Use the Google Ads Monitoring Checklist Template with this article.
Section 1: Why Monitoring Matters
- Ensure ad spend is efficient
- Maintain strong performance for KPIs (CTR, CPC, Conversions)
- Identify early issues before they become costly
Section 2: When to Monitor
- Weekly: Main monitoring session
- Mid-week glance (optional): Check pacing & major issues
- End of month: Review performance vs. goals
Section 3: What to Monitor
Campaign Level
- Budget pacing vs. month target
- Status (active, limited by budget, policy issues)
- Impressions & Clicks trend
Ad Group Level
- CTR (Click-Through Rate) – Indicates ad relevance
- Avg. CPC (Cost-Per-Click) – Compare to historical data
- Conversions & Conversion Rate
- Quality Score (check Google’s suggestions for ad strength)
Keyword Level
- Search terms report → Look for irrelevant terms → Add negative keywords
- CPC vs. conversions
- Low Quality Score keywords
Ad Level
- Ad strength & headlines performance
- CTR by ad variation
- Check if any ads are disapproved
Section 4: Interpreting Good vs. Bad
(We’ll avoid strict benchmarks, instead use relative comparisons)
- CTR dropping vs. last week → ad fatigue or irrelevant targeting
- CPC increasing without conversion lift → tighten keywords, add negatives
- Conversions down → check landing page or ad copy alignment
- Quality Score low → rewrite ads, use responsive ads with relevant headlines
Section 5: Optimization Actions
Common Issues → Action Steps
- CTR low → Test new headlines/descriptions, add sitelinks
- High CPC → Add negatives, adjust bids on underperforming keywords
- No conversions → Pause low-performing keywords/ad groups, improve landing page alignment
- Limited by budget → Reallocate from low-performing campaigns OR reduce bids strategically
- Search terms irrelevant → Negative keyword list update weekly
Section 6: Google’s Recommendations
- ✅ Use for ad strength, keyword suggestions, Quality Score improvements
- ❌ Ignore budget increase recommendations (Google wants more spend, not necessarily better ROI)
Section 7: Documentation
- Use the Google Ads Monitoring Checklist (Google Sheet) & the Ads Change Log (Google Sheet)
- Leave notes on both as needed (review the monitoring checklist with the consultant)
- Log:
- Changes made
- Reason for changes
- Performance impact next week
Section 8: Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Blindly following Google’s budget recommendations
- Forgetting to check disapproved ads
- Ignoring negative keywords → wasted spend
- Over-optimizing too fast (give changes at least a week before major shifts)