How to Do a Google Ads Audit That Increases ROAS

A proper Google Ads audit can transform your account from a money pit into a growth engine. According to Google's own data, advertisers who regularly audit and optimise their accounts see an average ROAS improvement of 25-40%.

At Refrakt Digital, we've refined our audit process through hundreds of accounts across Essex, London, and Dubai. Here's the exact framework we use.

Step 1: Conversion Tracking Audit

Everything starts here. If your tracking is broken, nothing else matters.

Check these items:

• Are conversions firing correctly?, Test every conversion action manually
• Is the attribution model appropriate?, Last-click misses the full picture; consider data-driven or position-based
• Are you tracking ALL conversion types?, Forms, calls, chats, purchases
• Is there double-counting?, Multiple tags firing for the same action inflate your data
• Are conversion values accurate?, For ecommerce, ensure revenue passes correctly

Red flags:

• Zero conversions in the last 30 days (tracking is likely broken)
• Conversion rate above 30% (probably tracking page views as conversions)
• No phone call tracking (missing a major conversion source)

Step 2: Account Structure Review

Poor structure leads to poor performance. Your account should mirror your business logically.

Ideal structure:

• Campaigns, Organised by service/product category, match type, or intent level
• Ad groups, Tightly themed (5-15 keywords max per ad group)
• Keywords, Closely related terms within each ad group
• Ads, At least 2-3 responsive search ads per ad group

Common structural problems:

• Everything crammed into one campaign (impossible to control budgets)
• Ad groups with 50+ keywords (too broad, quality scores suffer)
• Single ad per ad group (no testing possible)

Step 3: Keyword Analysis

Keywords are the foundation. Audit them ruthlessly.

What to analyse:

Critical: Search Terms Report

This is where most waste hides. Export the last 90 days of search terms and sort by cost. Look for:

• Irrelevant searches that have cost money
• High-performing search terms you should add as exact match keywords
• Patterns that suggest new negative keyword themes

Step 4: Ad Copy Performance

Your ads are your first impression. Audit them for quality and performance.

Metrics to evaluate:

• Click-through rate (CTR), Below 3% for Search? Your ads aren't compelling enough
• Conversion rate, High CTR but low conversions? Your ad promises don't match the landing page
• Ad strength, Google's built-in rating; aim for "Good" or "Excellent"

What to check:

• Are you testing multiple ad variants per ad group?
• Do your headlines include keywords and unique selling points?
• Are you using all 15 headline slots and 4 description slots in RSAs?
• Do you have relevant ad extensions set up (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets)?

Step 5: Landing Page Audit

The best ads in the world can't save a bad landing page. Check every landing page you're driving traffic to.

Landing page checklist:

• Relevance, Does the page content match the ad promise?
• Speed, Does it load in under 3 seconds?
• Mobile, Is it fully optimised for mobile devices?
• CTA, Is there a clear, visible call to action above the fold?
• Trust signals, Reviews, testimonials, certifications visible?
• Form length, Are you asking for too much information?

Step 6: Budget and Bidding Review

Questions to answer:

• Is budget being distributed effectively across campaigns?
• Are high-performing campaigns limited by budget?
• Are low-performing campaigns over-funded?
• Is your bidding strategy appropriate for your conversion volume?
• Are you using bid adjustments for device, location, and time of day?

Quick wins:

• Move budget from underperforming to high-performing campaigns
• Reduce bids on keywords with high CPA
• Increase bids during your best-converting hours
• Adjust location bids based on geographic performance

Step 7: Competitor Analysis

Understanding what competitors are doing helps you find opportunities.

What to check:

• Auction Insights, Who are you competing against? What's their impression share?
• Ad messaging, What are competitors highlighting? What are they missing that you can own?
• Landing pages, How do competitor landing pages compare to yours?

Post-Audit Action Plan

Prioritise fixes by impact:

1. Critical (Week 1), Fix conversion tracking, add negative keywords, pause wasteful keywords

2. High Impact (Week 2-3), Restructure campaigns, improve landing pages, test new ad copy

3. Optimisation (Ongoing), Bid adjustments, A/B testing, budget reallocation

Want a Professional Audit?

At Refrakt Digital, we offer a comprehensive free Google Ads audit for businesses in Essex, London, and Dubai. Our audit goes deeper than surface-level metrics, we analyse your full account structure, competitor landscape, and growth opportunities.

Request your free audit today and discover exactly how to improve your ROAS.