Ensure All Conversions Are Tracked

: Make sure that all valuable actions on your website, such as purchases, form submissions, phone calls, and chats, are tracked. Missing any type of conversion leads to incomplete data.

: Check critical settings like the 'Count' option. For lead generation, it's often best to count one conversion per user, whereas e-commerce sites usually benefit from counting every conversion.

Columns Included in Account-Level Goals

: Be sure that only relevant goals are included for automated bidding purposes. Goals that do not contribute to the business KPIs should not influence automated bid strategies.

Evaluate Value Tracking

: Ensure that the values assigned to various conversion goals correspond accurately with your business objectives. For example, if in-store visits are highly valuable, they should be assigned a high value for ROAS bidding.

: Redistribute budget from less effective to more profitable campaigns to capture additional impressions without extra spending.

: Analyze factors affecting your Ad Rank, including Quality Scores and ad assets. Check if your ads are engaging and relevant.

: Look for anomalies like campaigns targeting 'All countries and territories' if the majority target specific geographic regions.

Device Bid Adjustments

: Check for device-specific bid adjustments and consider if these adjustments serve your objectives.

: Ensure uniformity in ad scheduling unless there's a strategic reason for variations.

Match Type Performance

: Analyze performance metrics by match type. For example, broad match may perform well with Target CPA but poorly with Maximize Conversions. Adjust your bid strategies accordingly.

: Identify and close any coverage gaps by examining keywords that don’t align well with any match type or bid strategy.

Ad to Keyword Relevancy

: Ensure each ad group contains closely related keywords so the ad copy precisely matches the searcher’s intent.

Performance Evaluation

: Review ad groups with below-average performance, large numbers of keywords, or those that have inactive keywords or ads.

: Pin essential headlines and descriptions to ensure that crucial calls to action or key benefits are always included.

: Maintain a balance by pinning multiple variants to each headline slot and continually testing to optimize performance.

Frequency of Manual Changes

: Filter out automated changes to focus on manual adjustments made by account managers. Regular, thoughtful changes indicate active and strategic management.

: Monitor adjustments to branded keyword bids, negative keyword additions, and search term updates.

Download and Compare Data

: Identify overlap between Performance Max and regular search campaigns.

Improve Keyword Lists

: Add newly discovered keywords to search campaigns and refine negative keyword lists to improve targeting.

7 Tips for Conducting Google Ads Audits

Introduction
1. Proper Conversion Tracking
2. Impression Share Evaluation
3. Campaign Settings Consistency
4. Match Type Usage
5. Ad Group Organization
6. RSA Pinning
7. Change History
Bonus Tip: Performance Max Search Terms Overlap
Conclusion

Introduction

Have you ever felt unsure about the performance of your Google Ads account? Many marketers find themselves tweaking, testing, and adjusting their PPC campaigns, yet can still feel lost in the vast sea of data. Regular audits can act as a lighthouse, guiding you through these turbulent waters.

Auditing your Google Ads account is crucial for several reasons: it ensures your campaigns are aligned with your business goals, identifies areas for improvement, and maximizes your return on investment. In this blog post, we will cover seven essential tips for conducting a thorough Google Ads audit, each aimed at keeping your account in optimal shape.

By the end of this article, you'll learn how to trust your conversion data, evaluate your impression share, ensure consistency in campaign settings, and much more. These tips will help you see the bigger picture and drill down into the finer details that make a significant difference in PPC performance.

1. Proper Conversion Tracking

The Bedrock of Effective Audits

A foundational question for any Google Ads audit is: "Do you trust your conversion data?" If your conversion tracking is faulty, the entire data set becomes unreliable, leading to misguided decisions.

Key Steps to Effective Conversion Tracking:

Ensure All Conversions Are Tracked: Make sure that all valuable actions on your website, such as purchases, form submissions, phone calls, and chats, are tracked. Missing any type of conversion leads to incomplete data.
Review Settings: Check critical settings like the 'Count' option. For lead generation, it's often best to count one conversion per user, whereas e-commerce sites usually benefit from counting every conversion.
Columns Included in Account-Level Goals: Be sure that only relevant goals are included for automated bidding purposes. Goals that do not contribute to the business KPIs should not influence automated bid strategies.
Evaluate Value Tracking: Ensure that the values assigned to various conversion goals correspond accurately with your business objectives. For example, if in-store visits are highly valuable, they should be assigned a high value for ROAS bidding.

Once you're confident in your conversion tracking, you're ready to delve deeper into other aspects of your audit.

2. Impression Share Evaluation

Understanding Your Reach

Impression share shows the percentage of times your ad was displayed compared to the number of times it could have been shown. This metric reveals opportunities for expansion and areas where you're losing potential visibility.

