For businesses in the Philippines using Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, regular audits are essential to keep campaigns effective and budgets under control. A PPC audit helps you review your campaign’s performance, identify areas for improvement, and make adjustments that maximize your return on investment (ROI). By following a systematic approach to auditing, you can refine your strategy, attract more qualified leads, and ensure every peso you spend works towards your business goals.
This guide covers the steps to perform a PPC campaign audit, including checking keywords, ads, targeting, and budget. Whether you’re running campaigns on Google Ads or social media, these tips will help you make informed decisions for better results.
Why a PPC Campaign Audit is Important
Regular PPC audits help you understand what’s working and what isn’t. Over time, trends, audience behavior, and competition can change, making it essential to adjust your campaign. A PPC audit helps you:
- Maximize ROI: Identify high-performing elements and remove underperforming ones to get the best results from your budget.
- Improve Relevance: Ensure your ads, keywords, and targeting are aligned with your business goals and audience.
- Control Costs: Spot areas where you may be overspending and adjust bids or budgets accordingly.
- Boost Conversion Rates: Make changes that increase the likelihood of clicks turning into leads or sales.
Steps to Perform a PPC Campaign Audit
Here’s a step-by-step guide to auditing your PPC campaign effectively.
1. Define Your Audit Goals
Start by setting clear goals for your audit. Decide what you want to achieve, such as increasing conversions, lowering costs, or improving ad relevance. Knowing your goals helps you focus on the most critical areas during the audit.
Example Audit Goals:
- Increase CTR: Find ways to make ads more engaging to increase click-through rates.
- Reduce CPC: Identify high-cost keywords and reduce unnecessary spending.
- Improve Conversion Rate: Ensure ads and landing pages align well to turn more clicks into conversions.
2. Review Campaign Structure
The structure of your PPC campaign affects performance and organization. Ensure your campaigns are organized by goals, products, services, or locations.
Key Questions to Ask:
- Are campaigns divided by goals (e.g., brand awareness, lead generation)?
- Are ad groups focused on specific themes or products?
- Do keywords, ads, and landing pages align within each ad group?
A well-organized campaign structure makes it easier to monitor performance and make adjustments where needed. For example, a travel agency could separate campaigns by destination, such as “Travel to Boracay” and “Travel to Palawan.”
3. Analyze Keyword Performance
Keywords are the foundation of your PPC campaign. Reviewing keyword performance helps you identify which terms drive valuable traffic and which ones are costly without results.
Steps to Audit Keywords:
- Identify High-Cost, Low-Performance Keywords: Remove or reduce bids on keywords that drive few conversions or have high costs.
- Check Keyword Relevance: Ensure keywords match the intent of your target audience. For example, a plumbing business in Cebu should focus on local, service-related keywords like “emergency plumber Cebu.”
- Add Negative Keywords: Negative keywords prevent your ads from appearing in irrelevant searches. For example, if you don’t sell “plumbing jobs,” add “jobs” as a negative keyword to avoid unnecessary clicks.
4. Evaluate Ad Copy and Messaging
Ad copy plays a crucial role in attracting clicks. Review each ad to ensure it’s clear, relevant, and engaging.
Questions to Consider:
- Does each ad clearly highlight the product or service?
- Are you using strong calls-to-action (CTAs) like “Contact Us Today” or “Get a Free Quote”?
- Are there spelling or grammar errors that could affect credibility?
Testing different headlines, descriptions, and CTAs in an A/B test can reveal which messaging performs best. For example, test “Affordable Home Repair in Manila” against “Quick and Reliable Home Repairs” to see which attracts more clicks.
5. Examine Ad Extensions Usage
Ad extensions provide additional information, such as phone numbers, locations, and links to specific pages. Check if you’re using ad extensions effectively to improve your ad’s appeal and CTR.
Types of Extensions to Use:
- Sitelink Extensions: Link to popular pages like “Services,” “About Us,” or “Contact.”
