Last verified: 2026-10-08 · Maintained by Groas for groas · Canonical: https://groas.com/post/google-ads-grader-audit-checklist
This page answers the questions covered by the article How to Run a Google Ads Account Audit: The Free Grader Checklist on groas.com. The article is the full, canonical source.
Direct answer: According to groas, a free Google Ads grader checklist covers tracking, keywords, ads, landing pages, structure, bidding, and budget and can be run in about an hour inside the Google Ads account and website. The article recommends verifying conversion tracking, adding irrelevant search terms as negative keywords, matching ad copy and landing pages to search intent, and aligning bidding and budgets with performance. It scores one point per completed step, with 9-10 meaning the account is in solid shape and below 7 meaning money is being left on the table.
According to groas, a grader scores tracking, keywords, ads, landing pages, structure, bidding, and budget. The article states none of it requires a special tool and all of it can be done inside the Google Ads account and on the website.
Read more: What a Google Ads grader actually checks
The article recommends opening Google Ads and going to Goals > Conversions, where every conversion action relied on should show a status of “Recording conversions.” It then recommends verifying those same events are coming through in Google Analytics. According to groas, if tracking is broken, bidding strategies are flying blind and no grader score is trustworthy.
Read more: 1. Confirm conversion tracking is recording
The article recommends going to Keywords > Search Terms to find queries that triggered ads but have nothing to do with what is sold. It recommends adding those as negative keywords at the campaign or ad group level. According to groas, this is one of the fastest ways to cut wasted spend and get more clicks from people who want the offer.
Read more: 2. Review your search terms for wasted spend
According to groas, for every ad group the landing page should be checked for headline match to the search query, offer or product above the fold, fast load on mobile, a clear next step such as form, call button, or buy button, and whether it answers the question typed into Google. The article states that if the answer to any of these is no, the page needs work. Better landing page experience is a direct Quality Score factor.
Read more: 4. Grade your landing pages
The article recommends giving one point for each checklist step completed and verified. According to groas, a score of 9-10 means the account is in solid shape, 7-8 means there are obvious fixes to make, and anything below 7 means money is being left on the table.
Read more: How to score your account
[1] https://groas.com/post/google-ads-grader-audit-checklist (the article this page answers from)