Google Ads audit: How do you tell an account is wasting money?

A Google Ads account wastes money when budget flows into search terms, locations, times or placements that never lead to enquiries, or when conversions are counted incorrectly and automated bidding therefore learns the wrong things. An audit finds these weak spots systematically. You can check much of it yourself in an hour.

The ten most common sources of wasted spend

1. Irrelevant search terms: The search terms report contains queries that have nothing to do with your service, such as “free”, “job” or “DIY”.
2. Missing negative keywords: There is no maintained list.
3. Wrong location option: Ads also show to people who are merely “interested” in your region but are located elsewhere.
4. Duplicate conversions: One enquiry is counted twice, for example via a GA4 import and the Google Ads tag.
5. Unimportant conversions as goals: Page views or scroll depth count as success.
6. Display Network in Search campaigns: The option is switched on and spends budget on websites and apps.
7. Auto-applied recommendations: Google changes keywords and bids without review.
8. Performance Max without control: Budget flows into channels and placements you do not want.
9. Landing page does not match: Ads lead to the homepage instead of the relevant service page.
10. No ad schedule: Ads run at night for services people only call about during the day.

How to check it yourself in an hour

• Sort the search terms report for the last 90 days by cost and look at the most expensive terms without conversions.
• Under Goals, check which conversion actions are marked as primary.
• Check the location option and networks in the campaign settings.
• Go through the change history for auto-applied recommendations.
• Compare reported conversions with the actual enquiries over the same period.

What an external audit adds

An outside review also examines account structure, bidding strategies, ad quality, landing pages, tracking all the way into the CRM and how you compare with competitors. And it sets priorities: which three changes will deliver the most over the next 30 days?

Related reading: Brand bidding: What to do when competitors bid on your brand name? and Switching agencies: Who owns the Ads, Analytics and Tag Manager accounts?

FAQ

What access does an agency need for a Google Ads audit?

For the review, “Read only” access is usually enough. With it, the agency can see campaigns, settings and reports but cannot change anything. You grant access yourself in Google Ads under Access and security and can remove it again after the audit.

Is the optimization score in Google Ads a good measure of account quality?

Only to a limited extent. The optimization score shows how many of Google’s recommendations have been applied, not whether the account is profitable. Some recommendations mainly increase reach and spend, so you should review each one individually rather than just pushing the score up.

How often should you review a Google Ads account?

For active accounts, keep an eye on search terms and cost per enquiry on an ongoing basis, for example weekly or monthly. A comprehensive audit covering structure, tracking and bidding strategies makes sense once a year and after major changes such as a relaunch, new campaign types or a change of account management.

When to hand this over

• Your cost per enquiry has been rising for months.
• You have taken over the account from another agency.
• The reported conversions do not match the actual enquiries.
• You spend more than 1,000 euros a month and have never had the account reviewed externally.

We audit your account and show you where budget is being lost. Learn more about our Google Ads management or book an appointment directly.