google-ads-account-audit

Process

1. Collect data — Request or gather: campaign data export, search term report (90 days), Quality Score report, auction insights, change history (90 days), conversion tracking status, and account-level settings
2. Run the audit checklist — Work through each section below, flagging issues as Critical (red), Optimization (yellow), or Working Well (green)
3. Score account health — Calculate overall health score based on findings
4. ICE-prioritize recommendations — Score each finding: Impact (1-10) x Confidence (1-10) x Ease (1-10)
5. Deliver action plan — Structured output with prioritized fixes and expected impact

Audit Checklist

Section 1: Tracking & Measurement

Checkpoint	What to Check	Flag If
Google Tag active	gtag.js or GTM container firing on all pages	Missing or intermittent
GA4 linked	GA4 property connected to Google Ads	Not linked
Conversion actions	List all conversion actions — are they meaningful?	Counting micro-conversions as primary
Enhanced conversions (web)	Hashing email/phone at tag level for better matching	Not implemented
Enhanced conversions (leads)	GCLID-based offline import for lead gen accounts	Not implemented for lead gen
Attribution model	Data-driven attribution is default and recommended	Still on last-click without reason
Conversion windows	Windows match actual sales cycle	Default windows for long sales cycle
Cross-account conversion tracking	Using manager-level conversion tracking if MCC	Duplicate conversion counting across accounts
Offline conversion import	Uploading CRM data back to Google Ads	Lead gen account with no offline import
Meta tracking	Is the client also running Meta? Check if CAPI is set up	Meta tracking gaps — refer to meta-ads-tracking-setup skill

Section 2: Account Structure

Checkpoint	What to Check	Flag If
Campaign-to-objective alignment	Each campaign has a clear strategic purpose	Campaigns mixing objectives
Campaign count	6-10 campaigns with clear distinctions for complex accounts	Over-segmented (20+ campaigns diluting budget) or under-segmented (1-2 campaigns for diverse products)
Search + Display mixing	Search and Display should be separate campaigns	Mixed in same campaign
PMax asset groups	Segmented by product/service line with distinct audiences	Single asset group for diverse products
AI Max setup	Text guidelines configured, Smart Bidding Exploration monitored	AI Max running without text guidelines (launched September 2025, avg 34% conversion improvement)
Demand Gen campaigns	Present if awareness/consideration is a goal	Missing from full-funnel accounts (Power Pack strategy: Demand Gen + AI Max + PMax)
Naming conventions	Consistent, parseable naming taxonomy	Inconsistent or absent naming system
Ad group theming	Tight keyword-to-ad-group mapping by intent	Bloated ad groups mixing unrelated keywords

Section 3: Keywords & Match Types

Checkpoint	What to Check	Flag If
Match type distribution	Balance of broad, phrase, exact appropriate for account maturity	100% broad match without Smart Bidding, or 100% exact match limiting reach
Broad match readiness	Broad match requires Smart Bidding + 50+ conversions/month	Broad match with manual bidding or <50 conversions/month
Search term waste	N-gram analysis on search term report	N-grams with $50+ spend and 0 conversions
Negative keyword coverage	Themed negative lists: competitors, jobs, free/DIY, irrelevant industries	No shared negative lists, or lists not updated in 90+ days
Keyword conflicts	Keywords in different campaigns competing against each other	Same keyword in multiple campaigns without clear priority
PMax search term cannibalization	PMax stealing queries that Search campaigns should serve	High-value queries showing in PMax search term insights instead of Search
Low search volume keywords	Keywords flagged as low search volume	>20% of keywords with low search volume status
Fractional conversion distortion	Data-driven attribution splits conversions into fractions	Evaluating keyword CPA on conversions < 1 — filter to conversions > 1 before judging CPA

N-gram analysis quick method: Break search queries into 1-grams, 2-grams, 3-grams. Aggregate clicks, spend, conversions, and CPA by n-gram. Action framework:

• N-gram with $50+ spend, 0 conversions → Add as negative keyword
• N-gram with strong CPA → Promote to exact-match keyword in dedicated ad group
• N-gram with high impressions, low CTR → Investigate intent mismatch

For automated n-gram analysis, use the google-ads-scripts skill (Brainlabs Search Query Mining Script updated for GAQL by Nils Rooijmans, March 2025).

