An Easy PPC Audit
Managing a PPC Account can be a daunting task. It’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of ad campaign settings and focus on the wrong elements when optimising. That is why a PPC Audit is key to figuring out what’s working and what’s not, so you know where to focus your attention.
What is a PPC Audit?
A PPC Audit is the process of analysing a PPC account to work out what is doing well, what could be done better, and how to develop the ongoing PPC strategy. It’s an essential first step in running a successful PPC account.
Why do a PPC Audit?
If you haven’t figured out from the paragraph above why a PPC audit is important, then read on. You should run a PPC Audit every few months (some check far more often, if not more) to identify any issues or problems. It’s also important to run an audit if something has recently gone wrong and you’re scratching your head wondering why —if your PPC campaigns were doing great but, recently, results have declined, for example,.
A PPC Audit is the best way to make sure your ads are performing the best they can and to give a roadmap towards ongoing PPC optimisations.
Account Set Up.
The first thing to look at it is the account as a whole. This part is small but important.
Check Analytics Linking and Conversion Tracking.
Check that Google Ads are connected to Google Analytics, and that the tracking code has been installed properly. Then check that all conversion tracking is set up properly.
Check Account Structure.
Make sure that the structure fits with your business goals and parts of the website. Look at the naming of the campaigns and make sure they make sense.
Campaign Level PPC Audit.
Campaign Audit.
Campaign Theme. Check that each campaign is closely themed to ensure effectiveness. Separate brand keywords from non-brand.
Campaign Settings. Check over the campaign settings to make sure they are in line with goals.
Analyse Budget.
Now we’re getting to the big guns. You need to make sure you’re using your budget effectively. If the campaign is limited by budget, then you need to make some changes.
Some of your options are:
Optimise ad schedule
Target a smaller area
Lower bids
Change keyword match type to more specific
Change delivery method to standard
Add negative keywords
If all of these don’t work, then move low-volume keywords to another campaign.
Check Networks.
Check the networks that campaigns are appearing on. Never have search and display networks running for a single campaign. Separate them out!
Location Settings.
Targeting. Check targeting to make sure that it is focused on ideal locations. For example, the cities or suburbs where the business has a store, branches, or a delivery radius.
Exclusions. Exclude locations where your business doesn’t deliver or has no presence. For example, you could target all of Brisbane with an ad, but exclude West End.
Bid adjustments. Adjust how much to bid on a click. This should be based on how much a particular click is worth. For example, if people who click at 6pm in Toowoomba are more likely to convert and spend more, then you could up the bid adjustment on this audience.
Device Targeting.
Make sure you are targeting the devices you need to — create ads specifically for mobile, for best optimisation.
Ad Scheduling.
Analyse your ad schedule, make sure it is the best for your campaign and matches prime conversion periods.
Language.
If you are targeting only English speakers, then your language settings should only be set to English. The same applies for Spanish or any other language.
Delivery Method.
Have a look and see if your delivery method is standard or accelerated. I always recommend standard to spread spend across the day. If there is a strategy for accelerated delivery, then go with that.
Ensure Ad Rotation & PPC Goals align.
Ad rotation should match your goals – you can select one of the optimise options or the rotate. I personally go for rotate evenly, that way it’s easier to test what creative is working well.
Bid Strategy.
Bid strategies are a huge topic. Check all your campaigns and make sure that the bid strategy matches your campaign goal. Maximise clicks for driving traffic and so on.
Display Networks & Remarketing.
Placements. If ads are appearing in poorly performing placements, then fix this.
Targeting. Make sure your display ads are being targeted correctly. You can target based on topic, context, location, language, placements, device, keywords, interests and audience.
Ad Level PPC Audit.
Theme ad groups and count keywords.
Ad groups should be themed on tight keywords. Some people recommend 10-20 keywords. Personally, 1-5 keywords works better for us. This is so we can keep the ads highly relevant to the users’ search terms, increasing CTR and conversion rate.
PPC Ads.
Message. Check the message of the ad – make sure they have a CTA, highlight your USP, stand out from competitors and include your keyword. Check pricing is accurate.
Display URL. This should be optimised for your keyword.
Final URLs and Landing Pages. Landing page should match the searcher’s intent and ad messaging. Check it looks good on all devices.
Number of Ads. I usually have three ads per ad group. This helps with testing copy. I usually wouldn’t go below three, as then you aren’t testing.
Ad Rank. All your ads should have a decent ad rank. If it’s below second position, then take a look at the quality score of the ad and your keyword organisation. You can also increase the CPC bid, but I’d focus on quality changes before going for money.
Disapproved Ads. Check out disapproved ads and fix them.
Spelling and grammar. Look at your spelling and grammar! Nothing makes me less likely to buy than a poorly spelled ad.
Ad Extensions.
Make sure all ad extensions have been approved and check them against the relevancy of the ads.
Site Links. These should be relevant to the ads, ad group and campaign. They should be mobile optimised and have a minimum of two site links, but I suggest six.
Location extensions. These show location information. This needs a Google My Business account to be linked.
Call out extensions. Make sure the call outs are short enough, there are more than two active, that they are approved and their quality score.
Call extensions. Check the number on the call extension is accurate and that it only appears during your business opening hours.
Structure snippet. Minimum of three to four added.
Evaluate Keywords.
Bids. Check the average CPC of the keywords and if the current average CPC is close to the maximum CPC identified. Increase the maximum to accommodate it.
Average position. As mentioned above.
Quality score. Super important. Check the quality score of each keyword — if any are below 6, improve the quality score.
Search terms. Go through search terms to adjust keywords or negative keywords.
Match types. Review the match types of the keywords. Exact and phrase type are most cost-effective, however these can miss keyword opportunities.
Low search volume. Remove any low-volume keywords and review low-impression keywords. Check to see if there are any seasonal keywords and pause these when not in season.