When a potential client approaches us to take over their Google Ads account, conducting an initial audit is often the first step. This audit provides a clear understanding of the current state of their campaigns and identifies areas for improvement. While our comprehensive audit checklist includes many more details, there are nine essential steps we never skip. These steps give us a quick yet thorough insight into the campaign’s performance, strategic alignment, and potential for optimization.

1. Brand vs. Non-Brand vs. Competitor Account Setup

The way an account is structured around brand, non-brand, and competitor keywords can reveal a lot about its strategic direction. For instance, bidding on brand keywords might be aimed at defending against competitors, which could justify a target impression share strategy. Analyzing this setup shows how well the campaigns align with the business goals and whether the business is effectively managing its competitive landscape.

2. Click-Through Rate (CTR) per Ad Group

CTR is a fundamental metric that offers a quick snapshot of an account’s health. A well-optimized account should have a CTR of over 3%. By examining CTR across different ad groups, we can identify underperforming segments that might need attention, such as ad copy adjustments or targeting refinements.

3. Search Query Report

The Search Query Report often serves as the “moment of truth.” By analyzing the past 12 months of data, especially focusing on high-cost queries, we can assess whether the account’s keyword targeting is aligned with the business objectives. It’s not uncommon to find that top-spending keywords don’t reflect the business’s focus, especially in accounts managed in-house, where regular optimization may be lacking.

4. Negative Keywords and Lists

Reviewing the negative keywords and lists helps us understand how well the account is being maintained. An effective use of negative keywords can prevent wasted spend on irrelevant queries, representing potential quick wins in campaign performance.

5. Ad Extensions

Ad extensions are a vital part of any Google Ads campaign, enhancing visibility and providing additional information to potential customers. We check if ad extensions are being used effectively—such as ensuring that the Google My Business account is linked for location extensions, verifying the correct phone number, and assessing the relevance of other extensions like sitelinks or callouts.

6. Conversion Tracking

Proper conversion tracking is the backbone of any successful campaign. We start by verifying that conversion tracking is set up and functioning correctly. Ensuring accurate tracking is crucial, as it underpins bidding strategies and helps in measuring the true ROI of the campaigns. Any errors in tracking can lead to costly inefficiencies.

7. Bid Strategies

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to bid strategies, the chosen strategy can indicate the digital maturity of the business. Whether it’s manual CPC, automated bidding, or target CPA, we assess whether the strategy aligns with the business goals and how well it’s being executed.

8. Most Expensive Keywords: With and Without Conversions

We quickly review the most expensive keywords, focusing on those with and without conversions. This step helps us identify opportunities for automated rules or manual adjustments to control costs and improve ROI, especially for keywords that haven’t proven successful yet.

9. Auction Insights

Auction Insights provide valuable context on how the client’s campaigns are performing relative to competitors. This analysis helps us understand the competitive landscape, assess the relevance of the campaign setup, and identify potential threats or opportunities in the market.

Conclusion

After completing these nine essential steps, we gain a solid understanding of the account’s current state and potential areas for improvement. This audit not only helps us set realistic expectations with the client but also highlights the value we can bring to the table. By identifying key opportunities for uplift, we can create a tailored strategy that drives better results and aligns more closely with the client’s business objectives.