One of the worst mistakes that Ads account owners do is leaving an account untouched after setting it up. Performing an Ads audit periodically is necessary to detect weak spots and find new opportunities that can potentially increase revenue.

 

Unlocking Success: Key Areas to Explore in Your Ads Account Audit

Check Campaign Settings

One of the first areas a PPC audit agency looks into is campaign settings for each individual campaign. They analyze existing settings in relation to campaign objectives to ensure they make sense. Specifically, they check campaign status, location settings, networks settings, ad schedule settings, and device targeting settings.

Check Conversion Tracking

Conversion tracking is one of the most critical elements of a healthy Ads account. It allows you to see if PPC campaigns are generating conversions and at what cost. While performing Google Ads audit, check if conversion tracking is set up on the correct pages across the website. Tracking codes should be installed on Thank You pages instead of landing pages or product pages for an accurate evaluation of conversion results.

Check Link to Google Analytics

A PPC audit agency also checks if the Ads account is linked to Google Analytics. Linking the two allows for the transfer of Ads account data to Google Analytics. By doing this, you will be able to run custom reports and compare paid search data with data that comes from organic search traffic.

Inspect Ad Group Structure

Any person performing a Google Ads PPC campaign audit should look at ad group structure. Having an organized ad group structure is the best way to simplify account management. Ad groups should be very specific, having not more than three to five keywords. Keywords should relate to one another and revolve around a common theme. Creating single keyword ad groups is the best way to improve CTR and conversion rates.

Examine Ad Quality

While conducting a PPC campaign audit, check the number of ads for an ad group – for best performance, there should be two or three ads per ad group. Check every single ad and make sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes. Also make sure the ads are of high quality, with a focus on relevant keywords, product/service description, and clear CTA.

Identify Negative Keywords

Spending money on irrelevant clicks is a sure-fire way of depleting your ad budget within days. That’s why a professional Ads management agency combs through a search terms report to identify keywords that are irrelevant to a client’s business but generating impressions. Poor keywords that have no chance of generating leads or conversions should be added to the negative keyword list so that ads don’t get served for them.

Check Ad Extensions Relevance

Most marketers understand the importance of ad extensions to increase CTR and improve Quality Score. However, not everyone implements them properly. A PPC campaign audit is the right time to determine if relevant ad extensions that match campaign goals are being implemented and they’re working the way they’re supposed to. For example, implementing call extensions but not having anyone present to answer phone calls is a big no-no.

Look Into Landing Page Experience

Each ad group should direct users to a dedicated landing page. The landing page should be fast-loading and match the message of the ad while providing a prominent CTA to drive conversions. Landing page experience is an important part of Quality Score – improving it can increase conversions and result in higher ad rank with lower cost.

Find New Keyword Opportunities

Search terms report should be analyzed during a PPC audit not just to identify negative keywords but also new keyword opportunities. There may be many keywords that are driving conversions and sales without even creating specific ads for them. Such high-value keywords can be optimized through targeted ad groups and campaigns.

Use the above tips to perform a quick PPC account audit. Repeat the process once every few weeks to produce big rewards. Sounds tedious? Delegate to a professional PPC audit team and sit back to reap benefits!