Section 4: Ads & Creative

Checkpoint	What to Check	Flag If
RSA completeness	15 headlines + 4 descriptions per RSA	Under-filled RSAs (<10 headlines)
RSA asset performance	Asset-level reporting (2025 feature)	Multiple "Low" rated headlines/descriptions not replaced
Ad strength	Google's ad strength indicator	"Poor" or "Average" — target "Good" or "Excellent"
Headline diversity	Headlines cover different angles (features, benefits, urgency, social proof)	All headlines say the same thing with minor variations
Pin strategy	High-intent or brand headlines pinned to position 1	No pins and key messages buried, or over-pinning limiting combinations
Extensions/assets	Sitelinks (4-6), callouts, structured snippets, images, price, call	Missing extension types — each adds CTR
Landing page relevance	Ad message matches landing page headline and CTA	Message mismatch between ad and landing page
Mobile optimization	Landing pages load <3 seconds, mobile-friendly	Slow load or poor mobile experience

Section 5: Bidding & Budget

Checkpoint	What to Check	Flag If
Bid strategy appropriateness	Strategy matches campaign maturity and conversion volume	See Bid Strategy Maturity table below
ECPC check	ECPC deprecated March 31, 2025 — campaigns not migrated now run on Manual CPC	Any campaign still showing ECPC status
tCPA/tROAS targets	Targets realistic vs actual performance	Target CPA set 50%+ below actual CPA (algorithm can't deliver)
Smart Bidding readiness	Minimum conversion volume for strategy tier	tCPA with <30 conversions/month, tROAS with <50 conversions/month
Portfolio bid strategies	Shared strategies across related campaigns	Related campaigns on individual strategies that could benefit from pooling (typical lift: 19-27% ROAS improvement)
Budget sufficiency	Daily budget adequate for bid strategy	PMax budget < 3x target CPA daily, or < $50-100/day
Budget capping	Campaigns limited by budget	Impression share lost to budget > 20% on profitable campaigns
AI Max learning phase	7-14 days for new AI Max campaigns	Changes made during learning phase (September 2025 global beta)
Impression share analysis	Search impression share vs targets	<30% = likely underbidding; >95% with low ROI = likely overspending
Impression share lost (rank)	Lost to ad rank specifically	High % lost to rank = Quality Score or bid issue
Impression share lost (budget)	Lost to budget specifically	High % lost to budget = increase budget or reduce targeting

Bid Strategy Maturity Table:

Monthly Conversions	Recommended Strategy	Notes
0-15	Manual CPC or Maximize Clicks (with bid cap)	Not enough data for automation
15-30	Maximize Conversions	Building data, algorithm learning
30-50	Maximize Conversions or tCPA	Enough for tCPA if CPA is stable
50+	tCPA or tROAS	Full Smart Bidding — tROAS needs 50+, ideally 100+
50+ with broad match	Broad match + tCPA/tROAS	Recommended 2025 default for mature accounts

Section 6: Quality Score Deep Dive

Quality Score = expected CTR + ad relevance + landing page experience. Analyze at component level, not just the composite number.

Component	What Drives It	Fix If Below Average
Expected CTR	Historical CTR vs competitors for same query	Improve ad copy relevance, test new headlines, add negative keywords to filter irrelevant impressions
Ad Relevance	How closely ad matches search intent	Tighten ad group themes, write intent-specific headlines, use keyword insertion where appropriate
Landing Page Experience	Page relevance, speed, mobile-friendliness, navigation ease	Improve message match, speed (<3 sec), mobile UX, add relevant content

Action priority: Landing page experience has the widest impact (affects all keywords pointing to that page). Fix landing pages first, then ad relevance, then expected CTR.

