When it comes to paid advertising, performance is everything. Even well-built  paid search campaigns (often called pay-per-click or PPC) can underdeliver if they’re not regularly reviewed. That’s where a PPC audit comes in – a systematic review that ensures your campaigns are aligned with your business goals to drive good ROI and not waste ad spend. 

At Arc Intermedia, we perform PPC audits for clients across industries, and here’s how we recommend you do it:

Define Campaign Goals

Before diving into data, clarify what success looks like for your business. Are you optimizing for lead generation, e-commerce sales, brand awareness, or something else? Your audit should be tailored to clear KPIs.

Review Account Structure

A clean, well-organized account makes everything easier. Make sure your campaigns are segmented by product, service, location, or funnel stage. Ad groups should be tightly themed, and naming conventions consistent.

Check Conversion Tracking

If conversions aren’t being tracked properly, the rest of the analysis falls apart. Double-check that Google Ads and Analytics (or any third-party tools) are correctly tracking form fills, purchases, calls, or other key events.

Analyze Keyword Performance

Look at which keywords are spending the most and which are driving results. Identify underperforming keywords with high spend and low conversions and consider pausing or refining them. Also check for missing negative keywords that could causing irrelevant traffic and poorly qualified conversions.

Audit Ad Copy

High-performing ad copy should align with the keywords, include strong CTAs, and speak directly to your audience. Compare performance across ads and test new variations based on data – not guesswork.

Evaluate Landing Pages

Your ads might be great, but if your landing pages are slow, unclear, or not optimized for mobile, you’ll lose conversions. Make sure each landing page is relevant  to the ads and optimized for user experience and conversions.

Review Bidding Strategies & Budget Allocation

Are your campaigns using manual or automated bidding? Are you overspending on low-converting campaigns? Analyze your spend distribution to ensure you’re prioritizing high-ROI campaigns and adjusting bids based on performance.

Leverage Audience & Demographic Data

 It’s important to refine your reach with demographic targeting and audience segments. Enhance your search campaigns by layering demographic targeting and audience segments. This strategy allows you to reach users who are not only more likely to convert but also more aligned with your product or service. When done right, it helps you find that ideal balance – reaching high-intent audiences who are both capable of and ready to purchase, without over spending to connect with them.

Start Getting More from Your Ad Spend

A proper audit can uncover unhidden inefficiencies and highlight major opportunities. If you don’t have the time or expertise to do it yourself – ask us!. At Arc Intermedia, we specialize in driving measurable growth through smarter, data-driven paid campaigns.

Let us audit your PPC campaigns. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and start optimizing your ad spend.