# How to Audit a Google Ads Account: A Step-by-Step PPC Audit… > A thorough PPC audit reveals inefficiencies and opportunities in your Google Ads account. This step-by-step guide covers everything to look for. Source: https://elitedigitalagency.io/blog/ppc-audit-guide/ Format: Markdown mirror of the HTML page (text/markdown). Content is identical; the canonical, citable version is the HTML source URL above. --- PPC & Paid Media # How to Audit a Google Ads Account: A Step-by-Step PPC Audit Guide A thorough PPC audit reveals inefficiencies and opportunities in your Google Ads account. This step-by-step guide covers everything to look for. By Kaiser Khan · 8 July 2026 · 10 min read Last verified: 8 July 2026 PPC auditGoogle Ads auditGoogle Ads account reviewaudit paid search Direct Answer A Google Ads account audit is a systematic review of campaign structure, keyword strategy, bid management, ad creative, landing pages, conversion tracking, and reporting to identify waste, underperformance, and opportunities. A comprehensive audit reviews: account structure and naming conventions, keyword match types and negative keywords, ad copy testing and Quality Scores, bidding strategy and target alignment, audience segmentation, conversion tracking accuracy, landing page relevance and quality, and budget allocation across campaigns. Most audited accounts reveal 20-40% wasted spend that can be redirected to better-performing areas. PPC audits are essential at regular intervals — many Google Ads accounts drift toward inefficiency over time as markets change, Google adjusts defaults, and campaigns accumulate historical baggage. New accounts benefit from a 30-day post-launch audit to identify early optimisation opportunities. Established accounts should be audited quarterly. Accounts that have experienced significant performance changes (sudden drop in conversions, budget exhaustion, CTR decline) warrant immediate audit. ## Google Ads audit checklist - 1. Conversion tracking — verify all conversion actions are firing correctly; identify duplicate conversions inflating reported performance - 2. Campaign structure — check logical grouping of keywords; identify ad groups with mixed themes - 3. Keyword analysis — review search term reports for wasted spend; identify missing negative keywords - 4. Match type review — assess whether broad match keywords are generating relevant traffic - 5. Ad copy review — check for ad variants; assess Quality Score by ad group; review headline and description testing - 6. Bidding strategy — verify Smart Bidding targets align with CPA goals; check for learning mode limitations - 7. Audience review — verify remarketing lists are populating; check audience bid adjustments are data-driven - 8. Budget review — check impression share lost to budget vs rank; assess budget allocation across campaigns - 9. Landing page assessment — verify URL destinations are correct and landing pages load fast and convert - 10. Reporting setup — ensure campaigns are tracked in GA4 and attribution is configured correctly Professional PPC audit What does a professional Google Ads audit cost? A professional Google Ads audit from a specialist agency typically costs £500 to £2,000 for a thorough review with actionable recommendations. Some agencies offer free audits as a lead generation tool, though these are often higher-level and less actionable than paid engagements. The ROI from a proper audit is typically very high — identifying 20% budget waste on a £5,000/month account generates £12,000/year in savings or reinvestable efficiency gains. For large accounts (£20,000+/month), even modest percentage improvements justify significant audit investment. How long does a Google Ads audit take? A thorough Google Ads audit of a moderate-sized account (£2,000-£10,000/month, 5-20 campaigns) typically takes eight to sixteen hours for an experienced PPC specialist. This includes account review, data analysis, benchmark comparison, and recommendations documentation. The audit output — a detailed report with prioritised recommendations — should include specific actionable items with estimated impact, not just observations. Large enterprise accounts with dozens of campaigns may require two to four days of audit work. ### Ready to improve your PPC? Get a free consultation from our expert team. Talk to us ### What to do next ### Tags PPC auditGoogle Ads auditGoogle Ads account reviewaudit paid search KK Kaiser Khan Founder & Director · Elite Digital Agency Kaiser Khan is the founder of Elite Digital Agency (Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd). He specialises in SEO, Answer Engine Optimisation, and AI search strategy for UK businesses and charities. Author page · mrkaiserkhan.com ↗ Keep reading ## Related articles PPC & Paid Media ### What is Lead Generation PPC? Using Paid Search to Fill the Sales Pipeline 8 min read · Kaiser Khan PPC & Paid Media ### What are Google Ads Extensions? Ad Assets That Boost Performance 7 min read · Kaiser Khan PPC & Paid Media ### What is a Responsive Search Ad? Google's AI-Powered Ad Format 7 min read · Kaiser Khan Want expert help with your digital marketing? Our team of SEO, AEO, and performance specialists are ready to review your strategy. Get a free consultation See our services