Reasons for Lost Impressions:

Budget Constraints: Redistribute budget from less effective to more profitable campaigns to capture additional impressions without extra spending.
Ad Rank Issues: Analyze factors affecting your Ad Rank, including Quality Scores and ad assets. Check if your ads are engaging and relevant.

Improving Quality Scores and refining ad assets can accelerate the number of impressions and overall conversions. If high Quality Scores aren't the issue, consider testing new bidding strategies to maximize your reach.

3. Campaign Settings Consistency

The Devil is in the Details

Inconsistent settings across campaigns can lead to inefficiencies. When auditing, ensure all campaigns align with your overarching advertising strategy.

Settings to Examine:

Geographic Targeting: Look for anomalies like campaigns targeting 'All countries and territories' if the majority target specific geographic regions.
Device Bid Adjustments: Check for device-specific bid adjustments and consider if these adjustments serve your objectives.
Ad Scheduling: Ensure uniformity in ad scheduling unless there's a strategic reason for variations.

4. Match Type Usage

Fine-Tuning Your Keyword Strategy

The success of your campaigns often hinges on appropriate match types. Understanding how different match types perform allows for better bid strategy alignment.

Evaluation Tips:

Match Type Performance: Analyze performance metrics by match type. For example, broad match may perform well with Target CPA but poorly with Maximize Conversions. Adjust your bid strategies accordingly.
Coverage Gaps: Identify and close any coverage gaps by examining keywords that don’t align well with any match type or bid strategy.

Improving match type usage enhances ad relevance, leading to higher CTRs and conversion rates.

5. Ad Group Organization

Enhancing Relevance and Performance

Ad groups should be meticulously organized to maintain high relevance between keywords and ads. Poor organization can lead to lower Quality Scores and CTRs.

Organizational Best Practices:

Ad to Keyword Relevancy: Ensure each ad group contains closely related keywords so the ad copy precisely matches the searcher’s intent.
Performance Evaluation: Review ad groups with below-average performance, large numbers of keywords, or those that have inactive keywords or ads.

Proper ad group organization enables more effective ad copy, which can significantly improve campaign performance.

6. RSA Pinning

Crafting More Effective Ads

Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) offer great flexibility, but without proper pinning, critical messages may be lost due to the sheer number of ad combinations.

Effective Use of RSA Pinning:

Selective Pinning: Pin essential headlines and descriptions to ensure that crucial calls to action or key benefits are always included.
Balance and Testing: Maintain a balance by pinning multiple variants to each headline slot and continually testing to optimize performance.

Proper RSA pinning ensures that your most important messages are consistently delivered, enhancing ad relevance and effectiveness.

7. Change History

Gauging Active Management

An often-overlooked area, examining change history can provide insights into account management levels and uncover potential neglect or mismanagement.

What to Look For:

Frequency of Manual Changes: Filter out automated changes to focus on manual adjustments made by account managers. Regular, thoughtful changes indicate active and strategic management.
Critical Updates: Monitor adjustments to branded keyword bids, negative keyword additions, and search term updates.

Understanding who changed what and when reveals the strategy and attentiveness applied to the account.

Bonus Tip: Performance Max Search Terms Overlap

Enhancing Keyword Strategies

Recent updates now allow advertisers to view Performance Max campaign search terms. Analyzing this data can uncover valuable insights.

Actionable Steps:

Download and Compare Data: Identify overlap between Performance Max and regular search campaigns.
Improve Keyword Lists: Add newly discovered keywords to search campaigns and refine negative keyword lists to improve targeting.

By leveraging Performance Max insights, you can further optimize your overall search strategy.

Conclusion

Regular auditing is pivotal to maintaining and improving the performance of your Google Ads account. By securing reliable conversion tracking, evaluating impression share, ensuring campaign consistency, optimizing match type usage, organizing ad groups efficiently, making the most of RSA pinning, and keeping a keen eye on change history, you ensure that no stone is left unturned.

Conducting detailed audits helps you spot inefficiencies, uncover hidden opportunities, and align your PPC efforts more closely with your business objectives. By maintaining these best practices, your account will be well-poised for sustained success and better ROI.

FAQ

Q: How often should I audit my Google Ads account?

A: It’s recommended to audit your account at least quarterly to ensure continued alignment with business goals and to address any new issues promptly.

Q: What’s the most important aspect of a Google Ads audit?

A: Ensuring accurate conversion tracking is foundational, as all subsequent insights and decisions are based on this data.

Q: How can I improve my Quality Scores during my audit?

A: Focus on enhancing ad relevance, improving landing page quality, and ensuring high CTRs. Regularly testing ad copy and refining keyword lists also helps.

By following these tips, you will be well-equipped to conduct a thorough and insightful audit of your Google Ads account, setting the stage for improved performance and greater returns on your advertising investment.