How to Audit Your Google Ads Account: Step-by-Step Checklist
A google ads account audit is the fastest way to find out exactly why your campaigns are spending without producing results. Most Google Ads accounts with conversion problems have the same set of fixable issues: broken conversion tracking, keywords spending on the wrong searches, Quality Scores raising CPC for no reason, and campaign settings that were wrong from day one and never corrected.
Here is the complete 8-step checklist to run on any Google Ads account.
What This Covers
- The 8 audit areas every Google Ads account needs reviewed, with pass/fail criteria for each
- The most common issues found in Indian Google Ads accounts
- India-specific checks that standard global audit guides skip
- A prioritised fix table showing what to address first based on budget impact
- How to use the audit findings before increasing spend or hiring a new agency
What Does a Google Ads Account Audit Find?
A google ads account audit identifies structural and configuration problems that cause overspending, poor campaign performance, and missed conversions. Unlike a performance review that examines metrics in isolation, an audit checks whether the account is built correctly before asking whether it is producing the right results.
According to WordStream’s published Google Ads research, the average Quality Score for keywords across most industries sits well below the optimal 7+ range. For Indian businesses, this typically means paying 30 to 50 percent more per click than a correctly optimised account in the same auction. Per PPC benchmarks for India, cost per lead variance between audited and unaudited accounts in the same category regularly reaches 40 to 60 percent. The audit finds these inefficiencies and quantifies the cost of fixing them.
For context on what typical Google Ads costs look like in India before and after an account is correctly set up, see our Google Ads cost India breakdown.
The Google Ads Account Audit: 8-Step Checklist
Step 1: Conversion Tracking
- Google Ads conversion tracking installed and firing on the actual thank-you or confirmation page
- Primary conversion action set to “Primary” at account level
- Conversion values set for each conversion action (or marked as no value where not applicable)
- No duplicate tracking: check for both Google Ads tag AND imported GA4 goals counting the same event
- For lead generation in India: call tracking configured for click-to-call on mobile campaigns
PASS: Accurate tracking on confirmation page, no duplicates, call tracking active for mobile.
FAIL: No conversion tracking, fires on form page not confirmation, GA4 and Google Ads tag double-counting the same event.
Why this comes first: without accurate conversion data, every bid strategy and budget decision is built on corrupted signals. Smart Bidding is trained on conversion history. If that data is wrong, the algorithm learns to find the wrong users.
Step 2: Campaign Structure
- Each campaign has a single clear objective and targeting configuration
- Ad groups contain tightly related keywords, not 50+ unrelated terms in one group
- Brand campaigns are separated from non-brand campaigns
- Performance Max, Search, and Display campaigns are not mixed into the same campaign
- India campaigns have city or region-level segmentation rather than a blanket “All India” geo
PASS: Clear campaign objectives, tight ad groups, brand/non-brand separated, city-level geo.
FAIL: All keywords in one campaign, brand and non-brand mixed, single “All India” targeting with no segmentation.
Step 3: Keywords and Match Types
- Broad match keywords only used with Smart Bidding and established conversion history
- Phrase and exact match keywords cover highest-commercial-intent terms
- Negative keyword lists applied at account level AND campaign level
- Search term reports reviewed in the last 30 days with irrelevant terms added as negatives
- No keywords with Quality Score below 5 receiving significant spend
PASS: Broad match only with Smart Bidding, negative lists active, search terms reviewed monthly.
FAIL: Broad match without Smart Bidding or conversion history, no negative keyword lists, search terms showing irrelevant categories consuming budget.
Common India-specific issue: job seekers clicking service ads, international traffic on India-targeted campaigns, and competitor names appearing in search terms without exclusions.
Step 4: Ad Copy and Extensions
- Every active ad group has at least one Responsive Search Ad (RSA) with 8+ headlines
- Ad headlines include the focus keyword phrase in at least one position
- Sitelink extensions are configured with relevant destination pages
- Callout extensions list specific benefits, not generic phrases like “Best Company” or “Quality Service”
- Call extension with India mobile number active on mobile campaigns for lead generation
PASS: RSAs with multiple headlines, extensions configured, keyword in ad copy, call extension active.
FAIL: Single ad per group, zero extensions, generic callouts, no call extension on mobile campaigns.
Step 5: Quality Scores
- Average Quality Score across the account is 7 or above
- No keyword with more than ₹500 monthly spend has a QS below 6
- Landing page experience is “Above Average” or “Average” for key terms
- Ad relevance is “Above Average” or “Average” for key terms
- Expected CTR is “Above Average” or “Average” for key terms
PASS: Average QS 7+, no high-spend keywords below QS 6, landing page rated Average or above.
