--- title: "PPC Audit Scorecard | Google Ads Tool" site: "Silverback Marketing" domain: "silverbackmarketing.com" type: "Tool" description: "Score your Google Ads account across 40 checkpoints. Get an instant grade, spot wasted spend, and export a shareable audit PDF in minutes." canonical: "https://silverbackmarketing.com/ppc-audit-scorecard" markdown: "https://silverbackmarketing.com/ppc-audit-scorecard.md" --- Interactive scorecard # PPC Audit Scorecard | Google Ads Tool Score your Google Ads account across 40 checkpoints. Get an instant grade, spot wasted spend, and export a shareable audit PDF in minutes. Most account reviews start with opinions. This one starts with evidence. Walk the scorecard category by category, mark what is actually in place, and you will see where spend is leaking and where performance still has room to run. ## How it works ### Work the checklist Move through 40 checkpoints across eight areas: structure, keywords, creative, bidding, audiences, landing pages, tracking, and reporting. Only check what is truly live in the account today. Collapse each section so you can audit one layer at a time without losing focus. ### Watch the score move Every checkbox updates your score in real time. The grade shifts from F to A as coverage improves, so you know quickly whether you are looking at a healthy account or one that needs serious work. No manual math required. ### Share what you found Hit Copy Report to pull a clean text summary into your clipboard. It breaks out each category, the score, and what passed or failed. Drop it into email, Slack, or a QBR deck so everyone agrees on what to fix first. Ready to find out where your account actually stands? The audit takes about 15 minutes and gives you a scored, shareable report you can act on immediately without waiting for an agency pitch or a discovery call. Start the free audit A score only matters if it changes what you do next. These are the habits strong PPC teams use to turn an audit into better CPA, cleaner data, and fewer surprises in the ad account. ## Best practices ### Audit quarterly, skim weekly Run the full scorecard every quarter. Weekly, spot check search terms, conversion tags, and budget pacing. Small issues caught early rarely turn into five-figure waste. ### Fix the data layer first Broken tracking corrupts every decision downstream. Validate tags, GTM triggers, conversion actions, and offline imports before you touch bids or budgets. ### Cut waste before you chase growth Negative keywords, bad search terms, lazy audience exclusions, and paused losers recover budget fast. Plug leaks first, then scale what already converts. ### Save your first score as a baseline Export the first pass and date it. Re-run after cleanup work and show the delta. That before and after story is how you earn trust with clients and leadership. ### Split the work across roles Structure and bidding for the strategist. Creative and extensions for the copy lead. Tracking for analytics. One person will miss things a disciplined team catches. ### Skip what does not fit your account Not every row applies to every business. Single SKU brands may not need SKAGs. Some B2B funnels will not run landing page tests in Q1. Use the framework, not a guilt trip. Put these into practice with a real account. The PPC scorecard walks you through every checkpoint so you can apply these principles systematically instead of hoping you remembered everything. Start the free audit ## Audit checklist ### Account Structure - Campaigns organized by theme or objective - Ad groups contain 15-20 tightly themed keywords - Single keyword ad groups (SKAGs) for top performers - Separate brand and non-brand campaigns - Campaign naming convention is consistent ### Keywords - Negative keyword lists are maintained and up to date - Search terms reviewed in the last 7 days - Low-performing keywords paused or removed - Match types are intentionally chosen per ad group - Keyword-level bids align with performance goals ### Ad Copy - Each ad group has 3+ responsive search ads - Headlines include target keywords - Descriptions include a clear call to action - Ad extensions are configured (sitelinks, callouts, snippets) - Pinned headlines used with intent, not excessively ### Bidding Strategy - Bid strategy matches campaign objective - Target CPA or ROAS is set based on historical data - Portfolio bid strategies used where appropriate - Bid adjustments set for device, location, schedule - Automated bidding has sufficient conversion data (30+ per month) ### Audience Targeting - Remarketing audiences are configured - Similar/lookalike audiences are tested - Audience exclusions prevent wasted spend - In-market and affinity audiences layered for observation - Customer match lists uploaded and refreshed quarterly ### Landing Pages - Landing pages match ad messaging and intent - Page load time is under 3 seconds - Mobile experience is optimized - Clear conversion action above the fold - A/B tests running on top landing pages ### Tracking & Attribution - Conversion tracking is verified and firing correctly - Google Tag Manager is properly configured - Attribution model chosen intentionally (not last-click default) - Offline conversions imported where applicable - Cross-domain tracking configured if needed ### Reporting & Analysis - Weekly performance reviews scheduled - Custom dashboards built for key stakeholders - Month-over-month trends tracked - Automated alerts for spend anomalies - Regular competitive analysis conducted ## FAQs ### How often should I audit my PPC account? Run the full scorecard every quarter. In between, do quick weekly passes on search terms, budget pacing, and conversion tracking. If you just inherited an account, rebuilt campaign structure, or saw CPA spike without a clear reason, audit now. Waiting turns small fixes into expensive habits. ### What score should I aim for on the PPC audit? A B grade, roughly 76 to 90, usually means the account is in solid shape with clear optimization paths left. Perfect scores are rare because some items simply do not fit every business model. SKAGs, offline imports, and certain landing page tests are not always relevant. Focus on your weakest categories first. That is where the money is. ### What are the most important items in a PPC audit? Conversion tracking is non-negotiable. If the data is wrong, every bid decision is wrong. After that, search term hygiene, negative keyword discipline, and landing page message match move CPA faster than almost anything else. Structure and bidding matter, but they cannot save bad tracking or irrelevant traffic. ### Can I use this audit for Microsoft Ads or Meta Ads? Yes, with minor caveats. Structure, audiences, creative, landing pages, tracking, and reporting principles carry over. A few rows are Google specific, like GTM setup and Quality Score language. Treat those as directional and adapt the checklist to the platform you are managing. ### How do I prioritize what to fix after an audit? Start with tracking and attribution. Nothing else counts until the numbers are trustworthy. Next, stop budget bleed with negatives, exclusions, and pauses on clear losers. Then work growth levers: ad testing, landing page improvements, and bid strategy tuning. Lowest scoring categories usually map to the highest impact fixes. Ready when you are ## Build a smarter growth strategy. An audit takes 15 minutes of your time and gives you a prioritized 30‑60‑90 plan, whether or not we ever work together. [Request an audit](/contact/request-an-audit) [Book a discovery call](/contact/book-a-discovery-call) - No vendor pitch - Senior strategist call - Plan you can keep