The Ultimate Google Ads PPC Audit Checklist (2026)

Running a Google Ads audit without a checklist is like flying without a flight plan — you might get somewhere, but you will miss critical checkpoints along the way. This comprehensive checklist covers 40+ audit items across 7 categories, ensuring you systematically evaluate every aspect of your account.

Whether you are performing a manual review or using an AI-powered audit tool, this checklist serves as your reference for what a thorough Google Ads audit should cover.

• Campaign naming conventions are consistent and descriptive
• Campaign types match business objectives (Search, Display, Shopping, PMax)
• Geographic targeting is appropriately configured
• Language targeting matches your audience
• Ad scheduling aligns with peak conversion hours
• Device bid adjustments reflect performance data
• Network settings are intentional (Search Partners, Display Network)

Poor campaign structure is one of the most common issues found in audits. A messy structure makes it hard to allocate budget effectively or measure performance at a granular level. Review Google's campaign structure best practices for guidance.

• All keywords have sufficient impression data for evaluation
• High-CPA keywords identified and flagged for review
• Keywords with zero conversions in 30+ days evaluated
• Match types are appropriate for each keyword's intent
• No keyword conflicts or duplicates across ad groups
• Quality Scores above 5 for all high-priority keywords
• Keyword bids align with target CPA or ROAS goals

Keywords are the foundation of your search campaigns. Even one poorly targeted keyword with broad match can drain hundreds of dollars per month. Pay special attention to keywords with high spend but low or zero conversions.

• Irrelevant search terms identified and added as negatives
• High-converting search queries added as exact match keywords
• Search term relevance rate above 50%
• Negative keyword lists created by theme
• Shared negative keyword lists applied across campaigns
• Close variant triggers reviewed for accuracy

The search term report is where you find the biggest quick wins. In our experience auditing hundreds of accounts, 30-50% of search terms are irrelevant — representing massive wasted spend that can be recovered immediately.

• Budget allocation reflects campaign performance
• High-performing campaigns are not budget-constrained
• Low-performing campaigns have reduced budgets
• Bidding strategy matches campaign goals
• Target CPA or ROAS is realistic and data-backed
• Bid adjustments for location, device, and demographics reviewed
• Shared budgets evaluated for optimal distribution

Budget misallocation is surprisingly common. We frequently see accounts where the best-performing campaign is limited by budget while underperforming campaigns consume the majority of spend. This alone can account for a 40-60% improvement in CPA when fixed.

• At least 3 responsive search ads per ad group
• Headlines include target keywords
• Descriptions include clear value propositions and CTAs
• Ad strength indicators are Good or Excellent
• Sitelink extensions active with relevant links
• Callout extensions highlight key benefits
• Structured snippet extensions configured
• Call extensions active for relevant campaigns

Ad copy directly impacts your Quality Score and click-through rate. Ensure every ad group has at least three responsive search ads and that all available ad extensions are configured.

• All conversion actions are properly configured
• Conversion tags are firing correctly
• Attribution model is appropriate for your business
• Conversion windows reflect your sales cycle
• Enhanced conversions enabled if applicable
• No duplicate conversion tracking
• Conversion values assigned accurately

Without accurate conversion tracking, every other optimization decision is based on incomplete data. This is the foundation your entire account relies on — get it right first.

• Landing page URLs are correct and not returning errors
• Page load speed under 3 seconds on mobile
• Landing page content matches ad copy intent
• Clear call-to-action above the fold
• Mobile experience is optimized
• No redirect chains or unnecessary redirects

Landing page experience is one of three factors in Quality Score. Even the best ads will underperform if they send users to slow, irrelevant, or poorly designed pages.

For manual audits, work through each section systematically, documenting findings and prioritizing issues by potential impact. Focus on the highest-spend areas first, as small percentage improvements on large budgets yield the biggest absolute savings.

For a faster approach, use an AI-powered audit tool like AdWhiz to automatically analyze all these areas in under a minute. AI tools can process thousands of data points simultaneously, catching patterns and inefficiencies that manual reviews often miss.

We recommend running this audit monthly at minimum. For accounts spending over $5,000/month, consider weekly spot-checks on the highest-impact areas: search term relevance, budget allocation, and keyword performance.