Google Ads Account Audit Checklist for Service Businesses (30 Points)

Why a service business needs its own audit list

Most audit lists are written for online shops: they talk about product feeds, return on ad spend and basket size. A plumber in Sharjah, a dental clinic in Riyadh or a moving company in Dubai sells differently. Success is a phone call, a WhatsApp message or a booked visit, and the real result happens after the click, inside your team. So this checklist adds two things generic lists skip: whether enquiries are counted correctly, and whether anyone answers them well.

Use it on your own account, on an account an agency manages for you, or on one you have just inherited. It takes about two to three hours the first time. Be honest when scoring; a generous score hides the very problems you are looking for.

How to run the audit

1. Open the account read-only, or ask your agency for view access. You should never need to share a password.
2. Set the date range to the last 30 days, and compare with the previous 30 days.
3. Work through the six groups in the order below. Do not skip group one.
4. Score every line 0, 1 or 2 and write a one-line note.
5. Add the totals using the scoring sheet at the end, then pick the three lowest items as your action list.

Group A: Tracking and goals (items 1-6)

If these six items fail, ignore the rest and fix them first. Automated bidding and every report you read are only as good as the conversions you record.

#	Check	How to verify	Score
1	A written goal exists (enquiries per month, target cost per enquiry)	Ask for the document; a number someone remembers does not count	0 / 1 / 2
2	Conversions are real actions: call click, WhatsApp open, form submit, booking	Open the conversion list; page views and generic clicks must not count	0 / 1 / 2
3	Each contact button has its own event	Click each button on a phone and watch the event fire	0 / 1 / 2
4	Call and WhatsApp numbers match the real phone and inbox	Make three test enquiries and find them in the logs	0 / 1 / 2
5	Platform numbers agree with your own call log and inbox within a reasonable margin	Compare two weeks of data; large gaps mean broken tracking	0 / 1 / 2
6	Duplicate or inflated conversions are removed	Check whether one enquiry is counted twice by two tags	0 / 1 / 2

For the technical side, see conversion tracking for calls and WhatsApp, and read how your marketing KPIs should relate to those events.

Group B: Structure and settings (items 7-11)

#	Check	How to verify	Score
7	Campaigns are split by service and by language, not mixed in one	Look for one campaign carrying roof repair, AC and cleaning together	0 / 1 / 2
8	Each ad group has a tight theme with matching ads	Open the keyword list; unrelated phrases signal a loose group	0 / 1 / 2
9	Location targeting matches where you really work	Check the settings and the locations report for places you do not serve	0 / 1 / 2
10	Ad schedule follows the hours you can answer	If nobody answers at night, calls at night are wasted spend	0 / 1 / 2
11	Device settings and bid adjustments are intentional	Compare mobile and desktop enquiries before changing anything	0 / 1 / 2

The reasoning behind these choices is in our account structure guide.

Group C: Keywords and search terms (items 12-17)

#	Check	How to verify	Score
12	Keywords reflect buying intent (service + place or urgency)	Read the list aloud; would a customer type this?	0 / 1 / 2
13	Match types are deliberate	Broad keywords in a small account need strong negatives and strong tracking	0 / 1 / 2
14	Search terms are reviewed weekly	Ask for the change log; see our search terms report guide	0 / 1 / 2
15	Shared negative lists exist (jobs, DIY, free, competitors)	Open the negative keyword lists and the campaigns they are attached to	0 / 1 / 2
16	Arabic and English variants are both covered	Check search terms in both scripts; a negative in one language does not block the other	0 / 1 / 2
17	No duplicate keywords compete in different campaigns	Search the list for the same phrase twice	0 / 1 / 2

For negatives specifically, see negative keywords, and for language choices Arabic vs English Google Ads.

Group D: Ads and assets (items 18-21)

#	Check	How to verify	Score
18	Each ad group has at least one clear, specific ad	Headlines should name the service, place and a reason to call	0 / 1 / 2
19	Ads match the landing page promise	Click an ad; does the page repeat the same service and offer?	0 / 1 / 2
20	Claims are true and can be proven	Remove any promise you cannot honour or document	0 / 1 / 2
21	Call, location and other assets are set up properly	Check that the phone number and business details are correct and consistent	0 / 1 / 2

Relevance also feeds into Quality Score, which affects what you pay.

