What It Is
Impression Share is the percentage of times your Google ad appeared out of the total number of times it could have appeared. It tells you how much of your market’s available search attention you are actually capturing.
Formula
Impression Share = Impressions / Eligible Impressions
Impressions are the number of times your ad actually showed up. Eligible Impressions are the total number of searches where your ad qualified to appear based on your keywords, location targeting, and ad schedule. The result is a percentage.
Why It Matters
For a local business, Impression Share tells you whether you are leaving jobs on the table. If your Impression Share is 40 percent, you are missing out on 60 percent of the searches you were eligible to win. A low number usually means your budget is too small, your bids are too low, or your Quality Score is dragging you down.
Common Misconception
Many business owners confuse Impression Share with Click-Through Rate. Impressions are views, not clicks, and Impression Share only measures how often your ad showed up, not how often anyone engaged with it.
FAQ
What is a good Impression Share for a local business?
Aim for at least 70 percent Impression Share on your highest-intent keywords, like “emergency plumber near me.” For broader awareness keywords, 40 to 50 percent is usually fine depending on budget.
Why is my Impression Share so low?
The two most common reasons are budget and rank. If Google reports “Lost IS (Budget),” your daily spend cap is the problem. If it reports “Lost IS (Rank),” your bid or Quality Score is too low to win the auction consistently.
Where do I find my Impression Share in Google Ads?
Inside Google Ads, go to the Campaigns or Keywords tab, click Columns, and add the Competitive Metrics group. You will then see Search Impression Share along with the “Lost to Budget” and “Lost to Rank” columns that explain why.
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