Anthony McGrath

Home › Services › Google Ads audit

Google Ads audit

A Google Ads audit that finds the wasted spend

A detailed look through your account by someone who has managed Google Ads for over two decades. Tracking, structure, keywords, search terms, bidding and landing pages, with a ranked list of fixes and what each one is likely to save or earn.

Book an auditWhat's included
  • 22 years in digital marketing
  • Hands-on: you work with me, not a junior
  • UK, US, Dubai and Australia

By Anthony McGrath · Updated

What does Google Ads audit involve?

Google Ads audit covers tracking, structure, keywords, performance max and shopping, bidding and landing pages. Duplicate or missing conversions, Performance Max taking credit for brand searches, broad keywords matching irrelevant terms, bids set against the wrong targets and landing pages that do not match the ads. Anthony McGrath does the work himself, with 22 years in digital marketing, for businesses in the UK, the US, Dubai and Australia.

What an audit usually finds

Duplicate or missing conversions, Performance Max taking credit for brand searches, broad keywords matching irrelevant terms, bids set against the wrong targets and landing pages that do not match the ads. Most accounts have several.

You get the findings with evidence and a clear fix for each. Use it with your current agency, your in-house team or ask me to make the changes.

Best for
Businesses spending, or ready to spend, on paid ads and wanting profit, not clicks
What you get
Tracking, Structure, Keywords, Performance Max and Shopping, Bidding, Landing pages
First step
Audit: your account, tracking and landing pages checked, with a plain-English list of what is wasting money.
Where
The UK, the US, Dubai and Australia, working remotely across time zones
Who does the work
Anthony McGrath, hands-on, with 22 years in digital marketing

What's included

What the audit covers.

Tracking

Conversion actions and values; Enhanced Conversions; Duplicates and gaps; GA4 links and imports.

Structure

Campaign and ad group set-up; Brand and non-brand separation; Locations and languages; Budgets and limits.

Keywords

Match types and overlap; Search terms and negatives; Quality Score problems; Missed opportunities.

Performance Max and Shopping

Brand cannibalisation; Asset groups and signals; Feed quality; Product performance.

Bidding

Strategy and targets; Learning and limits; Device and audience data; Profit versus revenue targets.

Landing pages

Message match; Speed and mobile; Conversion rate by page; Quick wins.

Before and after

An example of the savings found and fixed in the month after an audit.

Monthly spend on irrelevant searches600Before: 4,100−85%
Conversions counted twice0%Before: 28%−100%
Cost per lead49Before: 72−32%

An example of the kind of change this work aims for, based on typical starting points. It is not a promise or a specific client result: every business starts somewhere different. Money figures are shown without a currency: the same pattern applies in pounds, dollars, dirhams or Australian dollars.

How it works

  1. AuditYour account, tracking and landing pages checked, with a plain-English list of what is wasting money.
  2. PlanCampaigns, budgets and targets agreed around profit, not vanity numbers.
  3. Build and launchCampaigns built or rebuilt cleanly, with conversion tracking tested first.
  4. Manage and reportHands-on weekly management and a clear monthly report on what your spend made.

Latest Google Ads audit news

Short, plain-English updates on what is changing and what to do about it.

All marketing news

Questions

What access do you need?

Read-only access to Google Ads and GA4. Nothing is changed during the audit.

How long does an audit take?

Usually around a week, depending on the size of the account.

What if my agency manages the account?

That is fine. Many audits are a second opinion on an agency's work, and the findings can be shared with them.

Can you fix what you find?

Yes, as a one-off project or as ongoing management.

Platforms and tools

  • Google Ads
  • Google Ads Editor
  • GA4
  • Google Tag Manager
  • Merchant Center
  • Looker Studio
  • Tag Assistant
Anthony McGrath

About Anthony McGrath

Tip of the day

Avoid tiny split audiences. Combine similar ad sets so Meta gets enough conversion data to exit learning phase.

A UK-based freelance digital marketer with 22 years across Shopify, WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, conversion rate optimisation, funnels, Google, Meta and TikTok ads, SEO and tracking. He works directly with businesses in the UK, the US, Dubai and Australia, so the person who plans the work is the person who does it. More about Anthony or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Get a second opinion on your account

Send me read access. You get a ranked list of what is wasting money and how to fix it.

Book an audit