Google Ads Audit Checklist

Account Structure

Points 1 to 5. How your campaigns and ad groups are organised.

1

Campaign naming conventions are clear and consistent

Use a standard format that includes the network, goal, and target. For example: Search | Lead Gen | Plumbing Services. Consistent naming makes reporting, filtering, and handovers far easier.

2

Campaigns are organised by match type, intent, or product category

Your campaign structure should reflect how your business works or how users search. Avoid dumping everything into one campaign. Group by service line, product type, or funnel stage.

3

No duplicate keywords across campaigns competing against each other

When the same keyword appears in multiple campaigns, your ads compete against themselves. This drives up costs and confuses the algorithm. Audit for overlap and consolidate.

4

Ad groups contain tightly themed keyword clusters (max 15 to 20 keywords)

Smaller, focused ad groups allow you to write more relevant ad copy. If an ad group has 50+ keywords covering different topics, split it up. Relevance improves Quality Score and lowers CPC.

5

Negative keyword lists are applied at account and campaign level

Shared negative keyword lists prevent wasted spend across your entire account. Review search terms regularly and add irrelevant queries. A well-maintained negative list is one of the highest-ROI activities in any account.

Tracking and Measurement

Points 6 to 10. Making sure your data is accurate and actionable.

6

Google Ads conversion tracking is firing correctly

Use Google Tag Assistant or the tag diagnostics in Google Ads to verify your conversion tags are working. A broken tag means you are flying blind and Smart Bidding has nothing to optimise towards.

7

Conversion actions match real business outcomes, not pageviews

Track what actually matters: phone calls, form submissions, purchases, booked appointments. Pageviews and time-on-site are not conversions. If your primary conversion action is a pageview, fix this immediately.

8

Google Analytics 4 is linked and sharing audiences

Linking GA4 to Google Ads lets you build remarketing audiences from site behaviour and import GA4 conversions. Check the linked accounts section in Google Ads to confirm the connection is active.

9

Auto-tagging is enabled (not manual UTM overrides)

Auto-tagging appends a gclid parameter that lets Google accurately attribute conversions. Manual UTMs can conflict with auto-tagging and create data discrepancies. Keep auto-tagging on unless you have a specific reason not to.

10

Offline conversion imports are set up if applicable

For lead generation accounts, feeding back which leads became customers gives Smart Bidding the real outcome data it needs. Upload offline conversions from your CRM to close the loop between ad click and sale.

Ad Copy and Assets

Points 11 to 15. What your audience actually sees.

11

Each ad group has at least 2 responsive search ads

Google recommends at least one RSA per ad group, but two gives the system more to test. This allows better rotation and more data for the machine learning to find winning combinations.

12

Ad copy includes the primary keyword in headlines

When your headline mirrors the user's search query, it improves click-through rate and Quality Score. Pin your most relevant headline to position 1 if needed, and make sure the keyword appears naturally.

13

Unique selling points and CTAs are clear, not generic

"Learn More" and "Contact Us" are weak calls to action. Be specific: "Get a Free Quote in 24 Hours" or "Book Your Consultation Today". Highlight what makes you different from every other ad on the page.

14

All available ad extensions are in use

Sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, image extensions, call extensions. Use every asset type that applies to your business. Extensions increase your ad's visual real estate and give users more reasons to click.

15

Ad strength is "Good" or "Excellent" on all active RSAs

Ad strength is not a performance metric, but "Poor" ad strength often means you are missing headline or description variations. Aim for at least "Good" by providing diverse headlines and descriptions that cover different angles.

Bidding and Budget

Points 16 to 20. Where your money goes and how it is allocated.

16

Bid strategy matches the campaign goal

Use target ROAS for e-commerce campaigns focused on revenue, and target CPA for lead generation campaigns. Maximise Clicks is rarely the right long-term strategy. Match your bidding to the outcome you care about most.

17

Daily budgets are not limiting top-performing campaigns

If a campaign is hitting its daily budget consistently and delivering strong results, it is leaving money on the table. Check the "Limited by budget" status and reallocate spend from underperforming campaigns.

18

Search impression share is monitored for brand campaigns

Your brand campaigns should aim for 90%+ impression share. If competitors are bidding on your brand name and you are only showing 60% of the time, you are losing clicks you should be winning. Check the auction insights report.

19

Wasted spend is reviewed weekly

Check the search terms report for irrelevant queries eating your budget. Review the placement report for Display and Performance Max campaigns. Even a few minutes of weekly hygiene can save hundreds in wasted clicks.

20

Performance Max campaigns have proper asset groups and audience signals

PMax works best when you give it strong creative assets and clear audience signals. Do not leave asset groups half-filled or skip custom segments. The more relevant data you provide, the better the algorithm performs.