Paid Search Audits – the Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Running paid search campaigns can feel overwhelming. Are you actually getting a strong return on investment - or just quietly burning through your budget? A paid search audit can shine a light on exactly what’s working, what’s holding you back, and where untapped opportunities are hiding.

At 2C Digital, auditing PPC accounts isn’t just a tickbox exercise - it’s a performance driver. Done right, a thorough audit doesn’t just tidy up your campaigns; it transforms average results into measurable growth. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the key areas to examine, and show you how to boost results beyond your wildest expectations.

Step 1) Define Your Paid Search Goals

The first step in any audit is to determine your paid search goals. Are you focused on:

Brand Awareness: driving clicks and impressions;

Engagement: generating downloads or sign-ups;

Conversions: capturing enquiriers or quote requests; or

Purchase: driving online sales?

Knowing your goals ensures your campaigns are set up correctly, your audit focuses on the right metrics, and you gain actionable recommendations.

Step 2) Ensure Your Account is Set Up for Success

Before diving into the detail, it’s essential to ensure your account has a strong foundation. Key areas to review include:

Tracking
Are conversions being tracked accurately? Incorrect tracking can make results misleading. Ensure you aren’t double-counting conversions, and that the relevant attribution model is in place.

Account Structure
Does your campaigns ad groups align with your marketing goals? A well-organised campaign structure ensures keywords, ads, and landing pages are aligned, and can improve Quality Score, which helps reduce your cost-per-click (CPC). It also enables better bidding and budget management.

Budget and Bidding Strategies
Are you making the most of your campaign budgets? Use tools like Keyword Planner to forecast the most effective spend and optimise your bidding to align with your goals.

Choose a bidding strategy that matches your campaign objectives. Test new strategies on a small scale before rolling them out across the board. Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all, continuous testing and adjustments are key to finding what performs best.

Step 3) Optimise Keywords and Targeting

Keywords
Evaluate your keyword performance using search query reports. Look for any missed keyword opportunities, add converting search terms with a low cost-per-conversion, pause underperforming ones, and A/B test match types. Also, check whether bidding on your brand is necessary - there may be little or no competition, and users may choose your website anyway due to high intent.

Negative Keywords
Prevent wasted spend by regularly reviewing and updating negative keywords. Create negative keyword lists at both account and campaign level, and add them with the correct match type. This helps maintain relevant traffic and ensures your budget is used efficiently.

Audience Targeting
Are you targeting the right locations, devices, days, hours, genders, ages, and household incomes? Layer your bids strategically, allocating higher budgets to the most profitable segments for maximum impact.

Step 4) Optimise Ads and Landing Pages

Ads
Constant ad evaluation is essential. Align ad copy, images, and extensions with keywords and landing pages to improve Quality Score and lower CPC. Conduct A/B testing to identify high-performing creatives, and monitor Lost Impression Share to reduce missed opportunities.

Landing Pages
Your landing page is where clicks turn into conversions. Even the best ads will underperform if the page doesn’t deliver. You can bring a horse to water, but your landing page is where it actually drinks. Focus on:

Relevance - Ensure the landing page matches the search term and ad’s promise.

Design & UX - Make pages visually appealing, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate.

Load Speed - Fast-loading pages reduce bounce rates and improve user experience.

Forms and CTAs - Keep contact forms simple and calls-to-action clear and compelling.

A/B Testing - Test headlines, images, buttons, and copy to identify what drives the most engagement.

Step 5) Benchmark Against Competitors

Use tools such as Auction Insights to measure your campaigns against competitors. Key metrics include:

Impression Share Overlap Rate - How often competitors appear alongside your ads.

Top of Page Rate - How frequently your ads appear at the top of search results.

Outranking Share - How often your ads rank higher than competitors.

Step 6)Utilise Scripts and Automation

Scripts help improve efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, such as flagging spelling mistakes, detecting broken links, identifying A/B test winners, and managing budget spend. However, they shouldn’t replace human oversight. Using scripts alongside regular manual checks ensures accuracy, prevents costly errors, and keeps you in control of your campaigns.

Step 7) Turn Insights into Action

Once your audit is complete, create an action plan to implement changes and optimise performance. Regular audits, every six months, ensure campaigns continue to deliver strong ROI.

Paid Search Audit Checklist

What are your paid search goals?

Does your account structure reflect these goals?

Are conversions being tracked correctly?

Are campaigns targeting the right audience?

Is your budget allocated efficiently?

Are your ads and landing pages optimised for your goals and A/B testing?

How do your campaigns compare to competitors?

If you want to improve your paid search campaigns and increase return on investment, email us at contact@2cdigitalmarketing.com for a free audit today.