Google Ads Account Audit Checklist
A checklist for reviewing a Google Ads account, ordered by where money is most often wasted.
Key Takeaways
- Start with conversion tracking. Counting the wrong actions sends Smart Bidding after the wrong people, whatever else is set up well.
- Network and location settings are the quickest places to find wasted spend.
- With broad match, AI Max and Performance Max, the search terms report is the main defense against irrelevant clicks.
- Landing pages decide how much of the click cost turns into leads.
On This Page
Audit a Google Ads account in this order: conversion tracking, campaign settings, search terms and negatives, bidding, ads and assets, landing pages, then reporting. The first three areas account for most of the wasted spend we find in audits, and fixing tracking often changes what the rest of the account appears to show. A typical small business account takes two to three hours to review with this list.
1. Conversion Tracking
- [ ] Primary conversions used for bidding are real leads or sales, such as form submissions, qualified calls and purchases.
- [ ] Page views, button clicks and scroll events are set as secondary or removed.
- [ ] Calls count only above a minimum length, often 60 seconds.
- [ ] Form conversions fire on the thank-you page or confirmed submission, and are not duplicated.
- [ ] Enhanced conversions for leads is set up, and qualified leads or sales are imported where your CRM allows.
- [ ] Conversion values reflect the difference between lead types where it matters.
2. Campaign Settings
- [ ] Search campaigns exclude the Display Network unless deliberately tested.
- [ ] Location targeting uses "Presence", people in or regularly in your locations, for local services.
- [ ] Locations match where you can serve customers profitably.
- [ ] Ad schedule matches when calls can be answered, if calls are the main conversion.
- [ ] Budgets are not limiting your best-performing campaigns.
3. Search Terms and Negatives
- [ ] The search terms report has been reviewed in the last two weeks.
- [ ] Negative keyword lists cover job seekers, do-it-yourself searches, free offers and services you do not provide.
- [ ] Negatives have not blocked valuable searches by accident.
- [ ] Brand searches are separated from non-brand so results are not flattered by branded clicks.
4. AI Max and Performance Max
- [ ] If AI Max for Search is on, its search terms and landing page choices have been reviewed.
- [ ] Pages that should never receive ad traffic, such as careers or blog pages, are excluded from final URL expansion.
- [ ] Performance Max campaigns have campaign-level negative keywords and brand exclusions where needed (Google Ads Help).
- [ ] The Performance Max channel performance report has been checked for where spend went.
- [ ] Performance Max lead campaigns are monitored for spam form submissions.
5. Bidding
- [ ] The bid strategy suits the data available, such as Maximize conversions while building volume and Target CPA once conversions are steady.
- [ ] Target CPA or ROAS goals are realistic, so campaigns are not starved of traffic.
- [ ] Bid strategy changes are spaced out, with time to settle after each.
6. Ads and Assets
- [ ] Each ad group has a responsive search ad with varied headlines that reflect the searches in that group.
- [ ] Ad strength warnings have been reviewed, without rewriting good ads just to raise the score.
- [ ] Sitelinks, callouts, call and location assets are in place.
- [ ] Ads mention the service, location and a clear reason to choose you.
7. Landing Pages
- [ ] Each campaign sends traffic to a page that matches the service searched.
- [ ] Pages load quickly on phones.
- [ ] Phone number and a short form are visible without scrolling.
- [ ] Reviews, credentials and service area appear near the top.
8. Reporting
- [ ] Reports show cost per qualified lead and cost per customer, not only clicks and conversions.
- [ ] Google's reported conversions are compared monthly with CRM or booking records.
Turning Findings Into Fixes
Fix tracking first, since every other decision depends on it. Then tighten settings and negatives, which usually cut waste within days. Bidding, ads and landing page changes follow, each given time to show results. Log each change with its date.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I audit Google Ads?
A full audit each quarter, with search terms reviewed every one to two weeks.
What wastes the most money in Google Ads?
In the accounts we review, the most common causes are counting the wrong conversions, irrelevant search terms and location settings that include people outside the service area.
Should I turn off AI Max or Performance Max?
Not necessarily. Keep them where tracking is reliable and their search terms and landing pages pass review.
Sources
- Search Engine Land on AI Max reporting searchengineland.com