Auditing your Google Ads account is an essential step in ensuring the success of your online advertising efforts.
By regularly reviewing and analysing your account, you can identify areas for improvement, optimise your campaigns, and ultimately drive better results.
In this article, we will discuss the key steps to effectively audit your Google Ads account and provide you with valuable insights to help you achieve your advertising goals. So let’s dive in and learn how to perform a Google Ads audit like a pro.
About me:
I am a Google Ads & PPC freelancer in Sydney, Australia. Running Google Ads campaigns for my clients is what I do for a living.
1. Conversion Tracking.
One of the most important aspects of your Google Ads audit is ensuring that your conversion tracking is set up correctly. Conversion tracking allows you to track and measure the actions that users take on your website after clicking on your ads, such as making a purchase or filling out a contact form. This data is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of your campaigns and making informed decisions about your advertising strategy.
To audit your conversion tracking, start by checking if it is set up correctly in your account. This can be done by going to the “Tools” tab and selecting “Conversions.” Here, you should see a list of all the conversions that have been set up for your account. Make sure that the desired actions, such as purchases or form submissions, are being tracked and that the tracking code is properly installed on your website.
Next, check if the conversion tracking is capturing the desired actions. This can be done by going to the “Campaigns” tab and selecting “Conversions” from the drop-down menu. Here, you can see the number of conversions that have been recorded for each campaign. If the numbers seem low or inconsistent, it could indicate that the tracking is not working properly.
If you find that conversion tracking is missing from your account, it is crucial to set it up as soon as possible. This can be done by creating a new conversion action and adding the tracking code to your website. It is also important to regularly review and update your conversion tracking as your business goals and website may change over time.
2. Campaign Types.
Google Ads offers various campaign types such as Search, Display, Video, Shopping, and App campaigns. Each campaign type has its own unique settings and targeting options, so it is important part of your Google Ads audit to ensure that the right campaign type is being used for your advertising goals.
One common mistake that advertisers make is targeting both the Google Search Network and the Google Display Network in a single campaign. While this may seem like a convenient way to reach a larger audience, it can actually hinder the performance of your ads. The Google Search Network is best for targeting users actively searching for your products or services, while the Google Display Network is better for reaching a broader audience and increasing brand awareness.
To optimise your campaigns, it is recommended to disable the Display Network from your Search campaigns. This will allow you to focus on targeting users who are actively searching for your products or services, resulting in more relevant clicks and conversions. If you do want to run Display ads, it is best to create a separate campaign specifically for the Display Network. This will give you more control over your targeting and budget, and allow you to tailor your ads to the Display Network audience.
3. Location Targeting.
Another important aspect of a Google Ads account audit is to review your location targeting settings. This ensures that your campaigns are only targeting relevant locations where you do business.
It is possible that your campaigns may be targeting a location that is too broad for your services. This can result in your ads being shown to a larger audience that may not be interested in your products or services.
To improve the effectiveness of your campaigns, it is recommended to target a smaller, more specific area. This will help create more relevant ads and potentially increase your conversion rates. You can also use the location targeting report in Google Ads to identify any areas that may be underperforming and adjust your targeting accordingly.
By regularly reviewing and refining your location targeting, you can ensure that your ads are reaching the right audience and driving better results for your business.
4. Ad Rotation.
One of the key elements of a successful Google Ads campaign is the ability to test and optimise ad variations. This is where the ad rotation setting comes into play. By default, Google Ads is set to “Optimize: Prefer best-performing ads”, which means that the system will automatically show the ad that it deems to be the most successful. While this may seem like a convenient option, it can actually hinder your ability to properly A/B test your ads.
To ensure that your ad variations are given equal opportunity to perform, it is recommended to change the ad rotation setting to “Do not optimize: Rotate ads indefinitely”. You can check this setting as part of your Google Ads audit. This will allow your ads to be shown evenly, giving you a more accurate understanding of which ad is truly the most effective. By rotating your ads indefinitely, you can also gather more data over time and make informed decisions on which ad variations to keep or discard.
5. Device Targeting.
With the rise of mobile usage, it is crucial to ensure that your campaigns are targeting all appropriate devices and getting results from all of them. This means analysing the data to see if there is a significant difference in performance between mobile and desktop visitors.
To do this, look for any significant differences in metrics such as click-through rate, conversion rate, and cost per conversion. If you notice that one device is performing significantly better or worse than the others, it may be necessary to adjust your device bid adjustments accordingly.
Device bid adjustments allow you to increase or decrease your bids for specific devices based on their performance. For example, if you see that mobile visitors have a higher conversion rate, you may want to increase your bids for mobile devices to capture more of that traffic. On the other hand, if desktop visitors have a lower conversion rate, you may want to decrease your bids for desktop devices to save on costs.
Keep in mind that if you are using automated bid strategies, Google will automatically do this for you.
