Checklist · Google Ads · 2026

Google Ads
checklist

Q: Can you go through the checklist for me?

Yes. A [Google Ads audit](/google-ads/audit/) covers these points and more, with a written list of fixes. If you'd rather hand the account over, setup is $600 and management starts at $1,000 a month.

A Google Ads checklist for small business owners in the US: 24 yes-or-no points that show whether your account counts real inquiries and where the budget slips away. Open your account in another tab and go. No email needed.

Get a Google Ads audit→ Or book a free consultation

Checklist

24 things to check
in Google Ads

Answer yes or no for each point with the account open. Every no is a likely leak.

Done0 / 24

Tracking

Conversions are calls, forms and bookings, not page viewsSmart Bidding chases whatever you label a conversion. If that's a visit to the contact page, you'll get cheap visits instead of customers.
Enhanced conversions are switched onThey pass hashed form data to Google so more inquiries can be matched to the clicks behind them. Look under Goals, in the conversion settings.
Calls from ads and from the website are both countedAdd a call asset to the ads and a forwarding number on the site. Many service businesses get most of their leads by phone and never see them in the report.
GA4 is linked and nothing is counted twiceIf the same form fires as a GA4 import and a Google Ads tag, both may be set as primary. Keep one primary and mark the other secondary.

Keywords and search terms

You read the search terms report within the last 30 daysLook for searches you'd never want to pay for: jobs, salary, free, DIY, how to, training. Each one is real money spent.
Your negative keyword list grows every reviewAdd exclusions every time you check search terms, and keep a shared list at account level so new campaigns start clean.
Broad match only runs with enough conversion dataBroad match relies on Smart Bidding. With a handful of conversions a month, phrase and exact match usually waste less.
Each ad group sticks to one serviceWater heater repair and AC installation belong in separate ad groups, so the ad and the page match what was searched.

Location and budget

Location targeting is set to presenceThe default can show ads to people merely interested in your area, including someone three states away. Choose people in or regularly in your locations.
The map matches where your trucks actually goTarget the counties, cities or zip codes you serve. Remove the suburbs you'd turn down because of the drive.
Search Partners and Display are off in search campaignsNew search campaigns often have both switched on. Leave them off unless you've tested them and they bring inquiries at a fair price.
Your best campaign isn't capped by its budgetIf the campaign with the lowest cost per lead shows Limited by budget, shift money to it from the weaker ones.

Ads and assets

Every responsive search ad has 8 to 10 or more headlinesCover the service, the city, a price or price range, and a reason to call today. Pin only what truly has to show.
Sitelinks, callouts and a call asset are in placeAssets make the ad larger and offer more ways to act, at no extra cost to add.
Your Google Business Profile is linked as a location assetIt adds your address, distance and star rating to the ad, which helps on Maps and near-me searches.
Auto-applied recommendations are turned offOtherwise Google may add broad keywords or raise budgets on its own. Review suggestions yourself and accept only what makes sense.

Landing page

Each ad leads to the page for that service, not the home pageSomeone who searched for emergency AC repair should land on AC repair, with your service area and a phone number.
The phone number is tappable and visible without scrollingMost local searches happen on phones. If people have to hunt for the number, they go back to the results.
The form asks only for what you needName, phone or email, zip code and one question about the job. Every extra field costs some inquiries.
The page loads fast on a phoneOversized images and stacks of plugins slow it down, and you still pay for every click that gives up waiting.

Ownership and compliance

You are an admin on the accountThe account should be registered to your business, with you as administrator. Any contractor gets their own login that you can remove.
Billing runs on your own card or invoiceYou see exactly what Google charges, and ad spend stays separate from any management fee.
Cookie and privacy notices match the state laws that applyIf you fall under the CCPA or another state privacy law, tags and Consent Mode should respect visitors' choices. Check thresholds with your attorney.
Your industry's ad policies are checked before launchHealthcare, addiction treatment, legal, financial and housing ads carry extra Google rules or verification. A disapproved account loses days you can't get back.

This list is general. Depending on your industry and budget, some points weigh more than others.

How to use this Google Ads checklist

Log in to Google Ads with a user that can see settings, then work through one group at a time. Be strict with yourself: "probably" counts as no. When you're done, fix from the top down, because broken tracking makes every other number misleading.

The three leaks I find most often

In accounts I'm asked to rescue, the same three problems show up again and again. Conversions that count page views instead of calls and forms. Location settings that show ads to people far outside the service area. And nobody reading the search terms, so the budget pays for "jobs", "salary" and "how to" searches. All three are on the list above, and all three can be fixed in an afternoon.

What this list doesn't cover

It won't tell you whether your bids are right, whether Local Services Ads would suit your category, or whether Performance Max is worth testing. Those depend on your conversion volume and goals; Performance Max on a small budget and why Google Ads waste money go deeper. If you'd rather build the account right from day one, see Google Ads account setup.

FAQ

Questions about
the checklist

How many no answers is too many?

There's no magic number, but the tracking group matters most. If conversions are wrong, every other setting is optimizing toward the wrong goal. Fix tracking first, then search terms, then location settings. In small accounts those three usually explain most of the waste.

How often should I run through this list?

Search terms and negatives every two weeks, which is how often I review the accounts I manage. Everything else once a quarter, and again after any big change: a new website, new services or a new service area.

I'm not an admin on my own account. What should I do?

Ask whoever built it to add you as an administrator, in writing. If the account sits under an agency's manager account in their name, ask for it to be transferred to your business. Years of ad history are valuable and shouldn't belong to a vendor.

Can you go through the checklist for me?

Yes. A Google Ads audit covers these points and more, with a written list of fixes. If you'd rather hand the account over, setup is $600 and management starts at $1,000 a month.

Let me take a look
at your account

Bring your answers to a free 30-minute call and I'll tell you which fixes come first.

Book a free consultation→ Free 30-min consultation

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