Group E: Landing page and follow-up (items 22-26)

#	Check	How to verify	Score
22	The page loads fast on a normal mobile connection	Open it on a phone away from office Wi-Fi	0 / 1 / 2
23	The first screen states the service, area and one action	See our landing page copywriting checklist	0 / 1 / 2
24	Call and WhatsApp buttons work on every device	Tap them on iPhone and Android	0 / 1 / 2
25	Enquiries are answered quickly and consistently	Send a test message and time the reply; see WhatsApp follow-up system	0 / 1 / 2
26	Leads are recorded with source and outcome	A spreadsheet or CRM exists; our lead tracking spreadsheet guide shows a layout	0 / 1 / 2

Group F: Budget and bidding (items 27-30)

#	Check	How to verify	Score
27	Budget is concentrated on services that make money	Compare spend share with revenue or margin share by service	0 / 1 / 2
28	Bid strategy matches data volume	Automated bidding needs enough recorded conversions; otherwise keep control manual	0 / 1 / 2
29	No campaign is limited by budget while a poor one spends freely	Check budget status per campaign	0 / 1 / 2
30	Cost per qualified enquiry is known and trending	Use the cost per lead calculator logic	0 / 1 / 2

Scoring sheet and what the total means

Group	Items	Max	Your score
A. Tracking and goals	1-6	12
B. Structure and settings	7-11	10
C. Keywords and search terms	12-17	12
D. Ads and assets	18-21	8
E. Landing page and follow-up	22-26	10
F. Budget and bidding	27-30	8
Total	30 items	60

Total	Reading	First move
0-24	Rescue	Pause expansion; repair tracking and block obvious waste
25-39	Leaking	Fix group A and C, then the landing page
40-52	Healthy	Improve ads, pages and follow-up speed
53-60	Strong	Test new services and scale carefully

These bands are our rule of thumb, not a Google rating, and a 2 on tracking is worth more than a 2 on ad assets. If group A scores under 8, treat the account as rescue regardless of the total.

A hypothetical scoring example

Imagine an AC maintenance company scoring itself: group A 5 of 12 (WhatsApp clicks are not counted), B 7, C 6, D 6, E 4, F 4. The total is 32, in the leaking band, and tracking is below 8. The action list therefore starts with counting WhatsApp opens and calls, then adding shared negatives, then rewriting the first screen of the page. Budget is left unchanged until two weeks of clean data exist. These numbers are invented for illustration.

After the audit: turning scores into a 30-day plan

• Week 1: fix every group A item you scored 0 or 1.
• Week 2: add negatives, split mixed campaigns and correct location and schedule settings.
• Week 3: rewrite ads and the first screen of the landing page to match each other.
• Week 4: re-audit only the items you changed and compare with your lead log.

Report the movement monthly; our monthly report outline works well for that.

How we work at ZED

The structure of this list mirrors how we describe our own work. On the conversion tracking page we say we agree a short list of conversions first, set up GA4 and Google Tag Manager so every call, WhatsApp and form button has an event, send those events to Google Ads, and compare platform numbers with real call logs and message inboxes before freezing the setup. Our Google Ads service and website service cover the groups that follow. See our case studies for how we present work. We publish no price list; send your account details on WhatsApp and we reply with an initial plan.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I audit a Google Ads account?

A light check of tracking and search terms every week, a full 30-point review every quarter, and an extra audit after any big change such as a new website, a new service, a change of agency or a sudden drop in enquiries. Inherited accounts should be audited before you change anything.

What should I check first in a Google Ads audit?

Check tracking first. If calls, WhatsApp clicks and forms are not counted correctly, cost per enquiry, bidding and reports are all unreliable. Make a few test enquiries, find them in the account, and compare two weeks of platform data against your own call log and inbox.

Can I audit the account without giving my password?

Yes. Ask for read-only or standard access to be granted to an email address, or share screenshots and exports of the key reports. Nobody who audits your account needs your password, and you should never share it.

What is a good score on this checklist?

The bands are our own rule of thumb, not an official rating. Under 25 out of 60 means rescue, 25 to 39 means leaking, 40 to 52 means healthy and 53 or more means strong. A low tracking score overrides a good total, because the numbers you read are unreliable.

Is it a problem if my agency also runs the audit?

It is not a problem if the agency shows its evidence and gives you access, but an independent second look is useful once a year. Ask for the change log, the conversion list and the lead outcomes. A good audit lists what to fix, why, and how you will know it worked.

Do I need a CRM, or is a spreadsheet enough?

For most small service businesses a spreadsheet is enough at the start, provided every enquiry has a source, a status and an outcome. What matters is that someone updates it daily. You can move to a CRM later when volume or team size grows.

How long until an audit shows results?

Tracking and wasted-spend fixes can change reports within days, but judging enquiry quality needs a few weeks of clean data because customers may call back later. Treat the first 30 days as a repair period and avoid promises that depend on a specific timeline.