The Complete 15-Point Google Ads Audit Checklist for 2025

Are campaigns organized by product/service line or customer segment?

Generic "Brand" or "Keywords" campaign names

Restructure into specific campaigns (e.g., "CRM Software - Enterprise", "CRM Software - SMB")

15-25% improvement in Quality Score and relevance

What percentage of keywords are broad match vs. exact/phrase?

>60% broad match keywords without proper negative keyword lists

Shift 70% of budget to exact/phrase match keywords for SaaS terms

Reduces irrelevant clicks by 30-45%

Are keywords mapped to the correct stage of the buyer's journey?

Bottom-funnel keywords sending traffic to top-funnel content

Match "software comparison" keywords to comparison pages, "free trial" to signup pages

20-35% improvement in conversion rate

Are you using Target CPA or Target ROAS with sufficient conversion data?

Smart bidding with <30 conversions/month per campaign

Switch to Maximize Clicks or Manual CPC until you reach data threshold

Prevents 25-40% overspend on learning periods

Are high-performing campaigns getting adequate budget share?

Budget capped campaigns with low impression share

Reallocate 60% of budget to campaigns with >3 ROAS

15-30% improvement in overall account ROAS

When and where are your best conversions happening?

Uniform bidding across all hours/locations

Increase bids 20-30% during peak SaaS research hours (Tue-Thu, 9AM-5PM)

10-25% reduction in CPA

Do ads highlight specific SaaS benefits (ROI, time savings, integration capabilities)?

Generic "best software" or "leading solution" messaging

Include specific metrics ("Save 20 hours/week", "Integrates with 500+ apps")

15-40% improvement in CTR

Are you using all relevant extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets)?

<4 extensions per ad group

Add pricing callouts, feature sitelinks, and integration structured snippets

10-25% improvement in CTR and Quality Score

Are mobile ads optimized for quick decision-making?

Identical desktop and mobile ad copy

Shorter headlines for mobile, emphasize "Free Trial" and "No Credit Card"

20-35% improvement in mobile conversion rate

Are you tracking micro-conversions (demo requests, whitepaper downloads)?

Only tracking final purchase/subscription conversions

Set up demo requests and trial signups as conversion actions with appropriate values

30-50% better optimization data for Smart Bidding

Are conversion values based on actual LTV or arbitrary numbers?

All conversions valued equally

Weight enterprise leads 3-5x higher than SMB leads based on your LTV data

25-40% improvement in bid optimization accuracy

Is Google Analytics 4 properly connected and tracking SaaS funnel steps?

Significant data discrepancies between Google Ads and GA4

Enable Enhanced Conversions and verify UTM parameter consistency

15-30% more accurate attribution and optimization

Do you have comprehensive negative keyword lists for job seekers, students, and competitors?

High impression volume with <2% CTR

Add "jobs", "careers", "free download", "cracked", "pirated" to negative lists

20-40% reduction in wasted spend

Are you using first-party data and similar audiences effectively?

Broad demographic targeting without behavioral layers

Create custom audiences from your CRM data and layer "In-market: Business Software"

25-45% improvement in conversion rate

Are you bidding on competitor terms strategically and protecting your brand?

High spend on competitor terms with low conversion rates

Focus competitor bidding on comparison-intent keywords only, ensure 100% impression share on brand terms

15-35% better ROI from competitive campaigns