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GOOGLE ADS ACCOUNT AUDIT CHECKLIST
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Amr Farag | amrfarag404.com | Used for every new account takeover across 60+ clients
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Account Name + URLIndustryAuditor NameDate of Audit
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 HOW TO USE: Rate each item → ✅ Pass (2 pts) | ⚠️ Partial (1 pt) | ❌ Fail (0 pts) | N/A (skip). Total score calculates automatically. Red = urgent fix. Read the 'Why it matters' column.
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CATEGORY 1: ACCOUNT STRUCTURERatingWhy it matters / What to checkScore (auto)
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 Campaigns are separated by objective✅ PassSearch / Display / Shopping / PMax / YouTube should be separate campaigns. Mixing them forces Google to optimize for conflicting goals and tanks performance. I've seen accounts lose 30% efficiency just from this one issue.2
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 Ad groups are tightly themed (1–3 keyword topics max)Broad ad groups = generic ads = low Quality Score = higher CPC. Each ad group should have keywords that all fit naturally into the same ad headline. 'Kitchen appliances + furniture + lighting' in one ad group is a red flag.0
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 No duplicate keywords across campaigns or ad setsDuplicate keywords mean your own campaigns are bidding against each other. Run the Keyword Diagnosis report. If you see the same keyword appearing in 2+ active campaigns, clean it up.0
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 Campaign naming convention is clear and consistentIf you can't tell what a campaign is targeting by reading its name, it's wrong. Format: [Year]-[Platform]-[Type]-[Audience]-[Geo]. Sloppy naming causes expensive reporting mistakes.0
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 No 'catch-all' campaigns running everythingA single campaign called 'All Keywords - General' is a warning sign. It's usually the lazy default from whoever set it up. It gets good conversion data for nothing and prevents proper budget allocation.0
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 Category Score/ 10 maximum points2
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CATEGORY 2: KEYWORD STRATEGYRatingWhy it matters / What to checkScore (auto)
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 Not all keywords on broad match (mixed match types in use)Full broad match in 2025 = handing Google a blank check. Especially in GCC where there are fewer search queries, broad match can burn budget on irrelevant Arabic/English mixed searches you'd never approve manually.0
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 Negative keyword lists exist AND are being maintainedMost accounts I take over have zero negatives or a list created on launch day and never touched. Check: are you blocking competitor names? Irrelevant sectors? 'jobs', 'free', 'course', 'DIY'? Run the search terms report right now.0
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 Search terms report reviewed in the last 30 daysThis is where the money leaks. Pull the last 30 days. Sort by cost descending. The top 20 search terms you've never seen before are costing you the most. Block the irrelevant ones, harvest the good ones as exact match.0
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 Branded and non-branded campaigns are separatedBrand campaigns usually have 8–12x ROAS vs generic. If they're mixed, the generic keywords drag the averages down and you lose visibility on true brand performance. Separate them always.0
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 Long-tail keywords included (not just head terms)'Digital marketing agency' CPC: $8–$15. 'Digital marketing agency for restaurants Dubai' CPC: $1.20. Same intent, 10x cheaper. Long-tail coverage is where smart media buyers find cheap volume.0
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 Average Quality Score across active keywords is above 5QS below 5 means you're paying more per click than you should. QS 7+ means you're paying less. Check: if QS is low, the landing page, ad relevance, or keyword-to-ad match is broken. Fix ad copy first, it's the fastest win.0
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 Irrelevant or zero-impression keywords pausedKeywords sitting at 0 impressions for 60+ days aren't helping. They add noise to reporting and clutter optimization decisions. Pause everything under 10 impressions/month unless you have strategic reason to keep it.0
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 Category Score/ 14 maximum points0
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CATEGORY 3: AD COPY & EXTENSIONSRatingWhy it matters / What to checkScore (auto)
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 At least 3 RSAs per active ad groupGoogle needs variation to test. One RSA = no rotation data. Three RSAs with different messaging angles (price, benefit, urgency) gives Google and you the data to find the winner.0
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 RSA headlines include the target keywordBasic but missed often. Keyword in headline means higher Quality Score which means lower CPC. Don't pin the keyword headline though. Let Google test positions.0
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 Clear USP in ad copy (not just generic 'best quality')'High quality service' means nothing. 'Same-day delivery in Kuwait' or 'Free installation included' means something. If your ads sound like every competitor's, you're bidding on brand recognition you don't have.0
