Discovery Phase in Google Ads Audit: Why It Matters

You want to attract more customers online. Advertising on Google can be a great way to get new customers, but only if you’re set up properly campaigns. Badly optimized ads can drain your budget fast without giving results. That’s where a discovery phase Google Ads audit comes in. It’s the essential first step to checking what’s working in your account, what’s not, and where to improve.

In this article, we are going to take you step by step through all of the phases of a discovery phase Google Ads audit and how it fits into a complete Google AdWords audit.

What Is a Discovery Phase Google Ads Audit?

The discovery phase is the first step when checking your Google Ads account. You can think of it like going to the doctor for a check-up. The doctor doesn’t give you medicine right away. First, they ask some questions, check your symptoms, and do a few tests. That first part is called the discovery phase.

In the same way, before making any changes to your Google Ads, we look at your business, your audience, and how your ads are doing right now.

Why Is the Discovery Phase Google Ads Audit So Important?

You might jump straight into fixing the ads. But if you don't understand the core issue, you will just spend even more money. This is why the discovery phase audit is important for Google Ads: it explains why things don't work. When conducted properly, a discovery phase audit of Google AdWords can save money, improve targeting, and set clear goals for your campaigns.

What Happens During a Discovery Phase Google Ads Audit?

Just what occurs in the discovery phase Google Ads audit? It involves gathering information and looking at the big picture. You (or your marketing expert) will take a close look at how your account is set up, what your goals are, and where your money is going.

At this point, an efficient Google AdWords audit is at the core. You can evaluate keywords, ad copies, audience targets, the budget, and anything and everything regarding the marketing campaign.

Step 1: Understanding Your Business Goals

Determine your business objectives at the beginning of the discovery phase. Google Ads audit. Are you looking for more sales? More leads? More calls?

The next step in an AdWords audit is to know with crystal clarity what it is that the business ultimately wishes to gain. Without some target to use as a measure, there simply is no way to determine whether or not ads are achieving success.

Step 2: Identifying the Target Audience

Another great thing about a discovery phase Google Ads audit is learning who your target audience is. Your ads may be reaching people who aren't your customers. For example, if you only do business in one city, putting ads in front of people nationwide is an absolute waste of money.

Now you can tell every Google AdWords audit account for an analysis of location targeting, demographics, and the devices used by your target audience.

Step 3: Reviewing Campaign and Ad Group Structure

Your account structure is one of the most important aspects that help decide how efficient your ads are. A strong discovery phase Google Ads audit will have to examine the organization of your campaigns and their corresponding ad groups, as this may directly affect the cost efficiency with which results are attained.

An audit would allow the identification of dirty and overbroad campaigns, which would be red flags in a proper AdWords assessment. Focused and tidy setups are needed for controlling costs and increasing results.

Step 4: Checking Budgets and Bidding Strategy

Where are your hard-earned bucks going? Are you really using your budget wisely? The discovery phase Google Ads audit looks into how your budget is divided among different campaigns.

As far as Google AdWords audits your bidding strategy, be they manual or automated, then also checks to see if it's serving its purpose for your campaign goals—maximizing clicks or conversions!

Step 5: Keyword and Search Term Analysis

A discovery stage Google Ads audit checks in detail which keywords you target and which search terms are triggering your ads. Are you going after the right words, or are you wasting money on clicks that are outside your criteria?

A good Google AdWords check-up helps you to identify negative keywords you might add. It will also show you if you really need to switch from broad match to phrase or exact match.

Step 6: Reviewing Ad Copy and Extensions

Your ad text matters. The ad copy analysis looks into whether your ad text is clear and engaging and offers value during the second stage of the Google Ads audit—the discovery stage.

A complete Google AdWords audit also verifies your use of all possible ad extensions: sitelinks, callouts, and even call extensions, for better ad visibility and performance.

Step 7: Checking Conversion Tracking

Poor tracking is one of the biggest issues revealed during the discovery phase of Google Ad audits. How else can you know if the ads are working if you do not measure form submissions, phone calls, and purchases?

That's why every Google AdWords audit includes a review of your Google Analytics, Tag Manager, and conversion tracking setup.

Step 8: Landing Page Review

The landing pages are being tried and checked as part of a discovery phase Google Ads audit. Are they also mobile-friendly? Do they have any specific call-to-actions?

Similarly, this audit would study the entire Google AdWords audit, which affects your landing page experience and its two components: Quality Score and conversion rate.

What Comes After the Discovery Phase?

The ad audit for Google Ads typically follows upon completion of the discovery phase. It reports on what is working, what is broken, and what is to be fixed.

This is where the second phase of the Google AdWords audit kicks in—smart changes are made on the basis of findings from the phase one analysis.

Real-Life Example: A Local Business in Trouble

Imagine you are running a plumbing business based in Houston and are presently spending about $700 a month on Google Ads with no calls coming in. In the discovery phase Google Ads audit, here is what you have discovered:

You are targeting the whole of Texas and not only Houston.
Most clicks are coming from people searching the term "free plumbing tips."
You have not set up any conversion tracking.
Your ad copies do not mention your main offer: emergncy services.

The Google AdWords audit has given you a complete list of what you need to change at no additional cost.

The Google Ads audit discovery phase is the first and foremost step to bring improvement to Ads. It allows a holistic understanding before making any change. Without a proper audit of Google AdWords ads, you could find yourself throwing away money without any results. But proper discovery means you are heading toward smart advertising and a better ROI. That’s why many businesses choose to work with experts like Hitman Digital, who help make the most out of every advertising rupee by identifying what’s working and what’s not, right from the start.