The Google Ads account audit checklist I use on every new client

Every new client engagement starts the same way. Before I touch anything in the account, I need to understand what is there, what is working, what is wasting money, and what is missing entirely. That audit shapes everything that follows.

Conversion tracking first

Always start here. Check that conversion tracking is live, that it is tracking the right actions, and that there is no double counting. Check whether value is being passed for purchase conversions. Check whether the conversion window matches the typical sales cycle. If the conversion data is wrong, everything else I find in the audit is built on bad foundations.

Account structure

How are campaigns organised? Are they split by product, service, geography, or intent? Are there overlapping keyword targets across campaigns? Are negative keywords applied at campaign and ad group level? Account structure tells you a lot about how strategically the account has been managed. Messy structure usually means budget is being wasted on internal competition between your own campaigns.

Match type distribution

Pull the keyword list and look at the split between broad, phrase, and exact. An account that is 90% broad match with no smart bidding and limited negatives is spending carelessly. An account that is 100% exact match may be missing profitable long-tail traffic. The right balance depends on budget, data volume, and business type - but seeing the distribution tells me immediately how much control the previous manager was exercising.

Ad copy quality

Are RSAs using all available headlines and descriptions? Are the assets varied or just keyword stuffing? Are ad extensions in place - sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, call extensions where relevant? Missing extensions is one of the quickest wins in an underperforming account.

Quality Scores

Pull Quality Score by keyword for the top-spend terms. Anything scoring 3 or below on keywords with significant spend is costing extra money every single day. Note the component scores - whether the problem is CTR, relevance, or landing page experience determines the fix.

Budget allocation and campaign performance

Which campaigns are consistently hitting daily budget caps? Which are spending freely with poor conversion rates? Is budget concentrated in brand or non-brand appropriately for the business goals? Are there campaigns that have not generated a single conversion in 90 days?

What I write up

I document every issue with a priority rating - immediate, short-term, or strategic. Immediate issues are conversion tracking errors and campaigns actively wasting budget. Short-term issues are structural problems, missing negatives, and ad copy that needs work. Strategic issues are bigger questions about campaign mix, bidding strategy, and whether the account structure fits the business goals. That document drives the first 90 days of work.