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 Every ad has a strong CTANot 'Learn More' as default. Match CTA to intent: buying intent → 'Get a Quote' / 'Order Now'. Research intent → 'See Pricing' / 'Compare Plans'. Weak CTAs lower CTR which raises your CPC.0
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 Sitelinks set up with at least 4 active sitelinksSitelinks double your ad's visual footprint on desktop. They're free clicks. I've seen CTR go from 3% to 5.8% just from adding strong sitelinks. Use them for: pricing, product categories, contact, testimonials.0
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 Callout extensions active (at least 4)Use callouts for features you can't fit in headlines. 'Free Delivery', 'Arabic Support', '24/7 Customer Service', 'Licensed & Insured'. Each callout adds context without costing extra.0
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 Call extension active (if phone leads are part of the goal)In GCC markets especially Kuwait and KSA, a significant portion of buyers prefer to call before purchasing. If you're running lead gen and don't have a call extension, you're leaving leads on the table.0
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 Ad strength rated 'Good' or 'Excellent' on primary RSAs'Poor' ad strength means your headlines and descriptions are too repetitive or too short. It's not a perfect metric but it correlates with performance. Get to at least 'Good' before moving on.0
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 Category Score/ 16 maximum points0
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CATEGORY 4: BIDDING & BUDGETRatingWhy it matters / What to checkScore (auto)
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 Bid strategy matches the campaign objectiveMaximize clicks on a conversion campaign is wrong. Target CPA with no conversion data is wrong. Rule of thumb: new campaigns → Maximize Conversions (no target). After 30–50 conversions → switch to tCPA or tROAS. Smart bidding needs data to be smart.0
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 No campaigns stuck in 'Limited by budget' without discussion'Limited by budget' on a top-performing campaign is money being left on the table. It also means Google's algorithm can't optimize properly because it doesn't have enough daily budget to run tests. Raise the budget or prioritize.0
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 Target CPA / tROAS set based on real data (not a guess)Setting tCPA at $5 when historical CPL is $18 tells Google to find impossible conversions. It'll restrict delivery. Always set initial targets at 10–20% above your current average, then tighten over 2–4 weeks.0
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 Bid adjustments configured: device, location, time of dayMobile converts differently than desktop (usually worse for high-ticket B2B). KSA converts differently than Egypt. 12am to 5am is usually dead. If you haven't set any bid adjustments you're treating all traffic the same. It isn't.0
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 Shared budgets reviewed (not masking underspend)Shared budgets are convenient but dangerous. One campaign eats the budget and the others starve, making it look like they're underperforming when they're actually just underfunded. Use individual budgets for any campaign you're actively testing.0
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 Category Score/ 10 maximum points0
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CATEGORY 5: LANDING PAGESRatingWhy it matters / What to checkScore (auto)
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 Landing page matches the ad intent (not homepage default)Sending all ad traffic to your homepage is almost always wrong. Someone searching 'buy Samsung TV Kuwait' and landing on your homepage will bounce within 8 seconds. The page headline should echo the ad headline.0
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 Page speed under 3 seconds on mobile (test: PageSpeed Insights)Page speed is a Quality Score factor. It's also a user behavior factor. Every extra second costs ~7% in conversion rate. If it's loading in 6+ seconds on mobile, fix this before any other optimization. Nothing else matters.0
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 Mobile responsive and correctly formatted on phone screens60–80% of paid traffic in GCC is mobile. Test the landing page on actual phones (iPhone + Android). Check: can you read the headline? Does the form work? Is the CTA button big enough to tap without zooming?0
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 Clear CTA visible above the fold (no scrolling required)If users have to scroll to find the 'Contact Us' button, you lose them. The CTA should be immediately visible on every device. On mobile this means within the first screen. 'Above the fold' is not optional in paid traffic.0
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 Contact form tested and confirms receipt to userI've audited accounts where the contact form was broken for 3 weeks and nobody knew. Test every conversion form right now. Submit a test lead. Did you receive it? Did the thank-you page load? Did the pixel fire?0
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 Trust signals present (reviews, certifications, client logos)In GCC markets, trust takes longer to build than in Western markets. Visible trust signals on landing pages (especially for new brands) can increase conversion rate by 25-40%. Google reviews, client logos, and guarantees all help.0
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 Category Score/ 12 maximum points0
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CATEGORY 6: CONVERSION TRACKINGRatingWhy it matters / What to checkScore (auto)
