The short answer
To audit a Google Ads account, check six areas in order: conversion tracking (are the right actions Primary and recording?), settings (locations, networks, auto-applied recommendations), structure and bidding, search terms and negatives, ads and assets (ad strength, Quality Score), and results against the business (real cost per lead and lost impression share). Write each issue with its rupee impact and fix the tracking issues first.
Before you start
By the end of this SOP
A one-page audit with issues ranked by impact, and a 30-day fix plan the client can approve.
- Time
- 60–90 minutes
- You’ll need
- At least Standard (read-only is enough to audit) access to the Google Ads account (SOP 063) and 30–90 days of data.
- Who does this
- A Google Ads specialist; the client or owner joins for the results review.
About this SOP: why it matters, where and when
Why it matters: When you take over an account or results drop, you need to know whether the problem is measurement, money leaks or strategy before you change anything.
Where: Google Ads (Expert Mode), plus the client’s CRM or lead sheet for the reality check.
When: When you take over an account, before a pitch, and every quarter for existing clients.
Stage 1
Check conversion tracking first
If tracking is wrong, every other number is wrong.
- 1
Open Goals → Conversions → Summary. List every action marked Primary. Only real business results (lead submitted, call, purchase) should be Primary.
- 2
Check the status column: “Recording conversions” is good; “Unverified”, “Misconfigured” or “Inactive” need fixing.
- 3
Compare last month’s conversions in Google Ads with leads or sales in the client’s CRM. A gap above 20–30% means double counting or missing tracking.
- 4
Check that enhanced conversions are on for leads or sales, and that the conversion count setting is “One” for leads and “Every” for purchases.
Stage 2
Check account and campaign settings
- 1
Locations: each campaign’s location option should be “Presence” for local businesses.
- 2
Networks: Search campaigns with the Display Network ticked waste budget on low-intent traffic.
- 3
Recommendations → Auto-apply: check what is switched on. Turn off anything that adds keywords or changes budgets without review.
- 4
Change history: look at the last 90 days for big changes that line up with drops in results.
Stage 3
Check structure, bidding and budget
- 1
Are brand and non-brand searches in separate campaigns? Mixed together, brand conversions hide weak non-brand performance.
- 2
Does each ad group have one clear theme and its own landing page?
- 3
Bid strategy: Smart Bidding (Maximize conversions or target CPA) needs about 30 conversions a month to work well. Check targets aren’t far below the real CPA.
- 4
Add the columns Search lost IS (budget) and Search lost IS (rank). Lost to budget means you are leaving demand on the table; lost to rank means ads or Quality Score need work.
Stage 4
Check search terms, ads and landing pages
- 1
Search terms (last 90 days): add up spend on irrelevant terms with no conversions. That is your waste figure (SOP 305).
- 2
Keywords: add Quality Score columns. Keywords with QS 1–4 and real spend need better ads or landing pages.
- 3
Ads: each ad group should have a responsive search ad with Good or Excellent ad strength. Check assets: sitelinks, callouts, call asset (SOP 304).
- 4
Open each landing page on a phone: speed, a clear offer above the fold, a working form or call button, and the same promise as the ad.
Stage 5
Write the fix-first plan
- 1
List issues in this order:
- 1. Tracking errors (fix first: they mislead Smart Bidding).
- 2. Money leaks: settings, Display Network, irrelevant search terms.
- 3. Growth: lost impression share, new keywords, better ads and pages.
- 2
For each issue, write the evidence, the estimated rupee impact per month and the fix.
- 3
Add the real cost per lead from the CRM (spend × 1.18 ÷ real leads) next to the platform number so the client sees the true starting point.
- 4
Agree the first three fixes with the client and set a review date 30 days out.
Practice & check
Now do it for real
Reading is not doing. Open your own account and complete this task before you move on.
Practice task (5 min)
Audit a Google Ads account you have access to (or the Google Ads demo account) and write the one-page plan with at least five issues and their rupee impact.
Prove it
Two questions. Get both right and this SOP is done.
Common questions
What access do I need to audit a Google Ads account?
Read-only access is enough to audit. You need Standard access to make changes. Ask the owner to invite you from Admin → Access and security.
How long does a Google Ads audit take?
About an hour for a small account with a few campaigns; two to four hours for large accounts with many campaigns and products.
What is a good Quality Score?
7 or more is healthy. Keywords at 1–4 usually pay much more per click; improve ad relevance and the landing page before raising bids.
Done. That’s a real skill, not a certificate.
Next: SOP 307 — Create a Monthly Google Ads Report Clients Actually Read →
Want to do this on real client budgets, with a mentor checking your work? That’s Level 2 at Unlearn. See the Digital Marketing track