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 of search terms. What percentage of searches are relevant to the business?

Red flags: More than 20% of search terms are irrelevant. Queries for "free," "jobs," "DIY," or completely unrelated topics.

Fix: Add negative keywords aggressively. Build shared negative keyword lists. Switch from Broad to Phrase match if waste is excessive.

12. Negative Keyword Lists Exist and Are Active

Check: Go to Tools > Shared Library > Negative Keyword Lists. Check for:

• A universal negative list (applied to all campaigns)
• Industry-specific negative lists
• Campaign-specific negatives

Red flags: No negative keyword lists, or lists that haven't been updated in months.

Fix: Create and apply negative keyword lists. Review and update monthly.

13. Match Types Are Appropriate

Check: Review the match type distribution across the account.

Red flags: 100% Broad Match without Smart Bidding. 100% Exact Match with no Phrase Match discovery.

Fix: Use Phrase Match as the backbone, Exact Match for proven winners, and Broad Match only with Smart Bidding and sufficient conversion data.

14. No Keyword Conflicts

Check: Look for keywords that are blocked by negative keywords. Go to Tools > Troubleshooting > Keyword Diagnostics.

Red flags: Active keywords being blocked by negative keywords (contradicting your own targeting).

Fix: Remove conflicting negatives or modify them to be more specific.

15. Quality Scores Are Monitored

Check: Add Quality Score columns to your keyword view. What's the distribution?

Red flags: Average Quality Score below 5. Many keywords at 1-3 with no action taken.

Fix: Prioritize QS improvements on high-spend keywords. Improve ad relevance, CTR, and landing page experience.

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Section 4: Ads (Points 16-18)

16. Every Ad Group Has Responsive Search Ads

Check: Verify each ad group has at least 1 RSA (preferably 2-3 for testing).

Red flags: Ad groups with no active ads, or ad groups still running only Expanded Text Ads (ETAs were sunset in 2022).

Fix: Create RSAs with 15 unique headlines and 4 descriptions per ad group.

17. Ad Copy Matches Keywords

Check: Read the ads in each ad group. Do the headlines include the keywords?

Red flags: Generic ad copy that could apply to any product. No keyword inclusion in headlines.

Fix: Write ad-group-specific headlines that include the target keywords.

18. Extensions Are Set Up

Check: Go to Ads & Assets > Assets. Verify the account has:

• Sitelinks (minimum 4)
• Callouts (minimum 4)
• Structured Snippets (minimum 1)
• Call Extension (if applicable)
• Location Extension (if applicable)

Red flags: No extensions set up, or only 1-2 types configured.

Fix: Add all applicable extension types. Extensions improve CTR by 10-15% and are free.

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Section 5: Bidding & Budget (Points 19-22)

19. Bidding Strategy Matches Data Maturity

Check: What bidding strategy is each campaign using? Does it match the account's conversion volume?

Monthly Conversions	Appropriate Strategy
0-15	Manual CPC or Maximize Clicks
15-30	Maximize Conversions
30+	Target CPA or Target ROAS

Red flags: Target CPA with only 5 conversions/month. Manual CPC with 100+ conversions/month.

Fix: Align bidding strategy to conversion volume.

20. Budget Is Not Wasted on "Limited by Budget" Losers

Check: Which campaigns show "Limited by Budget"? What's their CPA?

Red flags: High-CPA campaigns limited by budget (they'd waste more money with more budget). Low-CPA campaigns limited by budget (you're leaving conversions on the table).

Fix: Increase budget on efficient campaigns that are budget-limited. Fix inefficient campaigns before increasing their budget.

21. No Overbidding on Low-Value Traffic

Check: Are bid adjustments set for devices, locations, and demographics?

Red flags: Default bids with no adjustments. Paying the same CPC for desktop and mobile when conversion rates differ by 3x.

Fix: Set bid adjustments based on actual performance data.

22. Budget Allocation Matches Performance

Check: Compare campaign spend % to conversion volume %. Are the best-performing campaigns getting enough budget?

Red flags: 50% of budget going to a campaign that generates 10% of conversions.

Fix: Reallocate budget from underperformers to top performers.

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Section 6: Landing Pages & Experience (Points 23-25)

23. Landing Pages Match Ad Promises

Check: Click each ad and verify the landing page delivers what the ad promises.

Red flags: Ad says "Free Trial" but landing page has no visible free trial offer. Ad targets "CRM software" but lands on the homepage.

Fix: Create dedicated landing pages for each major ad group's theme.

24. Landing Pages Load Fast

Check: Test top landing pages with PageSpeed Insights. Target:

• LCP under 2.5 seconds
• FID under 100ms
• CLS under 0.1

Red flags: LCP over 4 seconds, mobile score below 50.

Fix: Compress images, minimize JavaScript, use a CDN, enable caching.

25. Mobile Experience Is Good

Check: Open each landing page on a mobile phone. Verify:

• Text is readable without zooming
• CTA button is visible above the fold
• Forms are easy to complete
• No horizontal scrolling required

Red flags: Tiny text, buried CTA, forms that are painful on mobile.

Fix: Mobile-optimize all landing pages. Over 60% of Google Ads clicks are mobile.

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Post-Audit Action Plan

After completing the audit, prioritize fixes by impact:

Immediate (This Week)

1. Fix conversion tracking errors (impacts everything)
2. Correct location targeting settings
3. Remove Search campaigns from Display Network
4. Add basic negative keyword lists

Short-Term (This Month)

5. Restructure ad groups with too many unrelated keywords
6. Write new ad copy that matches keyword themes
7. Add all applicable extensions
8. Set up bid adjustments for devices and locations

Medium-Term (Next 2-3 Months)

9. Create dedicated landing pages for top ad groups
10. Improve page speed on all landing pages
11. Enable Enhanced Conversions
12. Align bidding strategies to conversion volume
13. Separate brand and non-brand campaigns

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Using Audit Insights Across Platforms

Account audit findings often reveal cross-platform insights. If Google Ads search terms show that "budget" messaging resonates, apply that angle to your Meta and TikTok creatives. If location data shows high performance in certain regions, target those regions on all platforms.

Adship helps you manage your Meta and TikTok campaigns efficiently, so you can apply the insights from your Google Ads audit across your entire advertising portfolio.

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Key Takeaways

1. Always audit conversion tracking first — everything else depends on accurate data
2. Campaign structure issues compound into wasted spend across the entire account
3. The search terms report is the single most revealing part of any audit
4. Extensions and negative keywords are the two most commonly neglected optimizations
5. Landing page speed and match directly impact both Quality Score and conversion rate
6. Prioritize fixes by impact: tracking > structure > keywords > ads > landing pages
7. Repeat this audit quarterly to maintain account health