Free checklist
Google Ads audit checklist
Find where the budget is leaking.
This Google Ads audit checklist is what we check in an account that's running but not bringing in enough enquiries: access, conversion tracking, settings, structure, search terms and negatives, keywords, ads, bidding and budget, landing pages and reporting. Start with tracking.
If the account is counting the wrong things as conversions, every other number in it is misleading.
At a glance
- What
- A plain-text Google Ads audit checklist in ten sections, free to copy.
- For
- Business owners checking their own account, or the work of an agency.
- You need
- Admin or read-only access to the account, and your own enquiry and sales records.
- Next
- Want us to audit it for you? See our Google Ads audit. We'll reply within the hour (working hours).
Ready when you are.
We'll reply within the hour (working hours).
Is the account tracking real conversions?
This is the most common problem we find. If page views or duplicate events count as conversions, the account looks better than it is and automated bidding chases the wrong thing.
- Real actions only.Enquiries, calls, bookings and sales as primary conversions. Everything else secondary or off.
- Match your records.Compare tracked conversions with the enquiries you actually received in the same weeks.
- Calls.Calls from ads and from the website, both tracked.
- Enhanced conversions and consent mode.In place, so you keep measuring as cookies are declined.
Are the settings sending budget to the wrong places?
A few defaults can quietly spend money on traffic that rarely converts for a local or B2B business.
- Display Network on Search.Off. Run display as its own campaign if you want it.
- Search partners.On only if the data shows it works.
- Location option.Presence, not Presence or interest.
- Ad schedule.Matching when someone can answer the phone or reply.
- Auto-apply recommendations.Reviewed, or turned off.
What are people actually searching for?
The search terms report shows the real searches behind your clicks. It's where most wasted spend shows up.
- Read the last 90 days.Sort by cost and look for searches that could never become a customer.
- Add negatives.Jobs, free, DIY, training, and services you don't offer.
- Shared lists.Apply the same negative lists across every relevant campaign.
- Promote winners.Add converting search terms as keywords with the right match type.
Do the ads, bids and landing pages match?
Once tracking and targeting are right, check that each search meets a relevant ad and a relevant page.
- Ads.A current responsive search ad in every ad group, naming the service, the place and a reason to choose you.
- Quality Score.Low scores point to which part needs work: expected click-through rate, ad relevance or landing page experience.
- Bidding.Automated bidding needs enough real conversions to learn from. With few, keep it simpler.
- Budget.Check which campaigns are limited by budget and how much impression share you lose to budget and to rank.
- Landing pages.Each ad group sent to its own matching page, fast on mobile, with a working form.
Copy the Google Ads audit checklist
The full checklist in plain text, with tick boxes. Paste it into a doc and note what you find under each line.
GOOGLE ADS AUDIT CHECKLIST
Account: [name] Date range: [last 90 days] Checked by: [name]
ACCESS
[ ] The business owns the account and has admin access
[ ] Change history reviewed: who changes what, and how often
CONVERSION TRACKING
[ ] Every conversion action is a real enquiry, call, booking or sale
[ ] Page views, clicks and duplicates not counted as primary conversions
[ ] Tracked conversions roughly match your own records
[ ] Calls from ads and from the website tracked
[ ] Enhanced conversions and consent mode in place
SETTINGS
[ ] Display Network off on Search campaigns
[ ] Search partners on only if it's proven to work
[ ] Location option set to Presence
[ ] Ad schedule matches when you can answer enquiries
[ ] Auto-apply recommendations reviewed or off
STRUCTURE
[ ] Campaigns split by service, area or goal, not one big campaign
[ ] Ad groups tightly themed
[ ] Budget going to the services that earn the most
SEARCH TERMS AND NEGATIVES
[ ] Search terms report read for the last 90 days
[ ] Irrelevant searches added as negatives
[ ] Shared negative lists applied to every relevant campaign
[ ] Converting search terms added as keywords
KEYWORDS
[ ] Match types chosen on purpose
[ ] Keywords with spend and no conversions reviewed
[ ] Quality Score checked: expected CTR, ad relevance, landing page experience
ADS AND ASSETS
[ ] Each ad group has a current responsive search ad
[ ] Ads mention the service, the place and a reason to choose you
[ ] Sitelinks, callouts, call and location assets in place
[ ] Disapproved ads and assets fixed
BIDDING AND BUDGET
[ ] Bid strategy suits the amount of conversion data
[ ] Campaigns limited by budget identified
[ ] Impression share lost to budget and to rank checked
[ ] Cost per conversion compared with what a customer is worth to you
LANDING PAGES
[ ] Each ad group sends people to the matching page
[ ] Pages fast on mobile
[ ] Forms and phone numbers tested
REPORTING
[ ] Reports show enquiries and sales, not just clicks
[ ] A clear list of what changes next, and whyHow does Foundry audit a Google Ads account?
We go through every section of this list with read-only access, starting with tracking, and compare the account's conversions with your real enquiries. You get a written list of fixes in priority order.
When we rebuilt Backpedal's account after this kind of audit, the conversion rate was 7x higher in the first full month, with 3x more sales the month after.
Our averages. Not our best days.
Our averages
3hours
Google Ads setupthis service
20mins
Average reply time
Google Ads audit checklist FAQs
A full audit once or twice a year, or whenever results drop. Check the search terms report every week or two.
Conversion tracking that counts the wrong things, such as page views or duplicate form events. It makes the account look better than it is.
Yes. Everything here can be checked inside Google Ads. The hard part is comparing it fairly with your real enquiries and deciding what to change first.
It's a clue, not a goal. Look at which part is below average and fix that: the ad, the keyword grouping or the landing page.
Not as a fix for a messy account. Get tracking and Search right first, then test Performance Max with clean conversion data.
Yes. Our Google Ads audit covers every section of this list, with a written plan. We'll reply within the hour (working hours).
Related
Budget leaking? Get moving.
Tell us what you need. We'll reply within the hour (working hours), and most websites go live about 5 days after kick-off.
We'll reply within the hour (working hours).
Or email hello@foundryagency.co.uk