- Call Extensions: Show a phone number for easy contact, useful for service businesses.
- Location Extensions: Display your address to help local customers find you.
Make sure each extension is relevant and updated. For instance, if you’re running a promotion, use a promotion extension to highlight the offer.
6. Assess Audience and Location Targeting
Effective targeting ensures your ads reach the right people. Review audience settings and adjust them to align with your target market.
Questions to Review Targeting:
- Are you reaching your ideal audience? For example, if you’re a local restaurant in Cebu, are your ads targeting users in Cebu and nearby areas?
- Are you using demographic targeting? Adjust targeting based on age, gender, or interests if your product is suited to specific groups.
- Is location targeting relevant? For businesses with physical locations, focus ads on nearby areas to attract local customers.
Adjusting your targeting to exclude irrelevant locations or demographics can help you save budget and increase ad relevance.
7. Check Bid Strategy and Budget Allocation
Your bid strategy and budget allocation play a significant role in how your ads perform and how much you spend.
Bid Strategy Tips:
- Review Bid Types: Are you using a strategy that aligns with your goals, like “Maximize Conversions” for sales or “Maximize Clicks” for website traffic?
- Adjust Bids for High-Performing Keywords: Increase bids on keywords that drive conversions or reduce bids on low-performing ones.
- Set Realistic Budgets: If you’re overspending, adjust daily budgets to keep costs under control. Set separate budgets for high-priority campaigns.
Ensuring your budget and bids match your goals helps avoid overspending and maximizes ROI.
8. Audit Landing Pages
Landing pages are where users go after clicking on your ad. A good landing page matches the ad message and makes it easy for users to take action.
Landing Page Audit Tips:
- Match Landing Page to Ad: Ensure the landing page content aligns with the ad. If your ad promotes “50% off on Gym Memberships,” the landing page should clearly display this offer.
- Optimize for Mobile: Many users in the Philippines access the internet on mobile. Make sure your landing page is mobile-friendly.
- Add Clear CTA: Have a clear call-to-action like “Sign Up” or “Contact Us” that directs users on what to do next.
Improving your landing page can increase conversions, as users are more likely to take action when the page is relevant and easy to navigate.
9. Track Conversions and Measure ROI
Conversion tracking is essential for understanding which ads drive results. If you’re not already tracking conversions, set up conversion tracking in Google Ads or link to Google Analytics to track valuable actions like purchases, sign-ups, or calls.
Conversion Tracking Steps:
- Define Conversions: Decide which actions count as conversions, such as form submissions or online sales.
- Check Conversion Rate: High conversion rates show that your campaign is effective, while low rates may indicate a need for adjustments.
- Calculate ROI: Measure return on investment by comparing the revenue generated from conversions against the cost of the ads.
Conversion tracking helps you see if your campaign is achieving its goals and if adjustments are needed to improve performance.
Final Steps: Making Adjustments After the Audit
After completing your PPC audit, make the necessary adjustments based on your findings. Here are some common actions to consider:
- Pause Underperforming Ads: If certain ads or keywords aren’t delivering results, consider pausing or adjusting them.
- Increase Budget for High-Performing Campaigns: Allocate more budget to campaigns or keywords that show strong performance.
- Test New Variations: Use A/B testing for ads or landing pages to find the best-performing versions.
- Refine Targeting: Adjust audience and location targeting to reach the most relevant users.
Regularly repeating the audit process, such as every quarter, helps keep your PPC campaigns in top shape, adapting to changes in trends, audience behavior, and your business goals.
Conclusion: Get the Most Out of Your PPC Campaign with Regular Audits
A PPC audit is essential for ensuring that your campaigns remain effective and aligned with your business goals. By checking everything from keywords and ad copy to budget allocation and targeting, Philippine businesses can improve ROI, control costs, and increase conversions.
Regular PPC audits help you optimize your ad spend and ensure that every click counts, making your campaign more profitable and helping your business grow in a competitive market.