10 Steps PPC Audit Checklist & Guide

It is believed that getting started dealing with Google ads is easy; the problem comes in when you intend to emerge successful in this field. Pay-per-click advertising is not easy since it requires you to have a proactive mindset for your campaigns to generate results.

The best you can do to enhance your performance is doing a PPC audit. The main question is, how do you do a complete PPC audit to trigger the success of your business. Read through this article for more actionable information to help you get the job done. 

What is a PPC Audit?

Considering the operational model of Google ads, PPC audit refers to a structured evaluation process that enables you to evaluate and determine the efficacy of your Google ads account. When the audit is done correctly, it enables you to identify matters contributing to underperforming campaigns giving you reliable solutions to the problem.

To do the audit in the right way, you need to have a PPC audit checklist that gives you a comprehensive guide on how you will undertake the process and the areas you need to channel most of your efforts. Below is a comprehensive PPC audit checklist that can help you execute every aspect in the right way! 

1. Identify a Data Range 

The immediate step when doing a PPC audit is choosing a data range. This is meant to help you ensure that you have enough data at your disposal to analyze. You don’t have to use data that only spans a maximum of thirty days. Opt for a wide set of data to enable you to measure results accurately.

If this is not possible, ensure that your data is for the past three months on the least end. The data will enable you to understand whether your strategies yield fruits or not.

2. Download the Data to Use 

Given the fact that you are using large sets of data, you are likely to get confused if you don’t be keen when handling it. Ensure that you download the data or export the data from your Google ads account.

If you are dealing with things such as Bing ads, you will have to download the data for the ads, especially when dealing with more than one type of ad on the same account. This will give you an accurate scope of your PPC performance that you can use to shape the success of your business.

3. Preview Your Ad Content

Even though this is a non-metric element of your managing PPC campaigns, you will obviously need to do proper monitoring to impact the success of your campaigns. When analyzing the progress of your PPC campaigns, it is essential to look at the ad content you are using to promote your efforts. 

Ensure that your ads target a specific audience that you have in mind. If you don’t know exactly what you are targeting, you need to get back to the field, carry out a detailed analysis, and identify your target market.

4. Document Your Budget 

Before getting started with the PPC audit process, you should document the amount of money you intend to spend doing the work. Documenting this data enables you to draw a clear picture of how every element of the process will be carried out and your expectations at the end of the process.

Ensure that you record your estimated cost per click and the number of clicks you intend to get depending on your budget. Also, you can evaluate the success level of your campaigns if all goes well at the end of the process.

5. Evaluate Your Keyword Targeting Capabilities

When conducting your PPC audit, consider auditing your keyword selection. Keep in mind that the keywords are the driving force behind the progress of your PPC campaigns. To be able to drive perfect leads, you need to have perfect keywords that suit your target market.

The most important factor to consider is optimizing your campaigns for long-tail keywords. The long-tail keywords have great potential to generate relevant leads on your business page. If you were not using long-form keywords, it is high time you optimize your pages and keep the ball rolling.

6. Review Your Bids 

When running PPC campaigns, ensure that you keep constant track of your bids. Evaluate the amount of money you spend on the bids before generating any leads. You need to give enough room for your business to make some profit and expand from one level to the next. 

For instance, if you spend an average of $10 on every click, and the customer purchases a product worth $15, you automatically cut your profit margin very thin. You need to reevaluate your strategy and your bidding amount to ensure that you are making a good profit from the sales.

7. Check Your Quality Score 

The quality score of your page is a crucial element that impacts your PPC campaigns. The quality score and the maximum bid determines where your ads will be placed and the general performance of your business. If you intend to enhance your ad placement, consider improving your quality score.

Note that the quality score is mainly identified by the relevancy of the click-through rate, also known as CTR. When the ad is more relevant to the searches of your target market, the more they click on it. 

8. Evaluate Your Click-Through and the Conversion Rate

The Click Through Rate and the conversion rate are important metrics that go hand in hand. The CTR affects the conversion rate; therefore it is important to give them an immediate priority in your PPC audit checklist. If your CTR is low, rethink more about your ad copy.

If you are recording a higher CTR, it indicates that many people are interested in your ad. Also, it means that your ads appear as relevant in the PPC searches giving your ad copy a competitive advantage. 

9. Compile all Your Areas of Wasted Spend 

No company wants to waste money on campaigns that do not generate results. If you intend to invest your money and efforts in any digital marketing strategy, you must ensure that the strategy is worth your effort and time.

If you don’t optimize your campaigns appropriately, you are at a high risk of incurring losses. Keep in mind that irrelevant keywords contribute to a significant loss of time and money. 

10. Evaluate Your Location Targeting

Proper location analysis is a great PPC audit tool to ensure that you are working within a favourable environment. When running PPC campaigns, your work is likely to be visible in searches from different places and cities. This is most likely to happen, especially if you have established a robust online presence.

By doing location analysis, you can identify where your campaigns are doing great and where they are performing poorly. This helps you understand where you can make a kill and elevate your business performance.

FAQs

What is one tip for conducting a meaningful PPC audit?

When conducting a PPC audit, focus on the conversion and the click-through rate. These two metrics give you proper guidance on what needs to be done for you to get better results in the long run.

Conclusion

Conducting a PPC audit is daunting, especially if you do not have a good checklist. The checklist shared above can help you evaluate your PPC performance and make the necessary adjustments to make your efforts yield fruits.

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