Checklist for PPC Account Structure Audit
Your PPC account structure can make or break your campaign performance. Here’s why regular audits are critical: they save money, improve ad relevance, and boost results like click-through rates and conversions. With global digital ad spend reaching £580 billion in 2025, ensuring your account is well-organised is more important than ever.
Key audit areas to focus on:
- Campaign Setup: Use clear naming, separate brand and non-brand campaigns, and align with business goals (e.g., sales funnel stages or product categories). Limit campaigns to 5–7 ad groups for better control.
- Ad Group Structure: Keep ad groups focused with 3–5 keywords per group. Use Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) for high-value terms.
- Targeting: Match geographic and device targeting to your audience. Adjust bids for mobile or desktop based on performance.
- Budget Allocation: Prioritise high-performing campaigns and review budgets regularly to align with seasonal trends and objectives.
- Conversion Tracking: Ensure accurate tracking of actions like purchases or leads. Use enhanced conversions and assign monetary values to all tracked actions.
- Performance Metrics: Focus on KPIs tied to business goals (e.g., ROAS, cost per lead) and benchmark against industry standards.
Why it matters: Regular audits help avoid wasted spend, adapt to platform changes, and ensure your campaigns are aligned with your business goals. Many advertisers neglect this – don’t be one of them.
Pro tip: Conduct audits quarterly or monthly for fast-moving industries to stay competitive and maximise ROI.
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Account Structure Review Basics
Building a well-organised PPC account structure is key to running successful campaigns. From the account level down to campaigns, ad groups, keywords, and ads, every layer should serve a clear purpose. This section focuses on the fundamentals of account structure, laying the groundwork for improving campaign performance.
"PPC campaign structure is essential to the success of any online marketing effort. It provides a clear system for organising campaigns, ad groups, and keywords." – McCain Kennedy, Founder and VP of Client Services, Set Fire Creative
Campaign Setup
How you structure your campaigns can make or break your optimisation efforts. Start with clear and consistent naming conventions that immediately communicate each campaign’s purpose.
Separating brand and non-brand campaigns is a must. Brand campaigns should target searches related to your company name or branded terms, while non-brand campaigns focus on generic product or service-related keywords. This approach prevents internal competition and allows for more targeted bidding strategies.
Campaign segmentation should align with your business goals. For example, you could organise campaigns based on sales funnel stages (awareness, consideration, conversion), product categories, or geographic regions. A great example of this is DiamondWish, which separates campaigns for "Lab-Grown Diamonds" and "Gold Jewellery" to better manage budgets and targeting.
To maintain focus and control, limit each campaign to 5–7 ad groups. If you’re targeting multiple countries or time zones, consider creating separate campaigns for each region. This avoids issues with budget distribution and scheduling conflicts. Ideally, campaigns should focus on one country or time zone to simplify management.
Once campaigns are optimised, the next step is to refine the structure of your ad groups.
Ad Group Structure
The success of your campaigns depends heavily on how well your ad groups are organised. Each ad group should focus on a specific product, service, or keyword theme to ensure your ads are highly relevant.
For high-value or high-volume keywords, Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) can be a useful strategy. This method maximises control over ad relevance and bidding but does require more effort to manage.
Keep ad groups tightly focused by limiting them to 3–5 keyword concepts. Broad ad groups often lead to generic ad copy, lower Quality Scores, and wasted budget on less relevant traffic.
Targeting Configuration
Your targeting settings decide who sees your ads and when. Ensure your geographic targeting matches your service areas precisely. Avoid including locations where you can’t serve customers. For businesses with physical locations, radius targeting around your shops or service areas can be particularly effective.
When it comes to device targeting, analyse your audience’s behaviour and conversion data. If mobile conversion rates are significantly lower than desktop, you might need to create separate campaigns or adjust bids instead of excluding mobile traffic outright.
For example, a travel agency specialising in Normandy beach tours might use keywords like "World War II tours" and "D-Day tours" to reach history enthusiasts. Tailoring demographic and audience settings to match your ideal customer profile is equally important.
Budget Distribution
How you allocate your budget across campaigns reflects your priorities. Review your daily budgets to ensure they align with campaign performance and business value.
Shared budgets can be useful for campaigns with similar goals, as they allow Google to distribute spend where it’s most effective. However, avoid using shared budgets across campaigns with varying objectives, as high-performing campaigns might drain resources from others.
Ensure your top-performing campaigns receive enough budget to capture all available traffic. On the flip side, campaigns that consistently underspend may indicate issues like poor targeting, irrelevant ads, or overly ambitious budget expectations.