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 All conversion actions set up and recording correctlyThe most common reason good campaigns underperform: broken tracking. Go to Tools > Conversions. Is every action showing 'Recording'? Red 'No recent conversions' doesn't always mean broken but investigate anything older than 7 days.0
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 No duplicate conversion countingThis inflates your numbers and makes performance look better than it is. It also confuses Smart Bidding. Check: if you have both GTM and Google Ads tag tracking the same event, you're double counting. Set one as Primary, one as Secondary at minimum.0
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 Primary vs secondary conversions correctly classifiedPrimary = what Smart Bidding optimizes for (purchases, form submissions). Secondary = observed but not optimized (page views, scroll depth). If you have page views set as Primary, your algorithm is optimizing for the wrong thing.0
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 Google Analytics 4 linked and importing conversionsGA4 → Google Ads link gives you better cross-channel attribution data. It also allows you to import GA4 conversions as secondary. If they're not linked, you're missing data that helps with audience building and attribution.0
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 Conversion window appropriate for business typeE-commerce: 30-day click, 1-day view is usually fine. High-ticket B2B or real estate: 90-day click window (buyers research for weeks). SaaS free trials: match to your trial length + 7 days. Wrong window = misattributed conversions.0
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 Attribution model reviewed (not just last-click for everything)Last-click ignores every touchpoint before the final click. In GCC markets where buyers often see an ad, research on Google, then come back via direct, last-click kills your top-funnel campaigns. Use data-driven attribution if you have enough volume.0
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 Category Score/ 12 maximum points0
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CATEGORY 7: PERFORMANCE REVIEWRatingWhy it matters / What to checkScore (auto)
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 Wasted spend report pulled (search terms + placements + audiences)Every account has a wasted spend bucket. Pull it: filter search terms by 0 conversions + cost > 2x your target CPA. That's your immediate saving. Same for Display placements. Usually 60-70% of placement spend has no conversion value.0
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 Top 10 performing campaigns/keywords identifiedKnow your winners. The top 10 keywords driving 80% of conversions should be known by name. They deserve more budget, tighter bids, and more creative variants. Most accounts ignore their winners because they 'just work.'0
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 Impression share reviewed (budget vs rank limitation)If you're losing IS to budget: you need more money. If you're losing IS to rank: you need better ads, higher bids, or better landing pages. These have completely different fixes. Conflating them wastes time and money.0
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 Competitor auction insights reviewedAuction insights shows who's outbidding you and where. If a competitor is at 80% overlap rate, they're aggressively targeting your same audience. Knowing this informs budget decisions, bid strategy, and even creative messaging.0
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 30-day performance trend vs previous 30 days reviewedDon't just report absolute numbers. Report direction. Is CPL trending up or down week over week? Is CTR declining (creative fatigue)? Trend data catches problems before they become expensive.0
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 Automated recommendations reviewed (not just accepted blindly)Google's recommendations are often self-serving. 'Expand to broad match' = give Google more budget latitude. 'Add Responsive Display Ads' = let Google create ads for you. Review each one critically. Accept structural suggestions, be skeptical of targeting expansion.0
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 Category Score/ 12 maximum points0
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TOTAL AUDIT SCORE2
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Out of 86 maximum points2% of max
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WHAT YOUR SCORE MEANS
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90%+ of max🟢 Well-managed accountMinor tweaks only. Focus on creative testing and audience expansion. This account won't bleed money.
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75–89% of max🔵 Good, with clear gapsSolid foundation. Fix the ❌ Fails first (usually tracking or bid strategy). 2–3 weeks of focused work to get to 90%.
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50–74% of max🟡 Needs real workMultiple structural problems. Prioritize: tracking → structure → negatives → landing pages, in that order. Don't optimize spend until tracking is fixed.
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Below 50% of max🔴 Major overhaul neededThis account is leaking money today. Pause worst-performing campaigns immediately. Don't keep running until structure and tracking are clean. I've seen accounts waste $15K/month at this score level.
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✅ = 2pts ⚠️ = 1pt ❌ = 0ptsN/A = excluded from scoreUse Partial when something exists but is set up incorrectly or incompletely. Not just present but not best practice.
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amrfarag404.com | Need help with your creative strategy? Book a free call.
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