Four quick tips on how to audit your account.
Google Ads is a powerful tool with a wide variety of useful features, but like any other advertising platform, setting up and managing Google Ads campaigns can be tricky. There are so many settings and options that it’s easy for advertisers to waste money.
This article covers some quick tips on how to audit your Google Ads account and optimise your campaign settings to make sure it’s as cost-effective as possible.
#1. Check your search terms report
The search terms report is the first thing I check when auditing a Google Ad account. This report provides insight into the searches that trigger your ads and how those searches are performing. It’s especially important to peruse search terms regularly when you’re targeting phrase match or broad match keywords. This ensures your ads are only showing for relevant searches.
- Sign into your Google Ads account.
- Click All Campaigns in the navigation pane on the left, then click Keywords in the page menu.
- Click Search Terms from the list under the “Keywords” menu.
- Sort by cost.
- Identify unrelated keywords or high cost-per-conversion queries.
Once you’ve identified money wasters add them as negative keywords to your campaign or ad group. Depending on your budget and keyword match types, I recommend a weekly or bi-weekly check-in.
#2. Check location targeting
Google’s default location targeting option is set to reach people who are in your target location or have shown interest in your target location. While this targeting option might make sense for some businesses, for many it doesn’t and is sure to be a money waster.
For example, if you own a restaurant on the Gold Coast and choose the Gold Coast as a targeted location, your ads can show to people located or regularly on the Gold Coast, or to people who have expressed interest in Gold Coast restaurants (now or in the past) but aren’t actually in that location.
If you have a limited budget and your target audience is located in a specific area make sure you switch the default setting to: Reach people in or regularly in your targeted locations (Presence), otherwise, you’re sure to be wasting money on users outside of your target market.
- Sign into your Google Ads account.
- Click All Campaigns in the navigation pane on the left, then select the campaign you need to adjust.
- Click Settings from the list on the left, then select Locations > Location Options.
- Target: People in or regularly in your targeted locations.
#3. Check your ad schedule (time/day)
By default, campaigns are set to show ads whenever someone searches for the keywords you’re targeting (all day every day). But maybe your business operates on certain days only? If that’s the case make sure you check your ad schedule report as you may be wasting ad spend outside of your operating hours.
Google gives you the option to adjust the ad schedule and specify the hours/days of the week when to show your ads. You can also set bid adjustments to increase or decrease your bids for specific days and times.
- Sign into your Google Ads account.
- Click All Campaigns in the navigation pane on the left, then select the campaign you need to adjust.
- Click Ad Schedule from the list on the left, then select ad schedule.
- Click on the pencil icon to select the days and hours you want your ads to show.
#4. Check the Google Display placement report
Ever wondered what websites your Google Display Ads actually show up on? The placement report (a.k.a where ads showed report) gives you a detailed overview of websites that show your ads, as well as how they are performing. If you dont add additional targeting criteria to your display campaigns, it can often be shocking to see how much money is being wasted on spammy sites, apps or children’s YouTube shows.
- Sign into your Google Ads account.
- Click All Campaigns in the navigation pane on the left, then select the display campaign you need to audit.
- Click Content from the list on the left, then select Where Ads Showed.
- Sort by cost.
- Identify spammy/unrelated placements and exclude them.
You also have the option to exclude placements by category to ensure your ads aren’t showing, for example, on any mobile apps at all.
- Sign into your Google Ads account.
- Click All Campaigns in the navigation pane on the left, then select the display campaign you need to audit.
- Click Content from the list on the left, then select exclusions > placement exclusions.
- Click on the pencil icon and select the app categories or enter websites and youtube channels directly.
Conclusion
And there you have it, my four tips on how to avoide wasting money on your Google Ads campaigns.
If you want a second set of eyes to review your account or if you’re going to completely outsource campaign optimisation, get in touch with me!
