatches between the ad and the page.
- Record each change, its date and its reason. Allow for conversion delay and comparable date ranges when reviewing results.
Changing everything on the same day makes it harder to identify what helped. Review completed, suitable enquiries alongside click costs. There is no single budget or waiting period that fits every account.
Our Google Ads and Meta ads management service covers reviewing the account, ad copy and enquiry journey together. To discuss the work, use the enquiry form to describe your service, target area and current problem. You do not need to share customer details.