An advertising account audit is a systematic review of settings and performance aimed at finding places where budget is being wasted. It examines the accuracy of measured conversions, the structure of campaigns and ad groups, match types and negative keywords, a review of actual search terms, landing pages and their match with the ad, targeting and placement settings, geographic and time restrictions, and creative quality. The most common findings recur: incorrect or double-counted conversions, missing exclusions, campaigns directed at the homepage, and budget consumed on branded queries that would bring traffic even without advertising. The audit should end with a list of steps ranked by impact, not a presentation of performance charts. It is worth going through the account at least once a year or after every major change to the website.
See also: Ad account structure, Negative keywords, Incrementality.
