Day one: approval
After you create or edit an ad, Google reviews its headline, description, keywords, destination page and any images. Google says most ads are reviewed within one business day, some take longer, and you should check the status if review runs past 2 full business days. An ad must reach Eligible status to run. Paused ads are reviewed too, so you can build a campaign ahead of time and switch it on when ready.
Google needs the landing page to be complete for the ad to be reviewed, so finish the page first. Every edit to an ad sends it back through review, which is one more reason not to tinker on launch day.
The first week: data, not verdicts
In the first days you learn which searches trigger your ads, what clicks cost and whether calls and forms are being recorded. Treat week one as a setup check, not a result: read the search terms report, confirm conversion tracking is firing, and add negative keywords for searches that will never become customers.
If the campaign uses Smart Bidding, you may see a Learning status. Google says it appears after major structural changes, such as a new bid strategy, campaigns or keywords added to or removed from a strategy, or a change in conversion goals, and never lasts more than 7 days. Ads keep serving normally throughout. Budget changes, target changes, new ads and location changes don't trigger it.
The weeks after: conversion cycles
Google says Smart Bidding performance typically converges on a new goal within 1 to 2 conversion cycles. A conversion cycle is the time between a click and the action you count. If you count phone calls, that can be minutes. If you import booked jobs from your records, it might be weeks, because a homeowner who clicks today may sign next month.
Google names three factors that set the pace: how many conversions the campaign gets, how long the conversion cycle is, and how restrictive the settings are. Tight targets, low daily budgets and very narrow targeting all slow the ramp-up. Google also recommends measuring Target CPA performance over periods with at least 30 conversions, which a small local campaign can take a while to reach.
What slows a campaign down
When a campaign seems stuck, one of these is usually holding it back.
- No conversion tracking, so bidding has nothing to learn from.
- A budget too small to produce conversions at a steady pace.
- Several target changes within one conversion cycle, which Google advises against without a clear business need.
- Disapproved ads, or a landing page that isn't ready for review.
- A small budget split across many campaigns. Google suggests consolidating campaigns where possible to pool conversion data.
- Ads running at hours when calls go unanswered.
What to look for along the way
The table at the end of this page shows what to check at each stage. Fix setup problems early, then let the campaign gather enough tracked conversions before making big decisions about it.
It is also why our management starts with a 6-month initial commitment, then runs month to month. The first stretch goes to auditing, setup and tracking, and the months after give the campaign time to learn from real inquiries and improve.
| Stage | What to check | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| First business day | Ad status: Eligible, Under review or Disapproved | Whether ads can run at all |
| First week | Search terms, cost per click, conversions recording | Whether you reach the right searches and count results |
| Learning status, up to 7 days after major changes | Keep structural changes to a minimum | Bidding is adjusting to the change |
| Over 1 to 2 conversion cycles | Cost per conversion against your goal | Whether Smart Bidding has settled |
| Ongoing | Booked jobs and profit by service | Whether the campaign is worth what it costs |
Related questions
Why was my ad approved but isn't showing?
Eligible means the ad may run, not that it will. Check that the campaign isn't paused, the schedule covers the current time, the budget isn't used up, and your Ad Rank is high enough to show. People also have to be searching your keywords at that moment.
Should I change things during the Learning period?
Keep structural changes to a minimum. Google says Learning follows new strategies, composition changes or goal changes and lasts up to 7 days, while budget and target adjustments apply in the next auction without restarting it. Avoid stacking several target changes within one conversion cycle.
How long should I run Google Ads before deciding they don't work?
Long enough to collect a meaningful number of tracked conversions, which depends on your budget and click costs. Google suggests evaluating Target CPA performance over periods with at least 30 conversions. Before judging the channel, confirm the right searches, working tracking and answered phones.
Do new campaigns start from zero?
Not entirely. Google says Smart Bidding draws on query-level signals, historical conversion patterns and data from similar past campaigns in your account to build its first bidding models, so an account with good tracking history ramps up faster than a brand new one.
Sources
- Google Ads Help: About the ad review process
- Google Ads Help: About Smart Bidding learning
- Google Ads Help: Bid strategy statuses
- Google Ads Help: About Target CPA bidding
- Google Ads Help: About conversion measurement
- Google Ads Help: About offline conversion imports
- Google Ads Help: About the search terms report
- Google Ads Help: The ad auction