A Google Ads Audit Checklist (Find the Wasted Spend First)

A Google Ads audit has one job: find where money is leaking and where growth is being left on the table. Work it in order of impact — the sequence below moves from "nothing else matters if this is wrong" down to fine-tuning.

1. Conversion tracking — check this first

If tracking is broken, every other number is fiction and the algorithm is optimizing toward noise. Verify conversions actually fire, that you're not double-counting, that primary vs. secondary conversions are set correctly, and that enhanced conversions are on. Most "underperforming" accounts are really mis-tracked accounts.

2. Search terms report — the fastest money

Pull the search terms (what people actually typed) and hunt for spend on irrelevant queries. Every wasted term is a negative keyword waiting to be added. This is usually the single biggest source of recoverable budget in a search account.

3. Account structure & campaign types

Is the account organized so budgets and bids are controllable — brand separated from non-brand, Performance Max not cannibalizing branded search, themes tight enough to write relevant ads? Messy structure hides waste and makes every other fix harder.

4. Keywords & match types

Check match-type mix and cannibalization. Broad match without strong negatives and good tracking burns money fast; exact/phrase with disciplined negatives is where control lives.

5. Bidding strategy vs. the goal

Confirm the bid strategy matches the objective and has enough conversion volume to work. Target ROAS/CPA strategies starve without data; a low-volume account on tROAS may need to fall back to maximize-conversions first.

6. Creative & assets

Review responsive search ads (headline variety, pinned where needed), and confirm assets/extensions — sitelinks, callouts, images — are present and relevant. Missing assets is free real estate left on the table.

7. Landing pages

Match between ad promise and landing page is a conversion-rate lever the account can't fix on its own. Check relevance, load speed, and mobile experience — a great click into a slow, off-message page wastes the whole spend.

8. Geo, device, and schedule

Fine-tuning: look for locations, devices, or dayparts quietly spending without converting, and adjust. Small, safe savings that add up.

Grade each area, quantify the wasted spend you can recover, and lead the report with the biggest leak. "You're spending $X/month on search terms you'd never bid on" is a finding a client acts on today.

Frequently asked questions