FAIL: Account-wide average QS below 6, multiple keywords at QS 3-4 receiving significant budget, landing page rated Below Average.
Per Google’s Quality Score documentation, a QS of 10 can lower actual CPC by up to 50% versus a QS of 5. This is the most directly quantifiable cost of poor keyword relevance in any account.
Step 6: Bidding and Budget Allocation
- Bidding strategy matches campaign maturity: Maximize Conversions for new campaigns, Target CPA or Target ROAS for established campaigns with 30+ monthly conversions
- Daily budgets set to allow full delivery without under-spending
- Budget allocated proportionally to campaign performance (best-performing campaigns get more)
- No campaigns stuck in learning phase for more than 2 weeks
- Impression share data reviewed to understand whether performance is limited by budget or quality
PASS: Strategy matches maturity, full delivery, budget proportional to ROI, campaigns out of learning.
FAIL: Target CPA with fewer than 30 monthly conversions, campaigns under-delivering, all budget in learning phase.
Step 7: Audience and Targeting Settings
- Remarketing audiences configured and applied to search campaigns in “Observation” mode with bid adjustments
- Customer match lists active if customer data is available
- Mobile bid adjustments reviewed relative to actual mobile vs. desktop conversion performance
- Time-of-day bid adjustments reflect actual peak conversion hours for the business
- Location settings set to “People in or regularly in the targeted location”, NOT “People interested in”
PASS: Remarketing on search in observation, location set to “People in,” device adjustments applied.
FAIL: No remarketing on search, location set to “Presence or interest” (most common India error), no device adjustments despite significant mobile/desktop performance gap.
Step 8: Campaign Settings and Exclusions
- Display Network expansion is disabled for Search campaigns
- Google Search Partners setting is actively monitored (not just left at default)
- Ad rotation set to “Optimise” not “Rotate indefinitely”
- Content exclusions applied for Display campaigns in sensitive categories
- Manager Account (MCC) access verified: client owns the account, not the agency
PASS: Display expansion off, Search Partners monitored, ad rotation optimised, client owns MCC access.
FAIL: Display expansion enabled on Search campaigns, agency owns the account rather than client, ad rotation set to indefinite rotation for months.
Google Ads Account Audit: India-Specific Checks
These five checks address issues that appear specifically in Indian Google Ads accounts and are rarely covered in global audit guides:
1. Location targeting type (most common single error in Indian accounts). Go to Settings > Locations > Advanced Search > “Location options” for every campaign. Confirm it reads “Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations.” If it reads “Presence or interest: People in, searching for, or who show interest in your targeted locations” (which is the default in many account setups), your India campaign is actively serving ads to users worldwide who search for India-related terms. This wastes a significant portion of budget on non-converting international traffic.
2. Mobile vs. desktop performance gap. India has a much higher mobile search share than Western markets. Check conversion rate and cost per conversion by device. If mobile CPA is 2x or 3x desktop CPA but there is no bid adjustment applied, the account is significantly overpaying for mobile clicks relative to their conversion value. Apply negative bid adjustments for devices with poor relative performance.
3. Call conversion tracking for Indian businesses. In India, a significant percentage of conversions from Google Ads happen via phone calls rather than form fills. Verify that call tracking is configured for mobile click-to-call, that call duration thresholds are set to exclude short non-qualified calls, and that call conversions are importing into campaign reporting correctly.
4. Hindi and regional language keyword coverage. If your business serves Hindi-speaking or regional language markets and all keywords are in English, you are missing significant search volume. Run a search term report and check the language distribution of actual searcher queries. This is particularly important for categories with strong vernacular search intent: healthcare, education, local services, and government-related queries.
5. Auction Insights competitive check. Check the Auction Insights report for your highest-spend campaigns. Identify which competitors appear most frequently. Are you losing impression share to the same 2-3 competitors consistently? This data directly informs bid strategy, ad copy differentiation, and whether budget increases will be absorbed by competitive pressure or translate into incremental reach.
