The Top 5 Things We See When Auditing Google Ads Campaigns

Picture this: A marketing manager at a mid-sized company just launched a fresh new Google Ads campaign. They did their research, even leaned on a few “smart tools” to help generate ad copy and find keywords. Everything looked great at launch.

Fast forward a few weeks: traffic’s up, spend is steady, but leads? Crickets.

They dig into the dashboard, click through reports, and stare at metrics that look impressive… but don’t translate into sales. Eventually, they call us at TheRiot Agency (TRA) for a quick audit and within minutes, we find the same handful of problems we see in almost every struggling Google Ads account.

If you’re running ads right now and not seeing the ROI you expected, there’s a good chance one (or more) of these issues are holding you back.

1. Conversion Tracking Is Broken (or Non-Existent)

This one’s the classic. You’d be surprised how many businesses spend thousands on ads without tracking what’s actually working.

We recently audited a large manufacturing company that had been running ads for eight months without a single conversion event firing. They were “optimizing” campaigns completely blind.

Sometimes, it’s a simple fix, like a Google Tag Manager container that was never published. Other times, it’s a complex issue involving consent mode or tag setup. Either way, if you’re not tracking conversions properly, you’re not really running ads.. you’re essentially just donating to Google.

2. Keyword Match Types Are Too Broad

We love a good broad match keyword story. One roofing company we worked with was paying $47 per click for the word “roof.” Unfortunately, that included searches like “roof of mouth surgery” and “roof rack installation.”

Thousands of dollars gone and all because the targeting was too broad. Google’s machine learning can help, but without the right parameters, it’s like leaving your car on cruise control in rush-hour traffic.

3. No Negative Keywords List

Negative keywords are your campaign’s gatekeepers. Without them, your ads show up for just about anything even loosely related to your terms.

We found one landscaping company spending 40% of their monthly budget on job seekers searching “landscaping jobs near me.” A simple negative keyword list could’ve saved them over $2,000 a month.

4. Single Ad Per Ad Group

If you’ve only got one ad per ad group, you’re missing out on free testing data. Google’s algorithm needs variation to learn what works best.

We often see accounts with one lonely ad per group  (and no testing in sight). That’s like running the same billboard forever and never trying a new message. For local service businesses, two to three responsive search ads per ad group is usually the sweet spot.

5. Ignoring the Search Terms Report

The search terms report is a goldmine and it’s one of the most ignored features in Google Ads.

We once found a plumber’s ads showing up for “free plumbing advice.” Not exactly buyer intent. Reviewing your search terms weekly (and adding negatives) is an easy way to cut wasted spend and refine your targeting over time.

Bonus: The “Set It and Forget It” Mentality

This might be the biggest issue of all. Someone sets up a campaign two years ago, it’s been “performing okay,” and they’ve barely touched it since.

But markets change. Competitors change. Costs change. Your campaigns need to evolve. Otherwise, what worked two years ago might be burning your budget today.

What Happens After We Fix It

Once we audit and clean up a Google Ads account, clients usually see immediate improvements. Not because we “trick” the algorithm, but because we remove the friction.

Here’s what happens next:

• Budgets Go Further: Every dollar starts working harder because it’s not wasted on irrelevant clicks.
• Clarity Returns: You know exactly which campaigns, ads, and keywords drive actual leads — not just traffic.
• Smarter Decisions: With clean data and conversion tracking, you can make confident, data-driven moves.
• Consistent Growth: Performance compounds over time when optimization is intentional.
• Better Alignment Across Channels: When Google Ads aligns with SEO, remarketing, and email — the growth curve gets steeper.

Beyond the Click: Why Google Ads Is Just One Piece of the Growth Puzzle

Fixing your ad campaigns is critical, but it’s just one piece of a much larger picture. Every ad, click, and conversion lives within your customer’s overall journey and brand experience.

If your ads are driving the right people but they’re landing on a page that’s outdated, unclear, or disconnected from your brand story, you’ll lose them before they ever convert.

That’s why we view paid media as part of a bigger ecosystem, one powered by our GrowthOS framework. It’s the system that ensures your marketing isn’t working in silos. Instead, it aligns your demand generation, brand experience, and customer journey into one connected growth engine.

Your Google Ads might bring the right traffic, but your landing page seals the deal.

Here’s what we always check when we’re aligning ads to on-page experience:

• Clear Headline + Subheadline: Instantly communicates the value of what you offer.
• Consistent Messaging: The words and tone from your ad should match the landing page to build trust.
• Strong, Singular CTA: One clear next step — no confusion, no distractions.
• Proof + Credibility: Reviews, stats, or case studies that back up your claims.
• Speed + Simplicity: Fast load times, mobile-friendly design, and clean UX that keeps users moving forward.

When all of these pieces (ad campaigns, landing pages, and your broader customer experience ) work together, you stop chasing clicks and start building momentum.

That’s the power of GrowthOS: creating alignment between your marketing, technology, and brand strategy so every dollar you spend supports measurable, long-term growth.

Staying Fresh and Converting: Your Maintenance Playbook

Running high-performing Google Ads isn’t about setting it up once, it’s about staying sharp.

Here are a few things every marketer should be doing regularly:

• A/B Test Your Ads: Test headlines, descriptions, and CTAs. Even small tweaks can improve click-through rates.
• Check Conversion Tracking Monthly: One update to your site can break tags. Keep testing to make sure data is clean.
• Watch for Ad Fatigue: Refresh ad copy and creative before performance starts to slide.
• Diversify Ad Types: Mix in Performance Max, remarketing, and even YouTube if your audience is active there.
• Integrate Audience Layers: Add remarketing lists, lookalikes, and CRM audiences to fine-tune targeting.

Ready to Grow Smarter with Google Ads?

If your ads are running but results aren’t showing up where they should, it’s time to take a closer look.

We help businesses get clarity, eliminate waste, and scale with precision. Whether you need a quick audit or a full growth strategy, our team will help you get from “spending” to scaling.