Seasonal trends and business priorities should also influence how you allocate budgets. Regularly reviewing your spending can help you shift resources from underperforming campaigns to those that deliver better results. This ensures your budget supports your most important objectives.
Conversion Tracking and Data Quality
When it comes to PPC campaigns, accurate conversion tracking is non-negotiable. Without reliable data, you’re essentially flying blind, making decisions based on guesswork rather than facts. This section is all about ensuring your tracking setup collects the right information, helping you make informed choices to optimise performance.
"Google’s conversion tracking can break down your numbers and tell you where each conversion came from. It can even show you the journey your visitors took to find you. Most importantly, it shows you where the waste is." – Perry Marshall, Author of 80/20 Sales & Marketing & Ultimate Guide to Google Ads
Conversion Tracking Setup
A well-configured conversion tracking system is the backbone of effective PPC measurement. It ensures every meaningful action users take after clicking your ad is captured and attributed correctly.
Start by defining conversions that align with your business goals. For instance:
- If you’re running an e-commerce site, track purchases, newsletter sign-ups, or product page views.
- For B2B companies, focus on form submissions, brochure downloads, or phone call leads.
Each conversion type should directly support a specific business objective.
In today’s world of increasing privacy restrictions, enhanced conversions have become a game-changer. This feature allows Google Ads to track and attribute conversions more effectively, even when third-party cookies are restricted. It provides a clearer picture of your campaign’s performance.
Google Ads’ dedicated conversion tracking offers additional perks, such as improved automated bidding and detailed attribution data. Common conversion types to monitor include:
- Website actions like purchases or form submissions
- Phone calls
- App installs or in-app purchases
- Offline conversions, which connect online ads to real-world sales
For businesses with both digital and physical touchpoints, offline conversion tracking bridges the gap, linking online ad interactions to offline results.
Another key step is assigning monetary values to all conversions, even those not directly tied to revenue, like lead forms. This enables accurate ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) calculations and helps Google’s algorithms prioritise the most valuable conversions for your business.
Once your conversions are set up and tracked, the next step is ensuring your tagging system works flawlessly.
Tracking Tag Review
Accurate conversion data depends on properly functioning tracking tags. Regularly reviewing and auditing these tags ensures they work as intended, even as your website evolves.
Start by checking your Google Analytics data stream. Go to the Admin section and review your Data Streams settings to confirm that data is flowing correctly. This simple step can quickly reveal any fundamental issues in your tracking setup.
Use real-time reports in Google Analytics alongside Google Tag Manager‘s preview mode to test functionality. For example, visit your site while monitoring real-time reports, and you should see your activity appear instantly.
For troubleshooting, the Google Tag Assistant is an invaluable tool. It helps identify duplicate tags, see events firing in real-time, and pinpoint issues like tags not triggering properly.
For a deeper dive, inspect your website’s source code to ensure that tracking tags are present on every relevant page. Missing tags on key pages can lead to significant data gaps.
"A common mistake we see is improperly installed tracking pixels. We would suggest having a developer make sure all the tracking codes are firing in the right place at the right time." – Sam Yadegar, HawkSEM co-founder and CEO
Data Accuracy Check
Even with a solid setup, discrepancies between reported conversions and actual outcomes can creep in. Regular data accuracy checks help ensure the reliability of your insights.
Start by comparing your Google Ads and Google Analytics data. Set up Google Analytics goals that mirror your Google Ads conversions for a direct comparison. If you notice significant differences, they could stem from attribution model variations or tracking issues.
Ensure UTM parameters are consistent across platforms to avoid attribution errors. Inconsistent tagging can muddy the waters when tracing conversions back to their source.
If you notice unusual discrepancies, dig deeper to uncover potential issues. For example, a sudden drop in conversions might coincide with a website update that disrupted tracking codes.
To capture the full customer journey, consider implementing cross-device tracking. This is especially critical as users increasingly switch between devices before completing a purchase. Without it, you might miss key conversions that start on one device and finish on another.
Make it a habit to audit your tracking setup monthly or quarterly. This ensures your data remains accurate and actionable as your campaigns and website evolve.
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Campaign Settings and Targeting Review
Getting your campaign settings right can make or break your ad performance. The right setup not only ensures your budget is spent wisely but also helps track conversions more accurately. To get the most out of your campaigns, take a close look at your bidding, scheduling, and keyword strategies to ensure they’re aligned with your business goals.
Bidding and Scheduling
How you bid and when your ads appear are key factors in driving success. Kevin Rea, Agency Digital Consultant for the performance team at Incubeta, puts it best:
"One of the greatest failings of a PPC specialist is being unable to take a step back and see the big picture".
