Common findings and fixes
| Finding | Why it costs money | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong conversions | Bidding chases page views, not leads | Track calls, forms and bookings only |
| Loose match types | Ads match searches you cannot serve | Tighten keywords and add negatives |
| No search term review | Junk searches repeat every week | Review terms weekly in new accounts |
| Presence or interest | Clicks arrive from outside your area | Switch to presence for local services |
| Homepage landing | Visitors hunt for the service they wanted | Send each ad group to its own page |
| Display on search | Budget leaks into low-intent sites | Turn off the Display Network in Search |
Problems outside the account
Audits also find issues the ad account cannot show. Calls go to voicemail during open hours. Forms send leads to an inbox nobody checks. Landing pages load slowly on phones. These problems waste the clicks you already paid for.
Who owns the account
An audit sometimes finds that the agency, not the business, owns the ad account. Google's access levels let an admin control users, billing and linked accounts. Make sure your business holds admin access, whoever runs the ads.
Good example. An audit shows a third of spend went to job seekers and DIY searches. Negatives and tighter match types fix it in a week.
Bad example. An owner raises the budget to get more leads without an audit. The same waste grows with it.
Read what a PPC audit is. Our PPC management fixes these problems first.