Google Ads Monthly Maintenance Checklist

 

 

1. Performance Review & Analysis

• Review account-level performance:
  • Conversions, cost, CPA, ROAS
  • CTR, CPC, impression share
• Compare vs:
  • Previous month
  • Same month last year (seasonality)
• Identify:
  • Top-performing campaigns/ad groups
  • Underperforming segments
• Break down performance by:
  • Device (mobile/desktop/tablet)
  • Location (geo performance)
  • Time (day of week / hour of day)
  • Audience segments

 

2. Conversion Tracking & Attribution

• Verify all conversion actions are tracking correctly
• Check for:
  • Drops or spikes in conversion data
  • Duplicate conversions
• Review attribution model:
  • Data-driven vs last-click vs position-based
• Ensure:
  • Primary vs secondary conversions are set properly
• Cross-check with CRM / backend data if available

 

3. Keyword Management

Performance Optimization

• Identify:
  • High-performing keywords → consider scaling budget/bids
  • Low-performing keywords → reduce bids or pause
• Adjust match types if needed:
  • Broad → Phrase/Exact (if wasteful)
  • Exact → Broader (if limited volume)

Search Terms Review (CRITICAL)

• Review search terms report thoroughly
• Add:
  • New high-performing queries as keywords
• Remove:
  • Irrelevant or low-quality queries

 

4. Negative Keyword Management

• Add new negative keywords from:
  • Search terms report
  • Irrelevant traffic patterns
• Build and maintain:
  • Shared negative keyword lists
• Check for:
  • Conflicts blocking valuable traffic
• Add negatives at:
  • Ad group level (tight control)
  • Campaign/account level (broad exclusions)

 

5. Recommendations & Suggestions

• Review Google Ads “Recommendations” tab:
  • Apply only relevant ones (avoid blindly accepting)
• Evaluate:
  • Bid strategy suggestions
  • Budget increases
  • Keyword additions
• Ignore:
  • Low-quality auto-applied suggestions if not aligned with strategy

 

6. Budget & Bidding Optimization

• Review budget allocation:
  • Shift budget toward high-ROAS campaigns
• Identify:
  • Limited by budget campaigns
• Evaluate bidding strategies:
  • Manual CPC vs Target CPA vs Target ROAS
• Adjust:
  • Bid caps / targets based on performance trends
• Check for:
  • Overpaying on low-converting keywords

 

7. Ad Copy & Creative Optimization

• Review ad performance:
  • CTR, conversion rate, CPA
• Pause:
  • Low-performing ads
• Test:
  • New headlines and descriptions
• Ensure:
  • Strong CTAs
  • Keyword alignment
• Run A/B tests:
  • At least 2–3 ads per ad group
• Check RSAs:
  • Asset performance ratings (Low/Good/Best)

 

8. Asset (Extension) Optimization

• Review all assets:
  • Sitelinks
  • Callouts
  • Structured snippets
  • Call extensions
  • Image assets
• Ensure:
  • All are active and approved
• Optimize:
  • Replace low-performing assets
• Add missing assets:
  • Improves Ad Rank and CTR

 

9. Audience Management

• Review audience performance:
  • In-market, affinity, remarketing lists
• Adjust:
  • Bid modifiers or targeting settings
• Add:
  • New remarketing audiences
• Exclude:
  • Low-quality or irrelevant audiences

 

10. Device Optimization

• Analyze performance by device:
  • Mobile vs desktop vs tablet
• Adjust:
  • Bid modifiers accordingly
• Ensure:
  • Mobile experience (landing page speed & UX) is strong

 

11. Ad Schedule Optimization

• Review performance by:
  • Hour of day
  • Day of week
• Adjust:
  • Ad scheduling (dayparting)
• Reduce spend during:
  • Low-conversion time periods

 

12. Location Targeting

• Analyze geo performance:
  • Countries, states, cities, zip codes
• Exclude:
  • Low-performing locations
• Increase bids:
  • High-performing regions
• Check:
  • Location targeting settings (presence vs interest)

 

13. Landing Page & CRO Review

• Check landing page performance:
  • Conversion rate
  • Bounce rate
• Ensure:
  • Message match with ads
• Identify:
  • Opportunities for A/B testing
• Improve:
  • Load speed
  • Mobile usability
  • CTA clarity

 

14. Campaign Structure & Hygiene

• Ensure:
  • Clean naming conventions
  • Logical campaign/ad group structure
• Check for:
  • Duplicate keywords across campaigns
  • Keyword cannibalization
• Consolidate:
  • Redundant campaigns/ad groups

 

15. Automation & Scripts

• Review:
  • Automated rules
  • Scripts (if used)
• Ensure:
  • They are functioning correctly
• Adjust thresholds if needed

 

16. Policy & Disapproval Check

• Review:
  • Disapproved ads/assets
• Fix:
  • Policy violations
• Ensure:
  • Compliance with Google Ads policies

 

17. Competitive & Auction Insights

• Review Auction Insights:
  • Impression share
  • Overlap rate
  • Outranking share
• Identify:
  • Competitor trends
• Adjust strategy if:
  • Losing significant impression share

 

18. Reporting & Documentation

• Prepare monthly report:
  • KPIs (CPA, ROAS, conversions)
  • Wins & losses
  • Key changes made
• Highlight:
  • Opportunities for next month
• Document:
  • Tests and experiments

 

19. Strategic Review 

• Ask:
  • Are campaigns aligned with business goals?
• Evaluate:
  • Scaling opportunities
  • New campaign types (Performance Max, Demand Gen, etc.)
• Plan:
  • Next month’s experiments

 

20. Account Cleanup

• Remove:
  • Paused clutter (if excessive)
• Archive:
  • Old experiments
• Ensure:
  • Account remains easy to manage and audit