You’ve launched your Shopify store.
You’ve set up Google Ads.
You’re getting traffic.
But the sales?
They’re… underwhelming.
You’re paying for clicks, but no one’s buying. You’re watching your budget disappear while wondering if this whole ad thing is just a black hole.
First: you’re not alone.
This is one of the most common frustrations we hear from ecommerce founders — especially those scaling from DIY to done-for-you support.
So let’s dig into why your Google Ads aren’t converting — and what you can do to fix it before your next dollar is spent.
💬 First, Know This:
The problem isn’t just your ads. It’s usually your funnel.
Google Ads doesn’t work in isolation. It’s a powerful traffic source, but if your landing pages, messaging, product-market fit, or tracking is broken — the most beautifully written ad in the world won’t save you.
Fixing Google Ads that don’t convert means zooming out and looking at the whole journey — from the search term to the sale.
🔍 1. Start With Your Keywords
If you’re targeting broad, generic search terms like “gift ideas” or “summer fashion,” you’re inviting the wrong audience into your funnel.
You need to get specific.
Think about what your ideal customer would actually Google if they were ready to buy:
- “natural skincare for sensitive skin NZ”
- “custom gift boxes delivered NZ”
- “matching family Christmas pyjamas Australia”
These are high-intent, product-specific, purchase-ready keywords.
👉 Fix it: Use keyword match types correctly. Add negatives. Focus on buyer intent.
🔍 2. Match Your Ad Copy to Your Landing Page
This is where trust is built or broken — in seconds.
If your Google Ad says “Free NZ Shipping + 20% Off First Order” and your landing page doesn’t mention either of those things? Bounce.
If your ad promotes a “Personalised Jewellery Collection” but drops them on your generic homepage? Exit.
👉 Fix it: Match the message. Align the offer. Create product-specific landing pages when it makes sense.
This isn’t just about user experience — it impacts your Quality Score, CPC, and ultimately, your profit.
🔍 3. Check Your Conversion Tracking
We’ve seen accounts that are “converting well” — until we check what they’re actually counting.
Hint: if you’re counting “Add to Cart” or “Time on Site” as conversions… your data is lying to you.
👉 Fix it:
- Set up conversion tracking in Google Ads using actual sales from Shopify
- Import conversions from GA4 only if they’re set up properly
- Use Tag Manager (or ask us to set it up for you properly)
If you can’t measure a sale, you can’t scale a sale.
🔍 4. Don’t Set & Forget
If your Google Ads account hasn’t been touched in weeks, chances are it’s slowly burning budget with no one steering the ship.
Google needs regular:
- Bid optimisations
- Keyword pruning
- Ad testing
- Asset updates
- Campaign restructuring as needed
👉 Fix it: Optimise weekly. Even 20–30 minutes can uncover inefficiencies or big wins.
🚨 Still Not Converting? It’s Time to Zoom Out.
Sometimes the issue isn’t the campaign. It’s the offer.
Or the funnel.
Or the audience strategy.
That’s why at Ecommerce Marketing NZ & AU, we don’t just manage ad accounts — we look at the entire customer journey.
We start with a Marketing Machine Audit to find the weak links in your ad strategy, landing pages, tracking, and creative.
Because fixing Google Ads that don’t convert isn’t just about better keywords — it’s about building a system that actually works.
✅ Let’s Turn That Traffic Into Sales
You’ve already done the hard part — building your product and your brand.
Let’s make sure your ads are doing their job: driving profitable, scalable growth.👉 Book your Marketing Machine Audit and let’s rebuild your ad strategy with clarity, confidence, and conversion at the core.