If you’re spending on Google Ads and not confident in the results, an audit should answer one question: where is money leaking and how do we fix it first.
Here’s a simple 30-minute audit checklist we use for local accounts.
A) Tracking and measurement (first, always)
Are calls from ads tracked?
Are calls from the website tracked?
Are form submissions tracked as primary conversions?
Are any “fake” conversions inflating results?
B) Search quality
Do search terms match what the business actually sells?
Is there an active negative keyword process?
Are match types and keyword themes aligned with intent?
C) Location and scheduling
Is the account targeting people physically in the service area?
Are ads scheduled when calls can be answered?
Is there wasted spend outside the service area?
D) Ad strength
Do ads match the service and the search intent?
Are assets installed (sitelinks, callouts, snippets)?
Is there a clear local trust signal (service area, years, reviews)?
E) Landing pages
Does the page match the ad promise?
Is there one primary action (call or short form)?
Is the page fast and mobile-first?
F) Budget allocation
Is budget focused on high-intent service campaigns?
Is brand protected?
Are competitor campaigns isolated and capped?
An audit is not a PDF with generic advice. It’s a prioritized list: what to fix this week, what to test next, and what to scale once measurement is clean.
