What should I do if my campaign is ‘Limited by search volume’?

If your campaign is ‘Limited by search volume’, the short answer is to maximize performance with the traffic you do receive—improve your conversion rate, use Google Ads effectively, run retargeting ads on Facebook, and consider creating separate campaigns for nearby towns rather than just expanding your campaign area.

Full Explanation

When a campaign is identified as ‘Limited by search volume’, it indicates that there are not enough people searching for the service or product you offer in the target area. This situation means fewer potential clicks and impressions, which can make it challenging to grow your campaign by just increasing the budget or expanding the audience within the same geographical setup.

Given this limitation, rather than seeking more search volume where there may be little to none, you should focus on making the most out of the clicks that do come through. Improving your conversion rate ensures that you get higher value from each visitor, turning a limited audience into meaningful results. Running retargeting ads on platforms like Facebook also helps capture interest from past visitors, maintaining engagement without relying solely on new searchers.

Another effective approach is to target nearby towns with separate campaigns instead of enlarging your current campaign’s area. This strategy allows you to tap into new pockets of potential search volume, tailored specifically to those locations, which can be more effective than broadening your existing campaign.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

  1. Utilize and capitalize on clicks: Focus on extracting maximum value from the existing traffic rather than expecting volume to grow naturally.
  2. Improve conversion rates with Google Ads: Refine ad copy, landing pages, and targeting to increase the percentage of visitors who complete your desired action.
  3. Run retargeting ads on Facebook: Re-engage users who have previously interacted with your brand to encourage conversions.
  4. Create additional campaigns for nearby towns: Instead of expanding your current campaign area, set up new campaigns targeting nearby locations that may have higher or untapped search volume.

Real Examples

If your existing campaign covers a small town with limited search queries, running ads there might yield few clicks overall. By improving your conversion strategy—such as making offers more compelling or optimizing the ad experience—you get more value from limited traffic. Meanwhile, launching new campaigns for surrounding towns with separate geographic targeting can attract new potential customers, helping offset the original low search volume challenge.

Common Mistakes

  • Trying to expand the campaign area widely within the same campaign, which can dilute focus and not target appropriately.
  • Ignoring conversion improvements and focusing solely on attracting more clicks when the search volume is limited.
  • Not using retargeting ads, thereby missing chances to engage users who have already shown interest.

FAQs

Q: Why is my campaign ‘Limited by search volume’?
Because there aren’t enough people searching for what your campaign offers in the selected area.

Q: Should I just increase my budget to fix this?
Increasing the budget alone won’t help if the search volume is low. Focus on improving conversions and expanding geographically through new campaigns.

Q: How do retargeting ads help?
Retargeting ads on platforms like Facebook reach out to users who have previously interacted with your ads or site, boosting your chances of converting limited traffic.

Key Takeaways

  • ‘Limited by search volume’ means you have fewer potential customers searching in your campaign area.
  • Maximize conversions and ad effectiveness within the existing traffic before seeking volume growth.
  • Use retargeting ads on Facebook to re-engage interested users.
  • Create separate campaigns targeting nearby towns instead of expanding the current campaign’s geographic area.