Bidding Strategy Alignment
Your bidding strategy should directly reflect your business objectives. For example, if your focus is lead generation, a Target CPA approach works well. On the other hand, if profitability is your goal, Target ROAS is the way to go.
Automated vs Manual Bidding
Automated bidding uses data like user intent, device type, and browsing history to adjust bids dynamically. Manual bidding, however, gives you full control over each bid. The choice depends on your business needs and the metrics you’re tracking.
Ad Scheduling
Also called dayparting, ad scheduling lets you decide when your ads run. Timing can make a big difference. For instance, B2B campaigns often perform better during business hours, while freelancers or small business owners might engage during off-peak times. For businesses with steady consumer traffic, dayparting might not be as impactful. Use the "Ad schedule" tab to analyse audience behaviour and adjust bids for high-converting hours.
Once your bidding and scheduling are optimised, it’s time to refine your keyword strategy to ensure your ads reach the right audience.
Keyword Management
Your keywords determine who sees your ads and when. Regularly reviewing and updating your keyword strategy helps you attract the right audience while avoiding irrelevant clicks that drain your budget.
Keyword Relevance and Coverage
Make sure your keywords are directly tied to your products or services and match the intent of your target audience. Identify any high-converting terms you might be missing and adjust match types to reduce irrelevant traffic.
Negative Keywords
Negative keywords are essential for blocking irrelevant searches. Use the Search Terms Report to identify queries that aren’t converting and add them as negative keywords. Keep this list updated to reflect changes in search behaviour.
Ad Extensions Setup
Ad extensions add value to your ads without increasing costs. Sitelink, callout, and call extensions provide more information to users, while location extensions are great for driving foot traffic to your business. Structured snippets can highlight specific features of your offerings. Regularly review the performance of your extensions and tweak or replace any that aren’t delivering results.
Performance Review and Business Goal Alignment
Once you’ve fine-tuned your campaign settings, it’s time to evaluate if your efforts are genuinely driving the outcomes your business values. A well-organised account structure does more than simplify management – it ensures your performance metrics are directly tied to your business growth. The key is to determine whether your PPC campaigns are delivering the results that matter most to your objectives.
Metrics vs KPIs
It’s important to distinguish between metrics and KPIs. Metrics, such as CTR (click-through rate), CPC (cost per click), CPL (cost per lead), ROAS (return on ad spend), and conversion rates, measure performance. KPIs, on the other hand, are tied to your business goals and indicate whether you’re achieving them.
Focus on What Matters Most
Rebecca, Marketing Director at Investigator Marketing, shares a practical tip for staying client-focused:
"Find out what the client cares about the most and show them that information. Present only the metrics that directly relate to client priorities. Give them only what they want".
Benchmark Your Performance
To understand how your campaigns stack up, compare your performance to industry benchmarks. For example, the average CTR for Google Search Ads across industries is approximately 3.17%, while the average conversion rate is around 3.75%. These figures give you a baseline to measure whether your campaigns are competitive.
Align Metrics with Business Objectives
Kevin Rea highlights the importance of connecting metrics to business goals:
"PPC metrics need to be tied directly to business objectives. This alignment ensures that the ad spend is driving meaningful results".
For instance, if lead generation is your priority, focus on metrics like cost per lead and lead quality rather than just CTR. Metrics should not only guide optimisation but also be clear and relevant to stakeholders.
Goal-Based Campaign Structure
Your campaign structure should directly reflect your business goals, whether you’re aiming for revenue growth, higher lead quality, or improved brand awareness. As your business evolves, revisit and adjust these goals to ensure your campaigns remain aligned.
Full-Funnel Strategy Implementation
A strong account structure considers every stage of the customer journey. Campaigns that use full-funnel strategies can achieve up to 45% higher ROI compared to those targeting a single stage. Tailored messaging for each stage of the journey ensures your campaigns resonate with customers wherever they are in the buying process.
Take Sensibo, a climate technology company, as an example. Partnering with Wise Commerce, they implemented a full-funnel marketing strategy using Amazon Ads. They used Sponsored Display and Sponsored Brands video for awareness, Sponsored Brands for consideration, and Sponsored Products for conversion. The results were impressive: a 111% year-over-year increase in new-to-brand sales in the U.S. and a 56% growth in Italy and Spain.
This kind of strategic structuring ensures your campaigns are effective at every stage.
Understanding Stakeholder Perspectives
It’s also essential to recognise that different stakeholders within your organisation may have varying priorities for campaign goals. Your account structure should accommodate these perspectives while staying focused on the primary business objectives.
