Google Ads Audit

Google Ads Audit – What Is It? (8 Steps)

A Google Ads audit is a detailed analysis of advertising campaigns conducted in the Google Ads system (formerly Google AdWords). It is a comprehensive process of evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of advertising activities in the Google advertising network.

What is a Google Ads Audit?

A Google Ads audit allows for an in-depth examination of account structure, campaign settings, ad effectiveness, and optimization of advertising expenses.

Conducting a Google Ads Audit: Specialists Analyze:

1. Account Structure and Campaign Organization:
   • Evaluate if campaigns are logically divided by products, services, or marketing goals.
   • Verify if ad groups within each campaign are thematically consistent.
   • Assess if the number of keywords in ad groups is optimal (usually 10-20 keywords per group).
2. Keyword Selection and Matching:
   • Analyze keyword performance, click-through rates (CTR), cost per click (CPC), and conversion rates.
   • Identify and add negative keywords to avoid unproductive clicks.
3. Ad Quality and Extensions:
   • Check if ads comply with Google Ads guidelines and contain relevant keywords.
   • Evaluate the use of ad extensions like location, call, site link, message, and review extensions.
4. Landing Page Effectiveness:
   • Ensure landing pages are consistent with ad content, optimized for SEO, and have clear calls to action.
   • Check page load speed and responsiveness on various devices.
5. Conversion Tracking and Performance Metrics:
   • Verify proper setup of conversion tracking for all critical business goals.
   • Analyze conversion rates (CR), cost per acquisition (CPA), and identify high and low-performing campaigns.
6. Budget Allocation and Bidding Strategies:
   • Assess budget distribution across campaigns and the effectiveness of current bidding strategies.
   • Optimize budget allocation for maximum return on investment (ROI).
7. Campaign Results Compared to Competitors:
   • Use Google Ads tools to analyze market share and competitive performance.
   • Identify new opportunities and advertising niches.

Why Perform a Google Ads Account Audit?

Conducting a Google Ads audit offers numerous benefits for advertisers. Here are the key reasons to regularly perform a Google Ads account audit:

• Optimization of Advertising Spend:
  • Identify ineffective campaigns and ad groups.
  • Better allocate budget to the most effective activities.
• Improvement of Performance Metrics:
  • Increase conversion rates and optimize click-through rates (CTR).
• Adaptation to Changes in Google Algorithms:
  • Keep up with changes in the Google Ads platform and adapt strategies to new features.
• Identification of Technical Issues:
  • Detect account configuration errors and conversion tracking problems.
• Competitor Analysis:
  • Compare campaign results with competitors and identify new opportunities.
• Alignment with Business Goals:
  • Ensure campaigns align with current business objectives and better target the desired audience.
• Increased Return on Investment (ROI):
  • Comprehensive audits lead to more efficient campaigns and optimized customer acquisition costs (CPA).

Regular audits help advertisers not only improve the effectiveness of their campaigns but also gain better insights into customer behavior online. This, in turn, allows for more informed marketing and business decisions.

Step-by-Step Google Ads Audit Process

Step 1: Analysis of Google Ads Account Structure

Start your Google Ads audit with a detailed analysis of the account structure. Perform the following tasks:

• Evaluate Campaign and Ad Group Organization:
  • Ensure campaigns are logically divided based on products, services, or marketing goals.
  • Verify thematic consistency of ad groups within each campaign.
  • Assess the optimal number of keywords in ad groups (typically 10-20 keywords per group).
• Check Account and Campaign Settings:
  • Verify geographic and language settings.
  • Review ad scheduling.
  • Assess device settings (desktop, mobile, tablet).
  • Validate targeting methods (search, display network, remarketing).

Step 2: Keyword Audit

Focus on analyzing keywords. Perform the following actions:

• Analyze Keyword Performance:
  • Check CTR for each keyword.
  • Assess CPC and its impact on the campaign budget.
  • Verify ad positions for key phrases.
  • Analyze conversion rates for critical keywords.
• Identify Negative Keywords:
  • Find phrases generating costs without conversions.
  • Check search term reports to find inappropriate queries.
  • Add identified phrases to the negative keyword list.

