Understanding PPC audits audits & their role role in ad performance

Ever felt your PPC campaigns could (and should!) be doing better, but you’re not quite sure where something’s gone amiss? Much like taking your car in for a regular check-up, auditing your PPC accounts catches small problems before they escalate into expensive headaches. 

A strong PPC audit gives you clear, actionable insights to boost your campaign’s effectiveness, so every pound you spend counts. Here’s how audits can transform your PPC performance for the better. 

• What are PPC audits?
• What does a PPC audit include?
• Why do regular audits matter?
• Signs that your campaigns need an audit
• How to conduct effective PPC audits
• Maximising the benefits of your PPC audit

What are PPC audits? 

PPC audits examine your paid advertising accounts. It reviews a whole host of factors including campaign structure, targeting settings, keywords, ad copy and landing pages to identify issues affecting performance. An audit provides a roadmap for optimising your campaigns and improving return on investment across your advertising efforts. 

The data behind PPC

Just in case you were wondering what a good PPC campaign can do for your business, you only need to look at the numbers. Recent research paints a clear picture of how campaigns can succeed, as well as highlighting pitfalls businesses face when it doesn’t go to plan.  

• Paid advertising returns £2 for every £1 spent, a 200% ROI rate.

• 35% of marketing professionals report dissatisfaction with their PPC performance.

• 52% of B2B PPC advertisements point to the homepage instead of dedicated landing pages.

• The phasing out of third-party cookies, increased machine learning adoption and growing emphasis on sustainability are reshaping UK PPC strategies.

• Google maintains a dominant 93.51% of search market share in the UK. 

The figures illustrate why PPC auditing has become so central for businesses. The returns can be impressive, but plenty of campaigns fall short because of simple setup mistakes or not keeping up with market changes. 

This is where regular audits can help identify issues while uncovering opportunities to improve Quality Score and landing page performance, two factors that impact success.  

A quick word on Quality Score 

Quality Score is a Google metric that evaluates keyword relevance, as well as landing page experience and expected click-through rate. Higher scores mean better ad positions and lower costs per click. Regularly monitoring and improving the score through targeted optimisations can have a real positive impact on campaign performance and reduce wasted spend. 

What does a PPC audit include? 

A thorough PPC audit covers every corner of your paid advertising accounts, highlighting both hidden issues and exciting opportunities. Usually, you’ll start by checking out how your account is organised and making sure your campaign structure is set up to deliver the strongest results. 

Then comes keyword analysis, where you review which search terms are driving traffic and conversions, as well as the ones causing a dent in your budget. Often, opportunities to trim wasteful spending and redirect funds to high-performing areas crop up from keyword analysis. 

Ad copy and creative elements should also be looked at. For example:

• Are your headlines compelling?

• Do your descriptions inspire action?

• Is your messaging consistent with your landing pages?

Speaking of landing pages, they're a central part of the audit process. Even the most perfectly targeted ads will struggle to bring in traffic if they direct it to confusing or poorly optimised pages. 

The audit will also examine your bidding strategies, device performance, geographic targeting and audience segmentation. All factors that influence how effectively your budget is being spent. 

Why regular audits matter

Paid advertising platforms never stand still. Google alone tweaks its algorithms hundreds of times each year, while Meta regularly shakes up how ad targeting works. Without regular check-ins, you might miss important changes affecting your campaign performance. 

If you’ve previously set up a PPC campaign and assumed it would just keep running smoothly by itself, unfortunately, digital marketing rarely works that way. Taking a "set and forget" approach rarely works in digital marketing however. That’s because markets shift, competitors adjust their strategies and consumer behaviours all change to impact your campaign effectiveness. 

Regular audits help identify ineffective keywords that quietly put a strain on your budget, so you can quickly refocus spending on those driving better results. 

Account clutter sneaks in over time. Before you know it, you’ve accumulated a bunch of keywords, ads and audience segments that simply aren’t performing.  A thorough audit cuts away the excess, streamlining your account for improved performance. 

Perhaps most importantly, audits provide valuable learning opportunities. Each review creates a feedback loop that informs future strategy and helps your team make better decisions about campaign structure, creative approaches and budget allocation. A process of continuous improvement is invaluable for long-term success. 

Signs your campaigns need an audit 

Not sure if your PPC campaigns are due for a checkup? When your cost-per-click increases while conversion rates go up or down, something isn't working as it should. The disconnect between spending and outcomes often signals inefficiency somewhere in your campaigns. 

Unexplained performance swings 

Unexplained performance fluctuations also need attention. If your metrics suddenly shift without an obvious reason, there could be underlying issues disrupting campaign stability. Big swings in performance don’t usually happen by accident. It might be a tracking hiccup, fresh competition or even a platform update shaking things up. 