Section 7: Audiences

Checkpoint	What to Check	Flag If
Remarketing lists	Active, properly sized, segmented by recency	No remarketing lists, or lists expired
Customer match	CRM lists uploaded and refreshed	No customer match lists for accounts with CRM data
Audience segments	In-market, affinity, custom segments applied	No audience signals on PMax/Demand Gen campaigns
Observation vs targeting	Audiences in correct mode per campaign goal	Observation mode where targeting is intended (or vice versa)
Audience performance	Segment-level performance review	Segments with high spend and no conversions not excluded

Section 8: Competitive & Change History

Checkpoint	What to Check	Flag If
Auction Insights trends	Impression share, overlap rate, position above rate over 90 days	New competitor gaining significant share
Change history correlation	Last 90 days of account changes vs performance shifts	Performance drop aligns with a specific change (bid strategy switch, new campaign, budget cut)
Competitor ad copy	Google Ads Transparency Center review	Competitors testing offers or messaging you're not responding to

Health Score Calculation

Score each section 0-10 based on findings:

Section	Weight	Score
Tracking & Measurement	20%	/10
Account Structure	10%	/10
Keywords & Match Types	20%	/10
Ads & Creative	10%	/10
Bidding & Budget	20%	/10
Quality Score	10%	/10
Audiences	5%	/10
Competitive	5%	/10
Weighted Total		/10

Interpretation: 8-10 = Healthy, 6-7.9 = Needs optimization, 4-5.9 = Significant issues, <4 = Critical — major restructuring needed.

Output Format

## Google Ads Account Audit

### Health Score: [X.X / 10] — [Healthy / Needs Optimization / Significant Issues / Critical]

### Critical Issues (fix immediately)
1. **[Issue]** — [What's wrong, specific data] — ICE: [I×C×E = score]
   - Action: [Specific fix]
   - Expected impact: [Estimated improvement]
2. ...

### Optimization Opportunities (fix within 2 weeks)
1. **[Issue]** — [What's wrong, specific data] — ICE: [score]
   - Action: [Specific fix]
   - Expected impact: [Estimated improvement]
2. ...

### Working Well (maintain)
- [What's working and why]
- ...

### Priority Action Plan (next 30 days)
| Priority | Action | ICE Score | Timeline | Owner |
|----------|--------|-----------|----------|-------|
| 1 | [Highest ICE action] | [score] | Week 1 | [who] |
| 2 | ... | ... | Week 1-2 | ... |
| 3 | ... | ... | Week 2-4 | ... |

### 2025 Platform Change Flags
- [ ] ECPC migration status (deprecated March 2025)
- [ ] AI Max for Search adoption opportunity (September 2025)
- [ ] PMax negative keywords enabled (January 2025)
- [ ] PMax search term reporting reviewed
- [ ] Enhanced conversions implemented
- [ ] Power Pack strategy evaluated (Demand Gen + AI Max + PMax)

Example

Input: "Here's my Google Ads data for last 30 days. I'm spending $15K/month across 4 Search campaigns and 1 PMax campaign. CPA went from $45 to $72 over the past 6 weeks. Help me figure out what's wrong."

Output:

Google Ads Account Audit

Health Score: 5.2 / 10 — Significant Issues

Critical Issues

1. ECPC still active on 2 Search campaigns — ECPC was deprecated March 31, 2025. These campaigns reverted to Manual CPC, losing Smart Bidding optimization. — ICE: 9×9×9 = 729

   • Action: Migrate to Maximize Conversions (both campaigns have 35+ conversions/month — sufficient for tCPA)
   • Expected impact: 15-25% CPA reduction once algorithm re-learns (7-14 day learning phase)

2. Search term waste: $2,340/month on zero-conversion n-grams — N-gram analysis shows "jobs," "salary," and "careers" 2-grams account for $1,800 in wasted spend. "Free" modifier adds another $540. — ICE: 9×10×10 = 900

   • Action: Add negative keyword lists: jobs/careers, free/DIY. Review remaining zero-conversion n-grams with $50+ spend
   • Expected impact: ~$2,340/month savings = 15.6% of total spend recovered

