Google Ads audit checklist

This Google Ads audit checklist covers the 45 checks I run first when I open an account for the first time, grouped into ten areas. Work through them in order: ownership and tracking come first because every other number depends on them. Set aside about two hours, open the account in one tab and a notepad in another, and mark each check as OK, fix, or not sure.

You do not need to fix everything at once. At the end, I explain how to prioritize. If you find yourself with many "not sure" marks, that is useful information too.

1. Ownership and access

• The account is registered under your business, with your own billing method.
• You personally have admin access, not only your agency or a former employee.
• Users who no longer work with you have been removed.
• The account is linked to GA4 and, if you sell products, to Merchant Center.
• Account currency and time zone match your business.

2. Conversion tracking

• Every primary conversion is a real enquiry or sale, not a page view or click.
• Each form, call and booking records once, not twice.
• Calls have a minimum duration so misdials are not counted.
• Conversions recorded in the last 30 days roughly match your real enquiries.
• No old or duplicate conversion actions remain set as primary.
• Enhanced conversions are considered, and consent is handled in line with Canadian privacy rules.
• If you use a CRM, closed sales are imported or at least compared manually.

If this section has problems, stop and fix them before anything else. My guide to Google Ads conversion tracking walks through the setup, and an analytics audit covers GA4 and Tag Manager in depth.

3. Campaign settings

• Location targeting uses presence, not presence or interest.
• Excluded locations are set where you do not serve.
• Search campaigns do not include the Display Network unless intended.
• Language targeting matches the languages of your ads.
• Ad schedule matches when you can answer enquiries.
• Auto-applied recommendations are reviewed or switched off.

4. Structure

• Campaigns are split by service or goal, with budgets that reflect priorities.
• Ad groups are tightly themed, each with a clear intent.
• Brand and non-brand searches are separated, so brand clicks do not flatter results.
• No campaigns are competing for the same searches without a reason.

5. Keywords and search terms

• The search terms report for 30 to 90 days has been read, top terms by cost first.
• Irrelevant terms are excluded with negatives at the right level.
• Shared negative lists exist and are applied to all relevant campaigns.
• Broad match is used only with conversion-based bidding and reliable tracking.
• Keywords with spend and no conversions over a long period are paused or reworked.
• No negatives conflict with active keywords.

The negative keywords guide has a starter list if this section reveals gaps.

6. Ads and assets

• Each ad group has at least one responsive search ad with varied headlines.
• Headlines mention the service, the area and a concrete reason to choose you.
• Pinned headlines are used only where needed.
• Sitelinks, callouts, call asset and location asset are active where relevant.
• No disapproved ads or assets are silently hurting delivery.
• Claims in ads are accurate and prices match your website.

7. Bidding and budget

• The bid strategy suits the amount of conversion data available.
• Strategies are not stuck in learning because of frequent changes.
• Campaigns limited by budget are the ones you actually want to grow.
• Impression share lost to rank versus budget has been checked.
• Target CPA or ROAS targets are realistic compared with past results.

8. Automated campaign types

• Performance Max, Display and Demand Gen have brand exclusions and sensible settings.
• Their conversions are real, not inflated by weak actions.
• Their cost per real conversion is compared with Search.

9. Landing pages

• Each ad group sends people to the most relevant page.
• Pages load quickly on a phone over mobile data.
• The headline matches the ad and the phone number is tappable.
• Forms are short and work, tested this month.
• French or other language ads lead to pages in the same language.

10. After the click

• Calls during the ad schedule are answered, or returned quickly.
• Form enquiries get a reply within hours, not days.
• Someone records where each new customer came from.
• Monthly reports show cost per enquiry and per customer, not only clicks.

The last section is outside Google Ads, yet it decides as much as the rest. A great account feeding an unanswered phone is still a poor investment.

Before you change anything

Take a snapshot first. Export the last 90 days of campaign, keyword and search term data, and write down the current cost per conversion for each campaign. Audits often lead to several changes at once, and without a baseline it is impossible to tell later which change helped and which one hurt. It also protects you if the account is managed by someone else: you have a record of where things stood on the day you looked.

How to prioritize what you found

Sort your "fix" marks into three groups:

1. Measurement first. Anything in ownership or tracking. Without trustworthy data, every other change is a guess.
2. Leaks second. Location, network, search terms and schedule issues. These often stop wasted spend within days.
3. Growth third. Ads, assets, structure, bidding and landing pages. These raise results once the leaks are closed.

Make changes in small batches and note the date of each, so you can see what moved the numbers. If you uncovered many issues, the article on the nine common reasons Google Ads is not working explains the usual causes in more detail.

This list focuses on Google Ads. If you want the same treatment for the whole of your marketing, see what a marketing audit includes; for organic search, there is a separate SEO audit checklist. A printable version of the basics lives in the Google Ads checklist in my resources. If you would rather hand the job over, my Google Ads audit gives you the findings and a clear order of fixes; the first 30-minute call to discuss it is free.