Google Ads Account Audit: 25-Point Checklist
Complete 25-point Google Ads audit checklist for 2026. Systematically find wasted spend, fix tracking issues, improve Quality Score, and identify growth opportunities.
Google Ads Account Audit: 25-Point Checklist
Whether you're taking over a new client's account, reviewing your own campaigns, or evaluating an agency's work, a structured audit reveals exactly where money is being wasted and where opportunities exist.
This 25-point checklist covers every critical area of a Google Ads account. Go through it systematically — each item has a specific check and a clear action if something's wrong.
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Section 1: Conversion Tracking (Points 1-5)
Conversion tracking errors are the most dangerous issues because they corrupt every other metric. Check these first.
1. Conversion Actions Are Set Up Correctly
Check: Go to Goals > Conversions > Summary. Verify that:
• Primary conversion actions are set to "Primary" (used for bidding)
• Secondary actions are set to "Secondary" (not used for bidding)
• Each action has recorded conversions in the last 7 days
Red flags: No conversions recorded, all actions set to "Primary" (inflates conversion counts), or conversion actions from other accounts or properties.
Fix: Reconfigure conversion actions. Ensure only true business conversions (purchases, leads) are "Primary."
2. Conversion Values Are Accurate
Check: For ecommerce, verify that conversion values match actual order amounts. Compare Google Ads conversion value to your ecommerce platform's revenue for the same period.
Red flags: All conversions showing the same value (likely a static default), values significantly higher or lower than actual revenue.
Fix: Implement dynamic conversion values using your ecommerce platform's Google Ads integration or GTM.
3. No Duplicate Conversions
Check: Compare conversion count in Google Ads to actual leads/purchases in your CRM or ecommerce platform.
Red flags: Google Ads showing 2x+ the conversions of your actual data.
Fix: Add transaction_id to prevent counting the same conversion twice. For lead gen, set counting to "One" per click.
4. Enhanced Conversions Enabled
Check: Go to each conversion action's settings. Check if Enhanced Conversions is enabled.
Red flags: Enhanced Conversions not enabled = you're likely missing 5-15% of conversions due to cookie restrictions.
Fix: Enable Enhanced Conversions and configure hashed user data (email, phone) passback.
5. Attribution Model Is Appropriate
Check: Verify the attribution model for each conversion action. Data-driven attribution (DDA) is recommended in 2026.
Red flags: Using Last Click attribution (misses the contribution of upper-funnel campaigns).
Fix: Switch to Data-driven attribution if you have 300+ conversions and 3,000+ interactions in 30 days. Otherwise, use Last Click as a baseline.
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Section 2: Account Structure (Points 6-10)
6. Campaign Organization Is Logical
Check: Review campaign naming and structure. Campaigns should be organized by:
• Goal (Search, Shopping, Remarketing, Brand)
• Match type (if separate match type campaigns)
• Product/service category
Red flags: One campaign for everything, campaigns named "Campaign 1," mixing Search and Display in one campaign.
Fix: Restructure into logical campaigns. Separate by goal, and within goals by product/service line.
7. Ad Groups Have Tight Keyword Themes
Check: Click into each ad group. Are the keywords closely related?
Red flags: Ad groups with 30+ keywords spanning multiple topics. An ad group with "running shoes," "hiking boots," and "dress shoes" together.
Fix: Split large ad groups into tighter themes. Each ad group should have 5-15 closely related keywords with ads that match the theme.
8. No Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) Obsession
Check: Are there hundreds of ad groups with one keyword each?
Red flags: SKAG structure with 200+ ad groups. This was a best practice in 2018 but is counterproductive with RSAs and Smart Bidding in 2026.
Fix: Consolidate into themed ad groups with 5-15 related keywords. Smart Bidding works better with more data per ad group.
9. Campaign Settings Are Correct
Check for each campaign:
• Location targeting: "Presence" not "Presence or interest"
• Networks: Search campaigns should NOT include Display Network (unless intentional)
• Language targeting: matches your audience
• Ad rotation: "Optimize" (not "Rotate indefinitely")
Red flags: "Presence or interest" location targeting (wastes money on non-local traffic), Search campaigns opted into Display Network.
Fix: Correct each setting. These are common defaults that Google sets to spend more of your money.
10. Brand and Non-Brand Are Separated
Check: Is there a dedicated campaign for branded keywords (your company name)?
Red flags: Brand and non-brand keywords mixed in the same campaign. This inflates non-brand performance metrics because brand keywords convert at 5-10x the rate.
Fix: Create a separate Branded Search campaign. This gives you accurate non-brand performance data and separate budget control.
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Section 3: Keywords (Points 11-15)
11. Search Terms Report Shows Relevance
Check: Review the last 30 days