Keyword red flags 

Keyword performance can highlight issues worth auditing. Are low-quality score warnings appearing? Or are broad-match keywords triggering irrelevant clicks? Problems like these often impact your budget on traffic that won't convert. 

Gradual decline 

Marketers often experience dashboard fatigue, which can make it difficult to spot when performance slowly starts slipping. After months of looking at the same metrics, subtle negative trends can easily go unnoticed and compound into bigger issues. 

Business evolution 

After significant business changes – like launching new products, targeting different markets or redesigning your website – existing campaigns may need to be recalibrated. What worked previously might not align with your current goals. 

Optimising success 

Even successful campaigns benefit from a fresh pair of eyes. Sometimes the biggest opportunities are hidden within your best-performing ads, where small improvements could yield significant returns due to their already substantial traffic volume. 

How to conduct effective PPC audits 

Successful PPC audits require a structured approach that looks at every aspect of your campaigns. Follow these steps to get a handle on your PPC and start getting the right results.  

Set clear objectives 

Begin by defining what you want to achieve with your audit, whether that's lead generation, brand awareness or increased sales. Then identify relevant KPIs based on these goals so your entire audit process has more clarity.  

Review account structure 

For easier reporting and campaign management, structure your campaigns logically, such as by keyword theme, product line, audience or location. A well-organised account simplifies the optimisation process. 

Analyse keyword performance 

Use keyword tools to look closely at the search terms driving results and the ones impacting the budget. When reviewing your keywords, pay attention to metrics like CPC (cost-per-click), CTR (click-through rate) and CPA (cost per acquisition). Doing so helps identify which keywords deserve more budget and which should be paused. 

Evaluate ad copy and landing pages 

Assess whether your messaging is consistent and compelling. Check if your headlines send the right message, write descriptions designed to inspire action and make sure messaging is consistent with your landing page. Even perfectly targeted campaigns will struggle if they send traffic to unclear or mismatched pages. 

Check targeting settings 

Small mistakes in campaign settings can impact performance. Setting your campaign targeting is a simple activity that takes five minutes, but one small misstep can have a profound impact on your account performance. Review networks, locations, devices and schedules so they align with your goals. 

Assess you bidding strategies

Analyse your data across different dimensions – such as device, time of day, day of the week and location – to spot performance outliers. Doing this ensures your bids are efficient and your budget is directed towards top-performing segments. 

Implement and prioritise improvements 

After identifying issues, create an action plan. The ICE method is a useful framework to prioritise improvements by evaluating potential benefits alongside your confidence in their success. It also considers how easy each improvement is to implement, helping you prioritise changes likely to deliver the best results quickly. 

What’s the ICE method? 

The ICE method is a prioritisation framework that evaluates ideas based on their potential impact, your confidence they'll succeed and their ease of implementation. 

Regular audits keep your campaigns healthy and high-performing. Evaluating each component means you can continually refine your strategy while efficiently focusing budget on the best opportunities. 

Maximising the benefits of your PPC audit 

Once you've completed a thorough audit of your campaigns, the next step is translating your findings into actionable improvements.  

Focus on high-impact changes first 

First, spot the quick wins, those small changes that can deliver a big boost without too much effort. Fixing broken tracking or updating irrelevant ad copy often produces immediate improvements in performance. Look for quick wins that can generate momentum while you develop longer-term strategies for more complex issues. 

Document your baseline metrics 

Before you change anything, make sure you jot down your current metrics. That way, you can easily see what’s improved and prove the ROI. Include key metrics like conversion rate, cost per acquisition, click-through rate and overall return on ad spend. 

Implement changes methodically 

Rather than making numerous changes simultaneously, take a measured approach. Make changes bit by bit, and give each one enough time to prove its worth. Taking a methodical process helps isolate which specific optimisations are driving improvements and provides valuable insights for future campaigns. 

Create a continuous improvement cycle 

The most successful advertisers view PPC audits not as one-time events but as part of an ongoing process. Set yourself regular check-ins to monitor performance and experiment with fresh ideas. That way, your campaigns stay sharp, no matter how the market shifts. 

Share insights across channels 

A PPC audit often turns up insights you can use across other channels too, like SEO, content and even social. Performance data about high-converting keywords or compelling messaging can strengthen your SEO strategy, content marketing and overall digital approach. It creates a more cohesive marketing ecosystem. 

From audit insights to advertising excellence 

Regular PPC audits can make a huge difference to your advertising performance, spotting wasted spend and uncovering golden opportunities. It takes a bit of discipline, but the payoff in better efficiency and stronger conversions is well worth it. Make audits a regular part of your digital strategy, and you'll stay ahead of the competition, reaching your audience with exactly the right messages. 

Want to know more? Book a paid search audit. Or book a paid social audit here.  

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