Low Google Ads click-through rate: How to improve it, from search terms to ad copy

When Google Ads click-through rates are low, don’t rush to rewrite all your ads. A more effective sequence is to check which search terms actually matched your ads, determine whether the search intent is relevant, and then see whether the copy clearly addresses users’ needs. Advertisers searching for “améliorer taux de clic google ads” usually need more than just additional clicks—they need people with purchase potential to want to click.

Click-through rate (CTR) is the number of clicks divided by the number of impressions. It can indicate how appealing an ad is to its current audience, but it does not show on its own whether a campaign is successful: if an ad attracts a large number of irrelevant clicks, a higher CTR may still increase wasted spend.

First, identify where the low click-through rate is occurring

In Google Ads, select a representative date range and review impressions, clicks, and conversions for your search campaigns, ad groups, and keywords. When comparing performance, keep conditions such as country, device, and branded versus non-branded terms as consistent as possible. People searching for branded terms often already know the business, so their CTR should not be used as a direct benchmark for generic industry terms.

When impression volume is low, one or two clicks can significantly change the rate, so avoid judging performance based on CTR alone. Extend the observation period and consider actual spend, inquiries, and orders as well. If an ad group has a low CTR but generates high-quality inquiries, prioritize retaining its valuable traffic instead of blindly pursuing a higher rate.

Also review metrics related to ad position. If your ads often appear in less prominent positions, even compelling copy may not get enough attention. Bids, budget, competition, and ad quality can all affect ad placement. Identify the issue first, then decide whether to adjust bids. Avoid treating a budget increase as the only solution.

Use the search terms report to identify mismatched traffic

Keywords are the targets advertisers set, while search terms are what users actually enter. They do not always match exactly, so open the search terms report and review which queries triggered your ads by impressions and spend, then categorize them based on clicks and conversions.

• Clear intent and a good fit for the business: Keep these terms and consider organizing them into a dedicated ad group so that the headlines and landing page better match users’ needs.
• Relevant, but with a different need: For example, people searching for heavy vehicles may be looking for complete vehicles or spare parts. If you serve both needs, prepare separate ad copy and pages for each.
• Irrelevant to the business: For instance, a company that sells only new products may frequently match searches for used products. If you have no relevant offering, consider adding negative keywords.
• Not enough information to determine: If there is insufficient impression or click data, keep monitoring rather than excluding a term immediately just because it has not converted in the short term.

When adding negative keywords, check their scope and match type. Adding an overly broad term to an entire campaign may also block valuable searches. If an issue affects only one ad group, address it at a narrower level first. The search terms report may not show every query that triggered an ad, so make decisions based on the data available in your account.

For keywords that attract a mix of different needs, you can also review match types and ad group structure. Broad coverage can help uncover new needs, but it requires ongoing review. Terms with clear intent and significant product differences are better managed in separate groups. Split them only when the copy and landing pages genuinely need to differ; there is no need to create a separate ad group for every keyword.

Ad copy should address what searchers are looking for

Once you have reviewed the search terms, revise your responsive search ads to address the needs of each group. Headlines can directly specify the product type, use, or purchasing need. Descriptions can add credible points of difference, such as the range of products available, service areas, or how to make an inquiry. Avoid relying only on phrases like “high-quality products” or “professional service,” as they do little to help users distinguish your ad.

Suppose an ad group targets searches from buyers of logistics vehicles in the French-speaking market. Headlines could focus on factual business offerings such as “Logistics Vehicles Supplier” or “Browse Vehicle Products,” while descriptions could explain which product categories are available or how to inquire. Include customization, export, or after-sales services in your ads only if your business actually provides them. The language, currency, and service areas should also match the target market.

Responsive search ads combine different headlines and descriptions, so each asset should make sense on its own. Avoid making every headline a variation of the same sentence. Prepare different angles covering products, use cases, purchasing support, and calls to action, and check that combinations remain accurate and coherent. Pinning headlines to specific positions may help meet particular messaging needs, but it limits the combinations the system can create, so avoid pinning everything unless necessary.

Ad assets also affect what users see. Depending on your actual business, add assets such as sitelinks and promotional information to help users reach product categories, contact pages, or other relevant content more quickly. Do not make promises you cannot fulfill.

The landing page must meet users’ needs after the click

Landing pages do not usually determine whether users click an ad directly, but they affect conversions and how you assess subsequent campaign performance. If an ad promises a particular type of product but takes users to a homepage that contains only a company profile, buyers have to search for the information themselves. A better approach is to link the ad to the relevant category or product page and provide specifications, use cases, and a clear way to make an inquiry.

For example, industrial companies expanding overseas to promote heavy vehicles or logistics equipment can consider digital portal solutions such as heavy vehicles and logistics to address different purchasing needs through product search centers, displays of business coverage, and professional inquiry forms. Maps, client logos, or data dashboards can help present company information, but the content should be accurate and relevant to the audience. If an ad promotes only one specific product, there is no need to make users navigate a complex portal first.

When reviewing the page, also check mobile loading speed and form usability. B2B inquiry forms can collect necessary information such as product requirements and purchasing regions, but too many fields may discourage submissions. If CTR is high but inquiries are low, review the page content, form functionality, and conversion tracking as well; do not immediately assume the ad copy is ineffective.

Make one change at a time, then review the results

When optimizing, record the campaign conditions before and after each change, and try to focus on one type of issue at a time. For example, first remove clearly irrelevant search terms and monitor the change in relevant traffic; then test different headline wording. If you make major changes to keywords, budget, copy, and pages all at once, it will be difficult to determine what caused any change in performance.

Evaluate CTR alongside cost per click, conversion rate, and cost per qualified inquiry. Compare periods with similar campaign conditions and allow enough data to accumulate. If the budget, season, or target regions change significantly, do not simply attribute differences in performance to the ad copy. For inquiry-based businesses, review feedback from the sales team as well: how many inquiries came from target regions, whether their needs were relevant, and whether they were worth pursuing further.

Prioritize areas with high impression volume and spend where search intent is clearly mismatched. Then optimize the copy and landing pages for valuable search terms. This makes it possible to assess whether your budget is shifting toward more valuable demand, even if CTR does not increase significantly.