Step 3: Ad Evaluation

Key elements of a Google Ads audit include a thorough evaluation of ads. Perform the following actions:

• Analyze Ad Content and Performance:
  • Ensure ad content complies with Google Ads guidelines and includes relevant keywords.
  • Assess performance indicators such as CTR, average CPC, and conversion rates.
  • Identify the best and worst-performing ads in each ad group.
• Check Ad Extensions:
  • Verify the use of all relevant ad extensions like location, call, site links, message, and review extensions.
  • Evaluate the performance of each extension and its impact on overall ad effectiveness.

Step 4: Landing Page Analysis

Conduct a thorough analysis of landing pages:

• Assess Quality and Relevance:
  • Ensure the landing page content aligns with ad content and responds to user queries.
  • Evaluate clear calls to action (CTA) and SEO optimization.
  • Analyze page layout for clarity and user intuitiveness.
• Check Page Load Speed:
  • Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to evaluate load speed.
  • Identify elements slowing down the page, such as large images or unoptimized code.
  • Ensure the page is responsive and displays well on mobile devices.

Step 5: Conversion Analysis

Perform a detailed conversion analysis:

• Verify Conversion Tracking:
  • Ensure conversion tracking is correctly set up in Google Ads.
  • Verify all significant business goals are tracked as conversions.
  • Ensure proper implementation of the conversion tracking code on the site.
• Evaluate Conversion Metrics:
  • Analyze conversion rates for campaigns and ad groups.
  • Assess CPA and compare it with set goals.
  • Identify the highest and lowest-performing campaigns.

Step 6: Budget and Bidding Audit

Focus on financial analysis:

• Analyze Budget Allocation:
  • Verify if the budget is optimally distributed across campaigns.
  • Identify campaigns quickly depleting the budget.
  • Assess if the budget is sufficient to achieve set goals.
• Evaluate Bidding Strategies:
  • Analyze the effectiveness of current bidding strategies.
  • Check the use of advanced options like Smart Bidding.
  • Assess if bids align with conversion values.

Step 7: Performance and Competitor Analysis

Conduct a comprehensive analysis of results and compare with competitors:

• Evaluate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
  • Analyze KPIs like CTR, CR, CPC, and CPA.
  • Compare current results with historical data.
  • Identify trends and seasonality in campaign results.
• Compare with Competitors:
  • Use Google Ads tools to analyze market share.
  • Check how your ads perform in Google search results compared to competitors.
  • Analyze competitors’ advertising strategies.

Step 8: Creating a Report and Recommendations

The final step in a Google Ads audit is creating a comprehensive report and action plan:

• Summarize Audit Results:
  • List the most critical issues found during the audit.
  • Describe how these issues affect campaign effectiveness.
• Create an Action Plan:
  • List specific recommendations for each problem.
  • Set priorities for actions, focusing on changes bringing the most benefits.
• Implementation Schedule:
  • Plan when and in what order the recommended changes will be implemented.
  • Assign responsibility for each task to specific individuals.
• Prioritize Recommendations:
  • Organize recommendations by potential impact on results and ease of implementation.
  • Start with “quick wins” – easy-to-implement changes with high potential.
• Monitor Effects:
  • Establish how often and how to check results after implementing changes.
  • Be ready to adjust strategies based on new data.

Remember, a Google Ads audit is not a one-time activity. Regular audits are necessary to maintain the high efficiency of your advertising campaigns on Google Ads.

Summary: Google Ads Campaign Audit

A Google Ads audit is a crucial element in optimizing Google Ads campaigns, allowing for a comprehensive account analysis and identifying areas for improvement. Conducting a Google Ads account audit helps increase the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and achieve better business results. The audit includes detailed analysis of account structure, keywords, ads, landing pages, conversions, and budget. By conducting a Google Ads account audit, you can identify technical issues, adjust strategies to changes in Google algorithms, and better compete in the market. Remember, the quality of a Google Ads audit determines the success of your advertising campaigns on Google.