6. Campaign and Ad Group Structure.
One crucial aspect of your Google Ads account is the campaign and ad group structure. A well-organised structure is essential for the success of your campaigns. When doing the Google Ads audit for this aspect, there are a few key things to look out for.
Firstly, check if the campaigns have clear themes and objectives. Each campaign should have a specific goal, whether it is to increase website traffic, generate leads, or drive sales. This will help you better track the performance of your campaigns and make necessary adjustments.
Another crucial factor to consider is the structure of your ad groups. Ad groups should be tightly themed and contain a small number of keywords. This allows you to write more relevant ad copies and target specific keywords, which can improve your ad’s Quality Score and reduce your cost per click.
If you find that your campaigns and ad groups are not well-organised, it may be time to restructure them. Splitting out ad groups and creating new campaigns with clear themes can help you better manage and optimise your ads, leading to improved performance and ROI.
7. Branded Keywords.
Branded keywords are keywords that include your brand name or variations of it. It is recommended for businesses to have a separate campaign set up specifically for branded keywords.
To ensure proper tracking and optimisation, it is recommended to split out branded keywords into their own campaign. This allows for better organisation and analysis of performance. By having a separate campaign for branded keywords, you can easily see how they are performing and make adjustments accordingly.
8. Keyword List Size.
It is important to regularly review and expand your keyword list in order to optimise your Google Ads account. A decent sized list of relevant search keywords is a good starting point.
It is recommended to have at least 1,000 keywords in your account for optimal performance.
If your account only has a few keywords, it may be beneficial to split your campaigns by location and add more long-tail keywords to target specific audiences and increase conversions. This will not only improve the overall performance of your account, but also make it more cost-effective by targeting more specific and relevant searches. Regularly auditing and expanding your keyword list is crucial for the success of your Google Ads campaigns.
To find more additional keywords you can use the Google Keyword Planner Tool.
9. Keyword Match Types.
One important aspect to consider when managing your Google Ads account is the match types of your keywords.
I highly recommend to only use Exact and Phrase match keywords. Broad match keywords should be avoided.
Broad match types can often result in poor performance, as Google will trigger your ads for anything that is closely related to the keyword. This can lead to irrelevant clicks and wasted ad spend. To improve the effectiveness of your campaigns, it is recommended to expand your keyword list with more (long-tail) exact and phrase match keywords. This will help to target more specific and relevant search queries, resulting in better performance and a higher return on investment.
10. Negative Keywords.
Negative keywords prevent your ads from being shown on any search queries that are not relevant. Therefore, they are crucial to ensure you are not wasting parts of your budget.
Negative keywords are used to prevent your ads from showing up for irrelevant search queries. It is crucial to regularly check and update your negative keyword list to ensure that your ads are not being triggered by irrelevant searches.
When performing the Google Ads audit of your search terms report, pay attention to any spend on irrelevant search queries. This could be an indication that there are not enough negative keywords in place. Make sure to add any relevant negative keywords to your campaigns to prevent wasted ad spend and improve the overall performance of your ads.
You can use a tool like Sitechecker to find generic negative keywords to add.
11. Ads and Ad Extensions.
This will not only improve your Google Quality Score, but also reduce your cost per click. Utilise keyword insertion in your ads to make them more relevant to the search query. If this is currently missing from your ads, make sure to add it in for better performance.
It is crucial to have a clear ad copy testing structure in place for your Google Ads campaigns. This allows you to optimise your ads based on the data in your account. A recommended approach is to run two ads in each ad group and then use the data to determine the best-performing ad. From there, continue testing and optimising your ads to improve their performance.
Make sure to review your ad copies and ensure that they have a strong and clear CTA to encourage clicks and conversions. Weak or non-existent CTAs can result in lower click-through rates and conversions, so it’s important to regularly audit and update your ad copies to include a strong CTA.
Ensure that all relevant ad extensions are added to your campaigns. Ad extensions are crucial for maximising the real estate in search results and improving the Quality Score of your account. Don’t overlook this important aspect of your Google Ads campaigns.
12. Bidding.
Making sure your campaigns are using the right bidding structure is key to get the most out of your campaigns. Don’t blindly rely on the suggestions with the Google Ads platform, but make sure you are using a data-driven approach when setting your bids.
Make sure to review the automated bidding strategies that have been implemented in your campaigns. If there is enough conversion data, these strategies can be effective in optimising your bids. However, it is important to regularly monitor and adjust these strategies to ensure they are still aligned with your campaign goals and objectives.
As part of your Google Ads audit, ensure that manual bidding is being used for your campaigns and that the keyword bids have been set accurately according to the data.
Extra: common mistakes to look for during your Google Ads audit.
During my years conducting Google Ads audits, I’ve consistently observed several key mistakes that hold businesses back from achieving their full potential. Below, I’ll reveal these 7 critical red flags to watch out for in your Google Ads campaigns.
1. Not enough keywords.
Don’t be shy with keywords! Most advertisers underutilise them, limiting reach and ad relevance.
