Google Ads Audit: How to Analyze Your Account
A Google Ads audit (formerly: AdWords audit) is a systematic review of your ad account. This guide shows step by step how to analyze your Google Ads account — with our 15-point framework.
Read Audit BlogWhat is a Google Ads Audit?
A Google Ads audit is a systematic review of all critical elements of your ad account. From account structure to keyword strategy to conversion tracking – we cover all areas that impact your performance. A thorough audit can typically identify 20-40% wasted budget.
The 5 Most Important Audit Steps
Check Account Structure
Analyze your campaign hierarchy
- Verify campaigns are grouped by goals (Brand, Non-Brand, Remarketing)
- Ensure ad groups are thematically tight
- Avoid too many or too few keywords per ad group
- Review naming conventions for easier analysis
Tipp: A clear structure with 10-20 keywords per ad group is optimal for Quality Score.
Keyword Analysis
Identify profitable and loss-making keywords
- Sort keywords by cost and conversions
- Identify keywords with high CPA without conversions
- Check Search Terms Report for irrelevant queries
- Create negative keyword lists
Tipp: Pause keywords spending more than 2x your target CPA without conversion.
Optimize Quality Score
Improve your ad quality
- Check Quality Scores of all keywords (target: 7+)
- Analyze three components: Ad Relevance, Landing Page, Expected CTR
- Create more relevant ad copy with keywords
- Optimize landing pages for relevance and speed
Tipp: A Quality Score of 7 vs. 5 can reduce your CPCs by 30%.
Verify Conversion Tracking
Ensure correct tracking
- Verify all conversion actions are firing
- Test conversions with Google Tag Assistant
- Check attribution models (not just Last Click)
- Compare Google Ads conversions with Analytics
Tipp: Wrong tracking leads to wrong optimization decisions – check it first!
Evaluate Bid Strategy
Optimize your bidding strategies
- Check if Smart Bidding has enough conversion data (30+/month)
- Evaluate CPA or ROAS targets for realism
- Analyze bid adjustments for devices, locations, times
- Test different strategies in experiments
Tipp: Smart Bidding needs 30+ conversions/month per campaign for optimal performance.
The 15-Point Audit Checklist
Account Setup
- Conversion tracking correct
- Google Analytics linked
- Audiences imported
- Negative keyword lists active
Campaign Structure
- Logical campaign separation
- Sensible ad groups
- Match types strategic
- Budget allocation optimized
Ad Quality
- RSAs with 15 headlines
- All extensions used
- Quality Scores 7+
- A/B tests active
Performance & Budget
- ROAS/CPA on target
- Wasted spend <15%
- Impression share analyzed
Most Common Audit Findings
When to Conduct an Audit
Before Taking Over an Account
Understand the current state before making changes.
When Performance Drops
Systematically identify what has deteriorated.
Quarterly Reviews
Regular audits prevent gradual performance losses.
After Major Changes
Validate that changes have the desired effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a complete audit take?
A thorough manual audit takes 2-4 hours depending on account size. With our framework, you can check the most important points in 30-60 minutes.
How often should I conduct an audit?
Quarterly for active accounts, monthly for high budget (>€10k/month), and always before major strategic changes.
What is the most important audit point?
Conversion tracking. Without correct tracking, you're optimizing blind. Always check this first.
Is an AdWords audit the same as a Google Ads audit?
Yes. Google AdWords was renamed Google Ads in 2018 — an AdWords audit, a Google Ads audit and a Google Ads account analysis all describe the same systematic review of your ad account.
How does a Google Ads account analysis work?
You review account structure, keywords, Quality Score, conversion tracking and bid strategy — exactly the five steps in this guide. Going through all 15 checklist points typically uncovers 20-40% wasted budget.
What does a Google Ads analysis cost?
Done yourself with this guide: only your time (30-60 minutes for the most important points). At Adoro, a professional Google Ads audit is also free — including a budget-leak analysis and a prioritized action plan.
Ready for your Google Ads Audit?
Read our detailed audit guide with concrete examples and case studies.
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