PPC Services

How to Perform a PPC Campaign Audit: A Guide for PPC Philippines Campaigns

—

by

Mark Angelo Cinco
in

Running PPC campaigns can help businesses in the Philippines attract more customers and grow quickly. However, even well-planned campaigns need regular reviews to stay effective. A PPC campaign audit helps you check if your ads, keywords, and budget are working efficiently. It ensures that your campaign delivers the best possible results and maximizes your return on investment (ROI). This guide explains how to conduct a step-by-step PPC audit to improve your campaign performance.

What is a PPC Campaign Audit?

A PPC campaign audit is a detailed review of your Google Ads or other PPC platforms to identify areas that need improvement. The audit checks:

  • Which keywords and ads are driving results.
  • Whether your budget is spent wisely.
  • If there are opportunities to increase conversions.

Performing regular audits ensures your campaign stays optimized, reduces wasted ad spend, and helps you reach your marketing goals.

Why PPC Campaign Audits are Important for Businesses in the Philippines

For businesses in the Philippines, a PPC campaign audit offers several benefits:

  • Identify areas of improvement to maximize performance.
  • Reduce costs by eliminating poor-performing keywords or ads.
  • Optimize targeting to reach the right audience.
  • Increase conversions by improving ad copy and landing pages.
  • Stay competitive in a growing digital market.

How to Perform a PPC Campaign Audit

Follow these steps to conduct an effective PPC campaign audit and improve your ad performance.

1. Review Campaign Goals and Performance Metrics

Start by reviewing your campaign’s original goals. Ask yourself:

  • Are the campaigns focused on sales, leads, or brand awareness?
  • Are the current metrics aligned with your goals?

Key metrics to analyze include:

  • CTR (Click-Through Rate): Are people clicking your ads?
  • Conversion Rate: Are clicks turning into leads or sales?
  • Cost-Per-Click (CPC): Are you paying too much per click?
  • Impressions: Are your ads reaching enough people?

Make sure your performance metrics align with the campaign’s objectives. If not, it may be time to adjust your strategy.

2. Analyze Keyword Performance

Next, review your keywords to see which ones are driving traffic and conversions.

  • High-Performing Keywords: Keep using them and consider raising your bids.
  • Low-Performing Keywords: Consider pausing or replacing them.
  • Broad vs. Phrase Match: Make sure your keyword match types are aligned with your campaign goals.
  • Add Negative Keywords: Use negative keywords to block irrelevant searches. For example, if you sell premium products, add “cheap” as a negative keyword.

3. Evaluate Ad Copy and CTAs

Check your ad copy and calls-to-action (CTAs) to ensure they are relevant and engaging.

  • Is your headline clear and attention-grabbing?
  • Do your CTAs encourage action? (e.g., “Buy Now,” “Get a Free Quote”)
  • Are you testing multiple versions of the ad (A/B testing)?

Update underperforming ads with fresh copy, more relevant CTAs, or better offers.

4. Check Ad Extensions

Review the ad extensions you are using and add any missing ones. Common ad extensions include:

  • Sitelinks: Links to additional pages on your website.
  • Call Extensions: Phone numbers for users to contact you directly.
  • Location Extensions: Show your business address and directions.
  • Promotion Extensions: Highlight current offers or discounts.

Make sure your ad extensions are relevant and properly set up to maximize visibility.

5. Review Audience Targeting and Location Settings

Targeting the right audience ensures that your budget is spent wisely. Review your location settings and audience targeting to see if they align with your business goals.

  • Location Targeting: Are you targeting the right regions or cities in the Philippines?
  • Device Targeting: Are your ads optimized for both mobile and desktop users?
  • Demographics: Are you targeting the right age, gender, and interests?

Adjust your targeting settings to reach the most relevant audience.

6. Assess Landing Page Performance

Your landing page plays a major role in converting visitors into customers. Review the landing pages your ads are linked to and ensure they are:

  • Relevant to the ad message.
  • Fast-loading to avoid user drop-off.
  • Mobile-friendly, as many users in the Philippines browse on smartphones.
  • Clear CTAs like “Buy Now” or “Contact Us.”

Make necessary improvements to increase the chance of conversions.

7. Audit Your Budget and Bidding Strategy

Check if your daily budget and bids are properly allocated to high-performing campaigns and keywords.

  • Are you overspending on poor-performing campaigns?
  • Are you underfunding campaigns that drive the most conversions?
  • Should you switch to automated bidding (like Maximize Conversions) to improve results?

Adjust your budget and bidding strategy to focus on campaigns with the highest ROI.

8. Track Conversions and Set Up Goals

Make sure you have conversion tracking set up to measure the effectiveness of your campaign.

  • Are your conversion goals (like form submissions or sales) properly tracked?
  • Are you using Google Tag Manager to track multiple actions?
  • Are there any tracking issues that need to be fixed?

Accurate tracking ensures you measure what matters and optimize for success.

9. Identify Wasted Ad Spend

Look for areas where you are spending money but not getting results. Common issues include:

  • Poor-performing keywords that get clicks but no conversions.
  • Irrelevant audience targeting that wastes your budget.
  • Duplicate ads or keywords competing with each other.

Pause or remove wasteful elements to make the most of your budget.

10. Create an Action Plan for Optimization

After reviewing all campaign elements, create a detailed action plan to improve your PPC performance. Your plan might include:

  • Pausing or updating low-performing ads.
  • Adding negative keywords to block irrelevant traffic.
  • Adjusting your budget to prioritize high-ROI campaigns.
  • Refreshing landing pages for better user experience.

Example of a PPC Audit for a Local Business

Business: Online Shoe Store in the Philippines
Campaign Goal: Increase online sales

Findings During Audit:

  • Low CTR on ads targeting “affordable shoes.”
  • High-performing keywords: “running shoes Manila.”
  • Missing callout extensions.
  • Slow landing page load time.

Action Plan:

  1. Pause low-performing ads and keywords.
  2. Add more negative keywords to block irrelevant searches.
  3. Use callout extensions to highlight free shipping.
  4. Optimize the landing page for faster loading.

How Often Should You Perform a PPC Campaign Audit?

A good rule of thumb is to audit your campaigns every 1 to 3 months. For businesses running large campaigns, more frequent audits may be necessary. Regular audits ensure you catch problems early and keep improving your results.

Final Thoughts

Performing regular PPC campaign audits is essential for businesses in the Philippines to ensure their campaigns stay effective. By reviewing keywords, ads, budgets, and targeting settings, you can reduce wasted spending and improve conversions.

An audit gives you the insights needed to refine your strategy, increase ROI, and grow your business. With continuous optimization, your PPC campaigns will deliver better results over time.