What to Fix First After Your Google Ads Account Audit
| Priority | Audit Area | Most Common Issue Found | Why Fix This First |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conversion tracking | Not installed or wrong page tracked | All bid strategies and optimisation rely on this data being accurate |
| 2 | Location targeting type | “Presence or interest” targeting global audience | Direct budget waste with zero performance benefit. Easiest fix in the account. |
| 3 | Keywords and negative lists | Broad match without negatives, no search term review | Highest driver of irrelevant spend in Indian accounts after location errors |
| 4 | Quality Scores | Below 6 average on high-spend keywords | Paying 30-50% premium per click. Direct CPC reduction on fixing landing page and ad relevance. |
| 5 | Display expansion on Search | Display network enabled on Search campaigns | Wasted spend on irrelevant placements. One checkbox to fix. |
| 6 | Bidding strategy alignment | Target CPA without sufficient conversion history | Algorithm cannot optimise effectively. Switch to Maximize Conversions until data builds. |
| 7 | Audience and device adjustments | No remarketing, no mobile bid adjustment | Missed opportunity to reduce CPA on high-intent returning visitors |
| 8 | Ad copy and extensions | Missing extensions, single ad per group | Leaves impression share and CTR improvements on the table |
If you are deciding whether to continue with your current Google Ads setup or bring in a specialist after the audit, our guide to hiring a Google Ads expert in India covers what to look for and what to verify before signing anything.
The Nobody Cares Take on the Google Ads Account Audit
Most Indian Google Ads accounts we audit have at least three of these eight issues active simultaneously. The most common combination: no accurate conversion tracking, location targeting set to “presence or interest” (serving ads globally from an India campaign), and broad match keywords running without negative lists. Together these three issues can account for 40 to 60 percent of the total monthly budget spending on traffic that never had any possibility of converting. Every metric in the account looks like it is performing because clicks are happening. The clicks are real. The conversions are not.
The google ads account audit is not a complicated process. It takes 2 to 3 hours for a single account and the findings are usually obvious once you know where to look. The location targeting error, for example, is a single dropdown in campaign settings. The conversion tracking error is a test in Google Tag Assistant. Most of the findings in a Google Ads audit are configuration problems that a junior developer can fix in an afternoon. What requires expertise is prioritising the fixes correctly and knowing which combination of issues is causing the specific performance pattern you are seeing.
Before increasing your Google Ads budget, audit the account. Before hiring a new expert or agency, audit the account so you know the current state and can hold the new hire accountable for specific improvements. Scaling a broken account spends more money faster on the same broken outcome. Our breakdown of what Google Ads actually costs in India includes what realistic CPC and CPA benchmarks look like for a correctly set-up account versus an unaudited one in the same category.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Google Ads account audit?
A Google Ads account audit is a structured review of the entire account to find configuration problems, wasted spend, and missed opportunities. It covers conversion tracking, campaign structure, keywords, ad quality, bidding, audiences, and settings. Unlike a performance report, an audit checks whether the account is built correctly before evaluating whether it is producing the right results.
How long does a Google Ads account audit take?
A thorough audit covering all 8 areas takes 2 to 3 hours for a standard Indian SME account. Larger accounts with multiple campaigns and complex geo-targeting take 4 to 6 hours. A complete audit including written findings and a prioritised action list can typically be completed in one working day, with fixes implementable within a second working day for most structural issues.
How often should a Google Ads account be audited in India?
Active Google Ads accounts should be formally audited every 60 to 90 days. Before any significant budget increase, run the audit to confirm the account structure can use higher spend efficiently. After a performance drop, audit immediately. New accounts should be audited after the first 30 days to catch structural errors before they compound across months of spend.
What is the most common issue in Indian Google Ads accounts?
The single most common error in Indian Google Ads accounts is location targeting set to “People in, searching for, or interested in” rather than “People in” the target location. This causes India campaigns to serve ads to international users searching for India-related topics. The second most common issue is broad match keywords running without negative keyword lists, which directs budget to irrelevant search queries.
Can I audit my own Google Ads account without a specialist?
Yes. Most audit items are visible directly in Google Ads Manager. Conversion tracking can be verified against actual CRM data. Quality Scores are visible at keyword level. Search term reports show broad match spend. The hardest parts of self-auditing are diagnosing Smart Bidding performance issues, interpreting Quality Score component breakdowns, and understanding whether impression share loss is driven by budget or quality rank.
What should a Google Ads audit report include?
A complete Google Ads audit report should include: pass/fail status for each of the 8 audit areas, specific issues identified with evidence from the account, estimated monthly wasted spend for each issue where calculable, a prioritised action list, and recommendations on whether to increase budget before or after making structural fixes. The report should be specific enough that a developer can implement fixes without further clarification.
