Process Flow
Animated overview of the full workflow
TL;DR
A Google Ads audit reviews every layer of your account for inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and configuration errors. Key areas: conversion tracking verification, account structure review, bidding strategy assessment, keyword analysis (match types, Quality Scores, negatives), ad copy evaluation (RSA asset performance, extensions), landing page review (speed, relevance, mobile), budget allocation check, search terms analysis, audience strategy review, and competitor benchmarking. Run a full audit quarterly and a mini-audit monthly.
Overview
This guide covers everything you need to know about google ads performance audit checklist. Follow the steps below to implement this in your own account.
Related Guides
Check our other guides in the Google Ads section for more detailed coverage of specific topics including account setup, tracking, campaign creation, and optimisation strategies.
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these 3 steps to complete this guide
- 1
Step-by-Step Implementation
### Step 1: Access Your Account Log into Google Ads at ads.google.com. Navigate to the relevant section as described in this guide. Ensure you have the necessary permissions (Admin or Standard access) to make changes. ### Step 2: Configuration Follow the specific configuration steps for your objective. Each setting should be reviewed carefully as some (like time zone and currency) cannot be changed after creation. ### Step 3: Setup and Launch Complete the setup by filling in all required fields, reviewing your settings, and publishing. Use Preview Mode or test tools where available to verify everything works before going live. ### Step 4: Monitor and Optimise After launch, monitor performance daily for the first week. Look at key metrics relevant to your campaign type and objective. Make data-driven adjustments after allowing sufficient time for the learning phase.
- 2
Best Practices
Focus on relevance at every level — keywords to ads to landing pages. Start with conservative settings and expand based on data. Test systematically, changing one variable at a time. Document your changes and their impact for future reference.
- 3
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping conversion tracking setup, making too many changes too quickly, ignoring the Search Terms Report (for Search campaigns), not testing different creative approaches, and setting budgets too low for the algorithm to learn effectively.
Frequently asked
Questions & answers
How long does setup take?
Initial setup typically takes 15-30 minutes. Full optimisation is an ongoing process that improves over weeks and months.
What budget should I start with?
Start with a budget that allows at least 50 conversions per month per campaign for effective machine learning. This varies by industry and CPA.
When should I expect results?
Allow 2-4 weeks for the initial learning phase. Meaningful performance trends typically emerge after 30 days of consistent data.
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