3. PMax campaign budget at $25/day with $72 CPA — Below minimum threshold (daily budget should be 3x target CPA = $135+/day minimum). Algorithm can't optimize with insufficient budget. — ICE: 8×8×7 = 448

   • Action: Increase PMax daily budget to $150/day or pause PMax and consolidate into Search campaigns
   • Expected impact: PMax either performs as designed or stops wasting budget at sub-scale

Optimization Opportunities

1. No enhanced conversions — Missing 10-15% of conversion attribution. — ICE: 7×8×8 = 448

   • Action: Implement enhanced conversions for web (tag-level email/phone hashing)
   • Expected impact: Better attribution → better Smart Bidding decisions → lower CPA

2. Quality Score: 4 ad groups with avg QS < 5 — Landing page experience "Below Average" on 3 groups, ad relevance "Below Average" on 1. — ICE: 7×7×5 = 245

   • Action: Audit landing pages for message match and page speed. Rewrite ads in low-relevance group
   • Expected impact: QS improvement from 4→6 typically reduces CPC 15-25%

3. No audience signals on PMax — PMax running without remarketing lists or customer match. — ICE: 6×7×8 = 336

   • Action: Add remarketing audiences and customer match list as audience signals
   • Expected impact: Faster PMax learning, better targeting accuracy

Working Well

• Campaign naming conventions are consistent and parseable
• Sitelink and callout extensions present on all Search campaigns
• GA4 properly linked with data-driven attribution active

Priority Action Plan (next 30 days)

Priority	Action	ICE Score	Timeline	Owner
1	Add negative keyword lists (jobs, free/DIY)	900	Day 1-2	Media buyer
2	Migrate ECPC campaigns to Maximize Conversions	729	Day 1-3	Media buyer
3	Implement enhanced conversions	448	Week 1-2	Developer + media buyer
4	Fix PMax budget or consolidate	448	Week 1	Media buyer
5	Add audience signals to PMax	336	Week 2	Media buyer
6	Landing page QS improvements	245	Week 2-4	Dev + media buyer

2025 Platform Change Flags

• [x] ECPC migration status — NOT MIGRATED on 2 campaigns (Critical)
• [ ] AI Max for Search — not yet adopted, evaluate after fixing current issues
• [x] PMax negative keywords — enabled but no negatives added
• [ ] PMax search term reporting — not yet reviewed (do this week)
• [ ] Enhanced conversions — not implemented
• [ ] Power Pack strategy — evaluate after stabilizing current campaigns

Guidelines

• Don't audit without search term data. Search term reports are the single richest source of waste identification. If the user only provides campaign-level data, request the search term report before completing the audit.
• Don't recommend tROAS with <50 conversions/month. The algorithm needs volume. Recommending it prematurely leads to delivery collapse.
• Don't panic over PMax opacity. PMax now has campaign-level negatives, full search term reporting, and channel performance reports (all 2025). Use them before concluding PMax is wasteful.
• Don't ignore change history. A CPA spike that coincides with a bid strategy change or budget cut has a different fix than one caused by competitive pressure or seasonality.
• Flag ECPC immediately. Any campaign still showing ECPC was deprecated March 31, 2025. This is always a Critical finding.
• Flag AI Max opportunity. If the account has 50+ monthly conversions and isn't testing AI Max for Search (global beta September 2025, avg 34% conversion improvement), note it as an optimization opportunity.
• Account for learning phases. Don't flag bid strategy performance during the 7-14 day learning period after changes.
• Fractional conversion trap. Data-driven attribution creates fractional conversions. A keyword showing 0.3 conversions isn't necessarily bad — it contributed to a conversion. Filter to conversions > 1 before evaluating keyword-level CPA.
• Cross-references: For Meta tracking issues, use the meta-ads-tracking-setup skill. For Meta account auditing, use the meta-ads-audit skill. For automated audit scripts, use the google-ads-scripts skill.
• Confidence: If audit data is incomplete (missing search terms, no QS data, limited date range), state what conclusions are reliable and what needs more data. Never fabricate findings to fill gaps.