A good Google Ads audit is not a list of every setting in the account.
An account can contain dozens of warnings, recommendations and historical changes. The audit is useful only when it separates symptoms from causes and explains which issues are materially affecting measurement, search quality, budget control or the conversion path.
I do not assume that an old account needs to be rebuilt. Historical search terms, conversion patterns and campaign learning can be valuable. The first job is to understand what is trustworthy, what is misleading and what should be preserved.
Conversion tracking comes before optimisation advice.
If the account counts page views, button clicks, duplicate form events or imported goals with unclear meaning as primary conversions, automated bidding can look successful while optimising toward weak signals. Before judging bidding or campaign performance, I review the conversion actions the account is using.
- Which conversions are primary for bidding?
- Are form, call or purchase events firing once and at the right moment?
- Are old conversion actions still included in reporting?
- Do Google Ads, GA4 and GTM tell a consistent story?
- Can the business distinguish a qualified lead from a raw conversion?
Tracking code being present is not proof that the measurement is correct. Important actions should be tested through the actual user journey.
The Search Terms report often shows the clearest form of wasted spend.
Keywords show what the advertiser intended to target. Search terms show what users actually typed. That distinction matters when broad or phrase matching expands into low-intent research, jobs, unsupported services, irrelevant locations or queries that belong in a different campaign.
I look for repeatable patterns rather than labelling every non-converting query as waste. A term with three clicks and no lead may simply lack data. A category of clearly irrelevant queries consuming budget across weeks is a stronger finding.
Campaign structure should make budgets, intent and learning easier to control.
I review whether high-priority services are mixed with low-value demand, whether branded searches distort non-brand performance, whether campaign goals make sense and whether automated bidding is receiving enough reliable conversion data.
Campaign boundaries
Check whether campaigns represent distinct business goals or whether unrelated services are competing for the same budget.
Bid strategy fit
Review whether the chosen strategy matches the volume and quality of conversion data instead of judging automation by name alone.
Brand separation
Keep brand demand visible so it does not make new-customer acquisition appear more efficient than it is.
Performance Max context
Where PMax is used, review goals, assets, exclusions and how its results interact with Search rather than treating it as a black box.
Budget and targeting should follow business priorities, not account defaults.
I compare where the account is allowed to spend with where the business actually wants customers. That includes geography, device patterns, schedules, audiences where relevant and the amount of budget each campaign can consume.
An expensive campaign is not automatically bad if it produces valuable customers. A cheap campaign is not automatically good if it attracts weak leads. Budget decisions need a link between acquisition cost and business value.
The audit should follow the click all the way to the landing page.
A relevant keyword can still underperform if the ad promises one thing and the page makes the user search again. I review message match, obvious offer friction, mobile usability and whether the page supports the conversion action the campaign is optimising toward.
- Does the landing page clearly match the service or product in the ad?
- Is the main conversion path obvious on mobile?
- Are trust and pricing claims factual and current?
- Does the page load and function reliably?
- Are different campaigns all being sent to a generic homepage without a clear reason?
Finish with priorities, not a 100-item warning list.
Measurement or spend blockers
Broken primary conversions, clearly irrelevant traffic, dangerous location settings or structural issues that make current optimisation unreliable.
High-opportunity improvements
Search-term patterns, budget allocation, campaign separation, landing-page alignment and bidding decisions with enough evidence to act.
Incremental refinements
Lower-impact ad, asset, audience or reporting improvements that should not distract from the main problems.
€295 one-time: an independent review you can act on.
The Full Google Ads Audit is a read-only review. I do not change campaigns during the audit. You receive written findings, a prioritised action plan and a one-to-one summary of the important issues and options.
- Account and campaign structure
- Conversion tracking and measurement
- Search terms, keywords and negatives
- Locations, devices and audience settings
- Budgets and bidding
- Ads and assets
- Performance Max where applicable
- Landing-page and lead-quality alignment
Google Ads Audit Ireland FAQ
What access do you need for a Google Ads audit?
Read-only Google Ads access is enough for the account review where available. I do not need permission to change campaigns, budgets or billing during the audit.
What does the Full Google Ads Audit cost?
The current published price is €295 one-time. If an unusually complex account needs a different scope, that should be agreed before work starts.
Do you change anything in the account during the audit?
No. The audit is a diagnosis and prioritised action plan. Changes are made only if you separately choose implementation, setup or ongoing management afterwards.
Can you audit an account managed by another agency or freelancer?
Yes, if the business has appropriate access. The audit can be used as an independent second opinion without taking over the account or changing the current provider relationship.
How far back do you review performance?
The useful date range depends on account history, seasonality, campaign changes and conversion reliability. I use enough history to understand patterns rather than applying one fixed period to every account.
Will the audit tell me how much money is being wasted?
I can identify spend tied to weak search terms, targeting, tracking or campaign decisions where the evidence supports it. I avoid labelling every non-converting click as waste because some campaigns need enough data and context before that conclusion is fair.
What happens after the audit?
You can implement the recommendations yourself, ask your current provider to act on them, request specific fixes or continue with ongoing management. There is no requirement to continue.