How to audit a Google Ads account in 30 minutes
Quick doesn't mean ineffective!
One of my priority tasks I gave myself when I started again at Saltbox was to audit accounts. I asked the team if there were any accounts they either felt stuck on and wanted new ideas for, or those where performance wasn’t doing too great.
In order to surface relevant insights to the team in a short amount of time, I had to adjust my typical audit process.
When you’re short on time, you’ve got to prioritize!
Here’s how I go about doing quick, impactful Google Ads account audits for my PPC team.
The 30-Minute Google Ads Audit Framework
Start with the 10,000 foot view
What’s the goal of this account?
How many campaigns are active? How many are meaningful?
What’s the monthly spend vs. conversion volume?
What is featured on the client’s website?
I’m not fully digging in yet. I’m just understanding the shape of the account.
Funnel fit & structure check
Are campaigns aligned to buying stages? (Or are they one-size-fits-all?)
Is there parity between the client’s site and the campaigns? I look at services/category pages and see if that general makeup is mirrored in the campaigns.
Are there clear distinctions between branded, non-brand, competitor, etc.?
Is there a clear naming convention?
Are keywords stuffed into one campaign, or broken out for intent control?
Is match type chaos making this harder than it needs to be?
This helps me understand if the structure is getting in the way of performance. If it is, then I propose some restructure next steps.
Campaign performance over time
Have there been significant fluctuations in performance over the last 6 months?
Are there active campaigns that are way off the goal mark?
Active campaigns that have high spend and no conversions?
What are our top-performing campaigns, and is there room to grow them further?
Are there any automated bid strategies in use that maybe should go back to manual until there is more data?
Targeting & intent alignment
Are the search terms matching the keywords?
Are the keywords actually capturing the intent that a customer may have?
Is the offer or landing page supporting the potential customer in their purchase decisions?
Is there wasted spend on irrelevant queries or placements?
Creative, Conversion & CRO Red Flags
Is the CTR below or above benchmark (both industry benchmark and account average)?
Is the conversion rate under 3%? (This is the general benchmark I hold conversion rate to).
Is the messaging aligned with the keywords?
What landing pages are being used? Do they match the promise in the ad?
Are conversions being tracked correctly (and consistently)?
More existential questions that I’m thinking about:
Is paid media solving the right problem for this business?
Is the data clean enough to make good decisions moving forward?
What role should Google Ads actually play in this go-to-market motion?
Because sometimes Google Ads isn’t the best fit to be the only PPC channel running. If another channel would work better for the business, then I want to propose that as well.
I love doing both internal and external audits. And doing audits for the team helps make sure that new strategies and insights are coming to light. It’s so easy to become blind to your own Google Ads account and run out of ideas, so internal audits are one of the activities we do for continuous improvement, both for clients and to grow our skills!
A good audit doesn’t need to take all day. It just needs to cut through the noise and point to what actually matters.
If you’re an agency owner, in-house marketer, or freelancer who wants a second set of eyes on your account:
📩 Reply to this email or DM me. I’m happy to take a look!
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