Business Outcome Focus
At the heart of it all is one question: are your PPC campaigns delivering measurable outcomes like increased revenue, more leads, or greater brand visibility? The numbers speak for themselves – PPC delivers £2 for every £1 spent, and PPC visitors are 50% more likely to purchase.
Immediate Visibility and Connection
PPC offers immediate visibility, connecting you directly with your target audience. Your account structure should leverage this advantage by focusing on campaigns designed to achieve specific, measurable results.
Market Research Value
Beyond driving conversions, PPC provides valuable insights into market trends and customer behaviour.
Optimisation for Better Outcomes
To maximise impact, regularly review metrics like CTR, conversion rates, and CPC. Refine your keyword targeting to match user intent, experiment with new ad creatives to keep your audience engaged, and adjust bids based on performance and competition.
Digital Marketing Consultant Vishal Porwal sums it up perfectly:
"When done right, PPC doesn’t just bring in leads – it brings in the right leads".
Key Points for PPC Account Audits
Once you’ve covered the basics, it’s time to dive deeper into your PPC account. A thorough audit involves reviewing every aspect of your campaigns, including account structure, campaign settings, ad groups, keywords, ad copy, and ad assets.
How often you audit plays a big role in how effective your campaigns are. Surprisingly, only 10% of advertisers optimise their Google Ads accounts weekly, and around 20% leave their campaigns untouched for an entire month. Abisola Tanzako from ClickPatrol suggests aiming for quarterly audits:
"You can audit your PPC campaign at least every six months, but ideally, it should be done every three months so that you consistently get the best results from your advertising campaigns".
For industries that are highly competitive or fast-moving, monthly reviews are often essential. It’s also important to know when an immediate audit is needed – like when you’re launching a new product, responding to market changes, or addressing a drop in performance metrics.
Why are regular audits so important? They help you make the most of your marketing budget, improve ROI, and stay ahead of competitors. Erin Sagin from Wordstream highlights this:
"Regularly auditing your PPC accounts can help you stay ahead of performance trends and opportunities to maximize your marketing ROI".
When conducting an audit, focus on these critical areas. Check ad groups for relevance and keyword count, and update your negative keywords to minimise wasted spend. Ensure your landing pages match your ad messaging, are easy to navigate, and load quickly on all devices. Your bidding strategies and budget allocation should align with your campaign objectives .
Pay special attention to how your campaign structure aligns with your business goals. These goals can change over time or vary between stakeholders. Gabrielle Aldinger from HawkSEM explains this well:
"Auditing your ad account regularly ensures your campaign aligns with your current business goals and that your ads target the right people".
Lastly, performance analysis is a key part of any audit. Metrics like CTR (click-through rate) and conversion rates highlight areas for improvement. Regular audits often lead to higher CTRs and lower cost-per-click. They’re also a great chance to revisit your account, assess ongoing experiments, and make adjustments that strengthen your overall strategy.
With 40% of organisations planning to increase their PPC budgets, efficient account management through regular audits becomes even more critical. A structured audit process ensures every pound spent delivers results.
FAQs
How often should I review my PPC account structure to maintain peak performance?
To ensure your PPC campaigns are running smoothly, it’s a good idea to review your account structure every three to six months. These routine audits can highlight opportunities for improvement, keep your targeting on point, and help you make the most of your budget.
That said, if your business often faces changes – like seasonal trends, launching new products, or shifts in audience behaviour – it might be worth auditing more often. This way, you can stay ahead in a competitive landscape.
What are the advantages of using Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) in PPC campaigns?
Using Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) in your PPC campaigns can bring some notable advantages. For starters, they increase ad relevance, which often leads to higher click-through rates (CTR) and improved quality scores. This precise targeting ensures your ads align closely with specific search intents, making your ad spend more efficient.
Another benefit is the ease of performance tracking and campaign adjustments. Since each ad group is centred around a single keyword, managing and fine-tuning becomes more straightforward. This level of focus can be particularly effective for businesses looking to get the most out of their campaigns and boost ROI. That said, it’s worth evaluating whether SKAGs suit your campaign goals, as other strategies might sometimes be a better fit.
How can I assign monetary values to conversions that don’t directly generate revenue?
To put a monetary value on non-revenue conversions, start by estimating their potential future impact or strategic significance. For instance, you could determine the average value of a lead or sign-up by reviewing historical data – look at the percentage of leads that eventually become paying customers and the average amount they spend.
This method helps you get a clearer picture of the ROI for your PPC campaigns, making sure actions like form submissions or newsletter sign-ups are included in your optimisation strategy. By assigning realistic values to these actions, you can make smarter decisions and get the most out of your advertising efforts.
