Your Google Ads campaigns are running. But are they running at full capacity? An audit reveals what monthly reporting doesn't show: budget leaks, missed opportunities, and untapped levers.
When to Run a Google Ads Audit
An audit isn't an occasional luxury. It's a regular diagnostic — like a tune-up on your acquisition engine.
Key moments:
- Before increasing your budget — make sure the engine is optimized before stepping on the gas
- When results plateau — if cost per lead has been climbing for 2–3 months with no explanation
- Switching providers — before handing your campaigns to a new agency
- Every 6 months — even when everything seems fine, a fresh perspective always uncovers improvements
The 10 Points of a Complete Audit
1. Account Structure
Is the account organized by search intent or by product? Are Search and Display campaigns separated? Are there ad groups with more than 20 keywords (a sign of poor segmentation)?
2. Keywords and Match Types
What match types are in use? Uncontrolled broad match is the number one source of waste. Analyze the search terms report: how many clicks come from irrelevant searches?
3. Negative Keywords
How many negative keywords are in place? A well-managed account often has 200+ exclusions. No negatives = 15–30% of budget wasted on average.
4. Ad Quality
How many ads per ad group? (minimum 3). Do the headlines include the keyword? Do the descriptions mention a concrete benefit and a CTA? Do the Responsive Search Ads have enough variants?
5. Landing Pages
Is traffic going to the homepage or to dedicated pages? Does the page message match the ad? Is load time under 3 seconds? Is the form visible without scrolling?
6. Conversion Tracking
Is tracking in place and functional? Are you only tracking forms, or also calls, chats, and — most importantly — real business conversions (appointments, proposals, contracts via CRM)?
7. Bidding Strategy
Which bidding strategy is in use? Is it appropriate for the conversion volume? (Target CPA requires 30+ conversions/month). Are manual bids reviewed regularly?
8. Ad Extensions
Are extensions active? (sitelinks, callouts, snippets, call). Missing extensions = a smaller ad = less free visibility.
9. Geographic and Time-of-Day Targeting
Are campaigns targeting the right areas? Are unproductive hours excluded? Are bids adjusted by location and time based on performance?
10. Quality Score
What's the average Quality Score across the account? Below 6/10, you're overpaying for every click. Identify low-QS keywords and the reasons why (ad relevance, landing page experience, CTR).
Red Flags an Audit Reveals
A thorough audit surfaces problems that standard reporting hides:
- Budget burned on broad match — 30–50% of clicks from irrelevant searches
- No negative keywords — every day, you're paying for useless traffic
- Traffic sent to the homepage — conversion rate 3x lower than dedicated landing pages
- No CRM tracking — the algorithm optimizes for form fills, not clients
- Quality Score below 5 — you're paying 2x the normal price for every click
DIY Audit vs. Professional Audit
You can run a basic audit using the checklist above. But a professional audit brings two things you can't replicate on your own:
- Cross-account experience — an auditor who has reviewed 100+ accounts instantly spots waste patterns
- Industry benchmarks — they know whether your $5 CPC is high or normal for your sector
A professional audit costs between $500 and $2,000. It typically pays for itself in the first month through saved budget.
What a Good Audit Report Contains
- Executive summary with the top 3–5 priority actions
- Estimated wasted budget (in dollars and as a percentage)
- Detailed analysis of each component (structure, keywords, ads, pages, tracking)
- Actionable recommendations with priority ranking
- Projected results if the recommendations are implemented
A report that just says "you should improve your ads" without quantifying the impact isn't an audit — it's a wish list.
IOquery offers a free 30-minute diagnostic to identify the first quick wins in your account. Book your slot — we open the hood, and we tell you what we see.