Running a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign can be a powerful way for businesses in the Philippines to drive traffic, generate leads, and increase sales. However, over time, your PPC campaigns may need some fine-tuning to ensure they continue delivering the best results. This is where a PPC audit comes in. A PPC campaign audit helps you review, analyze, and optimize your existing campaigns to improve performance and maximize return on investment (ROI).
This guide will explain how to perform a PPC campaign audit and what to look for to ensure your business is getting the most out of your PPC advertising efforts.
1. Why Perform a PPC Campaign Audit?
A PPC campaign audit is essential for several reasons:
- Identify areas for improvement: It helps you find underperforming keywords, ads, or targeting options.
- Reduce wasted spend: By identifying what’s not working, you can stop spending money on ineffective ads or irrelevant clicks.
- Improve performance: Auditing your campaigns allows you to make data-driven decisions that improve click-through rates (CTR), conversions, and overall ROI.
For businesses in the Philippines, regularly auditing your PPC campaigns ensures that your budget is spent efficiently and that your ads are reaching the right audience.
2. Step-by-Step Guide to Performing a PPC Campaign Audit
Here are the key steps to follow when auditing your PPC campaign:
Step 1: Review Your Campaign Structure
A well-organized campaign structure is the foundation of a successful PPC campaign. Start by reviewing how your campaigns and ad groups are structured.
Questions to ask:
- Are your campaigns organized by product, service, or goal?
- Do your ad groups focus on tightly related keywords?
- Is your campaign structure easy to manage and optimize?
Best practices:
- Group similar keywords into specific ad groups for better targeting and ad relevance.
- Separate campaigns based on different products, services, or geographic locations to allow better control over your budget and bidding.
Step 2: Analyze Keyword Performance
Keywords are the backbone of your PPC campaigns. Review your keyword list to identify which keywords are performing well and which are underperforming.
What to look for:
- High-performing keywords: These are keywords with high CTRs and conversion rates. Consider increasing bids on these keywords to get more traffic.
- Low-performing keywords: Keywords with low CTRs or high costs with little return should be paused or adjusted.
- Irrelevant keywords: If certain keywords are driving irrelevant traffic, add them to your negative keyword list to prevent wasted clicks.
Best practices:
- Regularly update your negative keywords to filter out irrelevant traffic.
- Test new keyword variations or long-tail keywords that may drive more qualified traffic.
Step 3: Evaluate Ad Copy Performance
Ad copy plays a crucial role in attracting clicks and conversions. Review the performance of your ads to see which ones are driving results and which ones need improvement.
What to analyze:
- Click-through rates (CTR): Ads with low CTRs may need more engaging copy or stronger calls-to-action.
- Conversion rates: Ads that get clicks but don’t lead to conversions may need more relevant messaging or a better landing page.
- Ad relevance: Ensure your ad copy is closely aligned with the keywords and the user’s search intent.
Best practices:
- Test different versions of your ad copy (A/B testing) to see what works best.
- Use dynamic keyword insertion (DKI) to automatically insert relevant keywords into your ad copy, improving relevance.
Step 4: Check Landing Page Relevance
Even if your ads are driving clicks, a poor landing page experience can hurt your conversion rates. As part of your PPC audit, review the landing pages connected to your ads.
What to look for:
- Landing page relevance: Make sure the content of the landing page matches the message in your ad. If users click on an ad promoting a discount, the landing page should clearly highlight that discount.
- Page load speed: Slow-loading landing pages can lead to high bounce rates. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check your page speed.
- Mobile optimization: Ensure your landing pages are optimized for mobile devices, as many users in the Philippines access the internet via smartphones.
Best practices:
- Create dedicated landing pages for each ad or campaign, rather than sending users to a generic homepage.
- Include clear calls-to-action (CTAs) that guide users toward the next step, such as filling out a form or making a purchase.
Step 5: Assess Targeting Options
Targeting the right audience is critical for PPC success. Review your targeting settings to ensure you’re reaching the most relevant audience for your business.
Areas to review:
- Location targeting: Are you targeting the right geographic areas? For businesses in the Philippines, focus on specific cities, regions, or areas where your customers are located.
- Demographic targeting: If applicable, refine your targeting by age, gender, income, or other demographics to focus on your ideal customer.
- Device targeting: Consider whether your ads perform better on desktop or mobile, and adjust bids accordingly.
Best practices:
- Use location-specific campaigns for businesses targeting customers in specific areas, such as “SEO services in Cebu” or “restaurants in Manila.”
- Adjust bids based on device performance. If mobile users are converting more, increase your bids for mobile traffic.
Step 6: Analyze Bidding Strategy and Budget
Next, review your bidding strategy and budget allocation. A poorly managed budget can lead to wasted ad spend or missed opportunities.
Questions to ask:
- Are you using the right bidding strategy for your goals? (e.g., Maximize Clicks, Target CPA, Manual CPC)
- Are you getting a good return on ad spend (ROAS) for each campaign?
- Are there opportunities to reallocate the budget to higher-performing campaigns?
Best practices:
- Focus your budget on high-performing campaigns or ad groups while reducing spend on underperforming areas.
- Consider switching to an automated bidding strategy like Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) if your campaign goals are focused on conversions.
Step 7: Monitor Conversion Tracking
Accurate conversion tracking is essential for understanding the effectiveness of your PPC campaigns. Ensure your conversion tracking is properly set up and that you’re tracking the right actions (e.g., form submissions, purchases, phone calls).
What to check:
- Are all relevant conversions being tracked, such as form fills, phone calls, or purchases?
- Are there any technical issues with conversion tracking, such as broken tracking codes or incorrect settings?
Best practices:
- Set up Google Ads conversion tracking to monitor key actions on your website.
- Use Google Analytics to get deeper insights into user behavior and campaign performance.
3. Make Data-Driven Adjustments
Once you’ve completed your PPC audit, use the insights you’ve gathered to make data-driven adjustments. Focus on improving areas that are underperforming while continuing to optimize successful aspects of your campaign.
Key adjustments to consider:
- Pause or remove low-performing keywords.
- Adjust bids on high-performing keywords and devices.
- Update ad copy and test new versions to improve CTR and conversions.
- Refine targeting settings to focus on the most relevant audience.
4. How Often Should You Perform a PPC Audit?
For businesses in the Philippines, it’s a good idea to perform a PPC campaign audit every 3–6 months. Regular audits help ensure your campaigns stay optimized as market conditions, search behavior, and competition evolve. However, if you notice a sudden drop in performance, it may be time for an immediate audit.
Conclusion
Performing a PPC campaign audit is essential for ensuring that your advertising efforts are delivering the best possible results. By reviewing your campaign structure, keywords, ad copy, landing pages, targeting, bidding strategy, and conversion tracking, you can identify opportunities to improve performance, reduce waste, and increase ROI.
For businesses in the Philippines, conducting regular PPC audits helps keep your campaigns on track and ensures that you’re making the most of your advertising budget. By following this guide, you can confidently audit your PPC campaigns and make data-driven decisions that drive better results.