Some advertisers are only using a handful of keywords, which is not enough. A good target? At least 1,000. This gives you:
- More Control: Tell Google precisely when to show your ad. No more irrelevant queries (well – at least a lot less)!
- More Relevant Ad Copies: Craft ads tailored to specific searches, improve your Quality Score and lower your Cost-Per-Click.
Remember, it’s not just about quantity, it’s about relevancy. Choose keywords laser-focused on your offerings. Start small, scale smart, and constantly optimise. Unleash the power of words, and watch your Google Ads campaigns soar!
2. Keywords added in broad match.
Forget “broad match” as your default. It’s like throwing paint at a canvas hoping for a masterpiece – you might get lucky, but you’ll probably just make a mess. That’s why I say: ditch the broad match drama altogether.
Here’s why broad match is, well, not so broad-ly loved:
Budget Black Hole: You end up burning through your budget on clicks that won’t convert. It’s like pouring money down a drain you can’t quite see.
Irrelevant Clicks Galore: It casts a wide net, dragging in searches that have nothing to do with your offerings. Picture your ad for luxury watches popping up for “cheap kids’ toys.” Yikes.
Quality Score Woes: Google frowns on irrelevant clicks, lowering your Quality Score and sending your Cost-Per-Click skyrocketing. Think of it as paying extra for an audience that’s not even interested.
3. Limited number of ad groups.
Think of Google Ads like a game of relevancy bingo. The more closely your ad matches the searcher’s query, the louder the “cha-ching!” of victory. Why? Because Google loves relevancy and rewards it with high Quality Scores and lower Cost-Per-Click’s.
But here’s the catch: throwing all your keywords into one ad group is like playing bingo with a blindfold. You won’t be able to craft truly relevant ads for each keyword.
Google recommends a cozy crowd of 10-20 keywords per ad group. So, with 1,000 keywords, you’re looking at a number of ad groups of around 50. The more targeted your groups, the more precise your ad copy, and the better your Quality Score will be.
Remember, relevancy is the name of the Google Ads game. Play it smart, organise your ad groups strategically, and you will have the best chance of succeeding!
4. A low Click-Through-Rate (CTR).
Remember that Google Quality Score I keep talking about? It’s like a hidden report card for your ads, judging their relevance to search queries. And guess what plays a starring role? Your click-through rate (CTR) – not just for single keywords, but for your whole account.
So, a low CTR across the board can drag down your Quality Score and will skyrocket your Cost-Per-Click. Ouch! But luckily, there’s a simple fix: get rid of the keywords that drag your CTR down!
Most likely, there are a lot of keywords in your account that make lots of noise, but with zero engagement. They get impressions without a single click, dragging down your CTR and making Google frown.
5. No conversion tracking.
The data shared within Google is great. Impressions, clicks, budget spent – it’s all laid bare on your dashboard, a treasure trove of insights just waiting to be mined.
But the real gems lie deeper, in the heart of conversion tracking. This tells you how many impressions turned into leads, clicks into sales, basically, how your ads are filling your pockets with profit.
Don’t leave your advertising success to chance. Embrace the power of conversion tracking and get the data you need to improve your campaigns going forward!
6. No negative keywords.
Keywords are the bread and butter of your Google Ads campaign, but sometimes you need a little garlic bread on the side – in the form of negative keywords. These will prevent your ad from showing up for any irrelevant search queries and will make your campaigns more profitable.
Think “scam,” “free,” or “homemade dog-biscuit recipe” when you sell luxury dog food. Or “used” when you specialize in brand-new bikes. Negative keywords let you say “nope, not my jam” to irrelevant searches, saving your budget and your sanity.
Keep in mind that Google constantly triggers your ad for new search queries. So it’s critical to add new negative keywords continuously.
7. Targeting both Search and Display.
Running both Search and Display ads in one campaign sounds like a time-saving dream, right? But hold your horses. In reality, it can be a recipe for missed opportunities and wasted budget.
Here’s why separating your Search and Display campaigns is the right thing to do:
- Laser Focus, Precision Clicks: Your search audience is actively hunting for what you offer. Display folks are browsing, exploring, and open to possibilities. Different horses, different courses. Mixing them up leaves both feeling meh. Dedicated campaigns let you tailor your message and targeting to each network, increasing relevance and click-through rates.
- Budget Boss: Search and Display have different price structures and performance expectations. Combining them can lead to budget imbalances, overspending in one network while the other sputters. Splitting things up gives you granular control, letting you optimize bids and budgets for each network’s unique needs.
- Data Dilemma: Want to understand what’s working and what’s not? Merging networks creates a muddled data picture. By splitting them up, you gain clear insights into each network’s performance, empowering you to make data-driven decisions and optimize your campaigns like a pro.
Remember, it’s not about cramming the most horses into the smallest stable. It’s about giving each pony the perfect pasture to thrive. So, step into the separation saddle, create dedicated Search and Display campaigns, and watch your marketing magic unfold!