How to Audit a Google Ads Account: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Learn how to audit a Google Ads account step by step - what to check, in what order, and how to turn the findings into fixes that cut wasted spend and lift results.
How to Audit a Google Ads Account
A Google Ads audit is a structured review of your account that finds wasted spend, tracking problems, and missed opportunities, then turns them into a prioritized list of fixes. You do not need to be an expert to run one - you just need to check the right things in the right order. This walkthrough shows you how to audit a Google Ads account step by step.
If you would rather skip the manual work, you can run an automated Google Ads audit that scans your whole account in minutes. But it helps to understand what a thorough audit actually looks at.
Step 1: Check Conversion Tracking First
Nothing else in the audit matters if you cannot trust your numbers. Open Tools > Conversions and confirm your conversion actions are recording, that the right action is set as Primary, and that you are not double-counting. Broken or misconfigured tracking is the single most common reason accounts underperform - and it quietly corrupts every bidding decision Google makes.
Step 2: Mine the Search Terms Report
Open the search terms report and set the date range to the last 30 to 90 days. You are looking for queries you paid for that have nothing to do with what you sell. Each irrelevant term is a negative keyword waiting to happen. If you want a head start, our negative keyword generator suggests terms to block based on your account.
Step 3: Find Spend With No Return
Sort your keywords and campaigns by cost, then look at the conversions next to that spend. Any keyword that has spent real money over 30 to 90 days with zero conversions is a candidate to pause or rework. This is usually where the biggest, fastest savings hide.
Step 4: Review Structure and Match Types
Look for bloated ad groups, overlapping campaigns, and broad match keywords running without a strong negative list. Tight, themed ad groups produce more relevant ads, better Quality Scores, and lower costs. If match types are new to you, read our guide to keyword match types.
Step 5: Check Bidding Strategy Fit
Every campaign should use a bidding strategy that matches its goal and has enough conversion data behind it. Smart Bidding with too little data, or a strategy aimed at the wrong goal, quietly caps performance. Our guide on what target CPA or ROAS to set covers how to pick targets that are realistic.
Step 6: Audit Ads, Extensions, and Landing Pages
Confirm each ad group runs two to three responsive search ads with varied assets, that sitelinks and callouts are in place, and that ads point to fast, relevant landing pages. A strong ad pointed at a weak page wastes every click. Run your key pages through our free landing page audit, and if you need extra RSA variations, our Google Ads copy generator can produce compliant options.
Step 7: Total Up the Wasted Spend
Add up the spend on zero-conversion keywords, irrelevant search terms, and underperforming campaigns. That number is your wake-up call - and your roadmap for the next 30 days.
Turning the Audit Into Action
An audit is only useful if you act on it. Prioritize the highest-impact fixes first: tracking, negatives, budget reallocation, and bidding. For a detailed, printable version of these checks, use our PPC audit checklist. And if you would rather not do this by hand every month, an automated Google Ads audit runs the same review for you daily and lets you apply the fixes in one click.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to audit a Google Ads account?
A careful manual audit of a mid-sized account takes a few hours. Automated tools surface the same issues in minutes by scanning your account against best-practice checks.
How often should I audit my account?
Do a full audit at least quarterly, with lighter weekly reviews in between. Accounts drift every week as search terms, competition, and budgets change, so continuous automated auditing keeps issues from building up.
What is the most common problem audits find?
Broken conversion tracking and wasted spend from missing negative keywords. Both are high-impact and relatively quick to fix, which is why they belong at the top of your list.
