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Google Ads Checklist

27 signals to know whether your account has solid foundations.

5 minutes · 5 dimensions · action plan in your inbox

0/27 signals checked

1. Campaign structure

The foundation of everything. If the structure isn't clean, nothing else makes sense.

Consistent naming convention (channel_objective_segment_date)

So every campaign, ad group and ad is identifiable at a glance. Without it, your GA4 filters or reports are blind.

SKAGs removed or consolidated into STAGs / semantic clusters

Rigid SKAGs tend to become obsolete with Smart Bidding (exact and phrase already catch close variants). Cluster by intent + broad with negatives, except for occasional creative-control or compliance cases.

Shared negative keyword lists (account-level + per-campaign)

Branded terms on Search, competitor terms, low-intent informational. Without them you pay for clicks that never convert.

Documented location overrides (no blind bid adjustments)

If you exclude weak geos, base it on data. Every exclusion should be traceable in the account's shared doc.

Ad scheduling only if the data clearly supports a cold time slot

Don't impose schedules without 6 weeks of data. Smart Bidding does this better than you if you give it room to operate.

Device modifiers removed (let Smart Bidding adjust)

Exception: if you have a broken mobile conversion path (the form doesn't work). In that case fix the site, don't adjust the bid.

2. Audiences

Lists are your only real defence against runaway broad match.

RLSA active on every Search campaign

Observation at minimum. Without it, you won't know if you're paying more to reach the same user repeatedly.

Customer Match uploaded (CRM segmented by LTV or cohorts)

If you don't have a CRM connected, you start at a disadvantage. If you do, segment it before uploading.

Optimized targeting with first-party data (similar segments sunset in 2023)

Google sunset similar segments in 2023. The replacement isn't one-size-fits-all: optimised targeting with first-party data as a signal; Demand Gen still has Lookalike (suggestion mode).

In-market segments reviewed for relevance (not all on by default)

Google turns on many segments by default. Check which ones actually fit your buyer persona.

Documented demographic exclusions (no blind exclusions)

Every age/gender exclusion should be backed by data. If not, leave it on observation.

3. Bidding

If the strategy doesn't match your conversion volume, nothing you tweak afterwards makes sense.

Smart Bidding strategy aligned with volume and goal

tCPA can start with no history, but with few signals the data is noisy: ~30 conv/30 days gives a reliable evaluation. Calibrate the target on margin data, not on wishful thinking.

tCPA or tROAS calibrated on real margin evidence (not a wishful target)

The target should come from allowable CAC × contribution margin, not from what you'd like.

Conversion actions without overlap (1 primary action per business goal)

If you have 5 conversion actions all set to "primary", Smart Bidding gets confused. One primary, the rest secondary.

Portfolio bid strategies only if they share ICP and conversion type

Grouping different campaigns under the same portfolio dilutes the signal. Each portfolio must be coherent.

Device/time bid adjustments removed (let Smart Bidding handle it)

Exception: Manual CPC campaigns (less and less justified). On the rest, adjustments interfere.

4. Tracking and measurement

Without solid tracking, any bidding decision is blind. Most accounts that reach me have this section full of gaps.

GA4 conversion events configured and mapped to Ads

Every relevant conversion marked as a conversion event in GA4 + imported into Ads. Don't rely on Ads' direct conversion tag.

Server-side tracking implemented (GA4 + Ads via sGTM or equivalent)

Since iOS/Safari 17 (Link Tracking Protection and more defences) client-side loses signal; measure the real impact per channel. Server-side can recover part of the signal and improve data control if implemented with consent and correct policies.

Enhanced Conversions active (for Search + YouTube)

Send hashed first-party data (SHA-256) to improve matching. The real impact shows in each account's impact card; it isn't a fixed percentage.

Offline Conversion Import if the sales cycle goes through a CRM (B2B)

Essential for B2B. Without OCI, Ads optimises for leads, not for signed clients.

Attribution model documented and stable (no ad-hoc changes)

Data-driven is the sensible default in 2026. If you change it, document it with date and reason.

Cross-domain tracking active if you have checkout or a landing on a different domain

Without it, GA4 creates new IDs on each domain and splits sessions; you lose attribution for journeys that cross domains (impact depends on how much of the funnel crosses).

5. Reporting

If the report doesn't help you decide what to do this week, it's decoration. Full stop.

Dashboard segmented by campaign / business goal (not Looker's default template)

Looker with the default template tells you nothing. Custom-build it with the 3-5 metrics that move the business.

ROAS and CPA reported per campaign, not just per account

The account level hides bleeding campaigns. Campaign-level granularity is the minimum.

Search terms cleanup cadence defined (weekly or fortnightly)

You need to add negatives early. Waiting a month is burning money. With broad match, even more so.

Geo + device breakdown reviewed at least monthly

You spot regional or device underperformance patterns Smart Bidding doesn't catch. If you exclude, base it on data.

Anomaly alerts (spend, CPA, CTR drops) configured

If CTR drops 30% in a day, you want to know that morning. Without alerts, you find out weeks later.

Get your personalised summary

I'll email you the recap of what you checked + 3 concrete actions for the sections with the most gaps.