Product guide
Google Ads audit: turn campaign evidence into a review plan
A Google Ads audit should end with a short list of decisions, each tied to evidence. Start with what counts as a conversion, then investigate where the spend went. Adlane helps you explore connected campaign data and prepare changes for your approval.
By Adlane · Updated
Start with the conversion you actually want
Write down the business outcome before judging a campaign: a completed order, a qualified enquiry or a booked consultation. Check which conversion actions are primary, whether values are meaningful, and whether the same outcome is counted more than once. A low cost per conversion is unhelpful when the conversion is only a page visit.
Use the same complete dates, account timezone and currency throughout the review. If a sale takes several days to arrive, recent clicks have had less opportunity to convert. Record that lag rather than immediately excluding the newest traffic.
Review five areas in a useful order
Use the table as an audit worksheet. Each observation needs a source and a next check. “High cost” alone is not a diagnosis.
| Area | Evidence to collect | Decision to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Measurement | Primary conversion, value, duplicate events and recent tracking changes | Repair measurement before changing bids |
| Search intent | Search terms, clicks, cost and mature conversion outcomes | Review irrelevant queries and their match scope |
| Landing page | The actual page, message, mobile form and final destination | Fix a mismatch between query, ad and offer |
| Budget | Spend, budget limits, business target and recent changes | Prioritise an experiment with a defined stop condition |
| Creative | Ad copy, offer, asset coverage and landing-page promise | Draft a distinct message to review |
A small example: expensive leads or the wrong goal?
Illustrative example: an account records 40 conversions from a “Contact” button click but only six submitted enquiries. Before deciding the campaign generates inexpensive leads, reconcile the events with actual submissions. The first audit action is a measurement check, not a budget increase.
Then review search intent. A consultancy receiving searches for “marketing jobs” may need a narrowly scoped negative. A training provider selling marketing courses may want that traffic. A universal exclusion list would miss the difference.
Use Adlane to keep the question and proposal together
Connect the Google Ads account for the business you are reviewing. Ask a specific question with a period and goal, then inspect the evidence returned. For example: “Review this month’s search terms for our consulting offer. Separate clearly irrelevant queries from queries that need more data.”
Review the exact account, existing setting and proposed action before approving a change. New campaigns start paused. Market keyword estimates are research inputs, not proof of what your own campaigns will achieve. Provider permissions and account configuration determine the data available.
Keep an audit change log
For each action, save the date, campaign, evidence, expected effect and review date. Change one meaningful variable at a time where possible. Compare mature outcomes using the same definitions, and include changes in lead quality.
You can use this workflow manually in Google Ads or investigate the connected evidence in Adlane. The preview has no subscription checkout; your advertising spend remains billed by the ad platform. No audit can guarantee a return.