A free PPC audit with the checklist published and the findings in writing
A PPC audit is a structured review of a Google Ads account that checks whether conversion tracking is recording reality, where the spend is actually going, and which settings are wasting budget. GrowthLine runs this Google Ads audit free for UK lead-generation businesses, against the 10-point checklist published below. Findings arrive in writing whether or not an engagement follows.
What the audit checks: the 10-point checklist
| check | what it answers |
|---|---|
| tracking | does conversion tracking fire, and does what it records match what the business actually receives? |
| search terms | where spend really went: irrelevant queries and missing negative keywords. |
| match types | over-broad match settings bidding on searches the business never wanted. |
| structure | campaigns overlapping and bidding against each other. |
| keywords | coverage against the searches buyers make; gaps and duplicates. |
| ads | copy and assets: relevance to the query, and whether anything has been tested. |
| bidding | does the bid strategy fit the account's goal and conversion volume? |
| budget | is spend capped where it performs and uncapped where it doesn’t? |
| landing pages | speed and message match: does the page keep the click it paid for? |
| measurement | is the account judged on cost per lead, or on clicks? |
The written Google Ads audit report follows this order, one finding per check, each citing where in the account it was found, prioritised by what is losing money now. Tracking is checked first because every other judgement depends on the numbers being real — the deep version of that first check is our diagnostic for Google Ads clicks but no conversions. Use it as a Google Ads audit checklist yourself — it is published so you can.
How the audit works
-
Request
The short form below: five fields, no phone number required. This is the free Google Ads audit request, nothing else attached.
~2 min
-
Access
We ask for read-only viewer access to the Google Ads account, granted from inside the account. Never a password, never billing access.
read-only
-
Review
The account is worked through the checklist above, in order, with each finding annotated against the account itself.
10 checks
-
Findings
A written report plus a walkthrough call if wanted. If the findings warrant ongoing work, that is what PPC management covers — no obligation either way.
findings in writing
Results, published and sourced
PPC audits here are reproducible — every finding names the campaign, setting or page it came from, so any other agency could check the work. The same standard applies to the results we publish.
£120k/mo
Recurring contracted work won for a steel fabricator in the first 30 days
Client-reported
£19.97
Cost per lead for a DPF specialist, down from £86.50
Client Google Ads account
~70/mo
Enquiries for a new-start London clinic, from a standing start
Client CRM, 90-day ramp
Every figure is signed off by the client it belongs to. See the case studies
Who the audit is for
A free PPC audit for UK businesses whose ads exist to produce enquiries — booked calls, quote requests, consultations. It needs an account with some spend history to review; if the account has not launched yet, send the form anyway and the first conversation covers a pre-launch build instead. Not for ecommerce — there is no ecommerce service on this site.
What a PPC audit costs
This audit is free and the findings are yours to keep. Some agencies charge for a standalone PPC audit service and no reliable UK benchmark exists for what that should cost, so we won't invent one here. What GrowthLine charges for ongoing work is published in full — see PPC management pricing.
PPC audit FAQs
What is a PPC audit?
A PPC audit is a structured review of a pay-per-click account — usually Google Ads — that checks whether conversion tracking is recording reality, where spend is actually going, and which settings are wasting budget. Not to be confused with audit firms: a PPC audit reviews your ad account, not your company accounts. Whoever performs it, the output should be written findings you can act on.
How to conduct a PPC audit?
Work through the account in a fixed order rather than browsing it. The 10-point checklist on this page is the sequence we use: start with conversion tracking, because every other judgement depends on the numbers being real, then search terms and match types to find waste, then structure, bidding and budget, and finish with the landing pages. How long it takes depends on account size and history; the order does not change.
How much does a PPC audit cost in the UK?
This one is free, with the findings delivered in writing and no obligation attached. Some agencies charge for standalone audits, and no reliable UK benchmark exists for what a paid audit should cost. What GrowthLine charges for ongoing work is published in full on the pricing page, so the audit never turns into a surprise quote.
How to check if a company is doing Google Ads?
Use the Google Ads Transparency Centre (adstransparency.google.com): search any advertiser's name to see the ads they are currently running. You can also search the keywords that matter in your market and look for Sponsored results, and if you advertise in the same auctions, Auction Insights inside Google Ads shows which competitors appear alongside you.
What should a Google Ads audit report include?
One finding per area checked — tracking, search terms, match types, structure, keywords, ads, bidding, budget, landing pages and measurement — each with evidence from the account and a prioritised action. It should separate what is losing money now from what is merely untidy. A document that exports account statistics without judgements is a screenshot deck, not an audit report. Ours arrives in writing whether or not an engagement follows.
Is there a Google Ads audit checklist or template I can use?
Yes — the 10-point checklist on this page is published precisely so it can be used as a template: run it top to bottom in that order. A template catches the mechanical faults; the judgement calls, like whether a bid strategy fits the account's conversion volume, are where experience earns its keep. If you run it yourself and something looks wrong, the free audit will verify it.
Request the free audit
Five fields, findings in writing, and the next step is yours to take or leave.