Most PPC campaigns don’t fail immediately. They slowly lose efficiency — and budget — while the ad account looks deceptively fine on the surface.
Maybe CTR is steady, CPC is tolerable, but conversions aren’t improving. Or worse — the data looks good, but the business impact is flat.
Before you rebuild or increase spend, you need a structured audit to find out what’s really happening. Here’s how we break down PPC accounts at Perfogro — and where we usually find the friction.
1. Ad Creative Doesn’t Match Search or Scroll Intent
What to check:
- Does your copy speak to the specific query or platform mindset?
- Are you using broad, high-volume messaging when intent is narrow?
Red flag:
Generic headlines like “Try Our Platform Today” running against highly specific searches or mid-funnel placements.
Fix:
Match creative to user stage. On Google, use intent-rich copy with dynamic keyword insertions. On Meta or native, focus on hooks that reflect objections or use cases — not brand value statements.
2. Your Campaign Structure Is Too Flat or Too Fragmented
What to check:
- Are campaigns segmented by funnel stage, audience, or product line?
- Are you testing across match types (in search) or ad formats (in display)?
Red flag:
All offers and audience types crammed into one campaign with no way to attribute performance clearly.
Fix:
Structure around audience intent — not channel convenience. Create separate ad sets or groups for TOFU, MOFU, BOFU audiences and track performance accordingly.
3. Landing Pages Don’t Align with Ad Promise
What to check:
- Is the CTA above the fold?
- Is the offer consistent from ad to page?
- Does the page load fast and focus on one action?
Red flag:
Sending traffic to homepage or generic product pages without tailored messaging or conversion flow.
Fix:
Use dedicated landing pages by campaign or ad group. Align the copy, CTA, and value prop with the ad message. Test 2–3 versions per core offer.
4. You’re Optimizing for the Wrong Metric
What to check:
- Are you chasing lowest CPC or highest return?
- Are branded and non-branded campaigns mixed in reporting?
Red flag:
Ad group looks “profitable” because of brand traffic inflating ROAS — while generic terms burn budget.
Fix:
Break out branded vs. non-branded campaigns. Track by customer journey stage. Prioritize metrics that reflect pipeline impact — not just platform efficiency.
5. Retargeting Is Underused or Poorly Timed
What to check:
- Are you running retargeting on warm leads (cart views, pricing page)?
- Are your delays and frequency caps optimized?
Red flag:
Generic retargeting ads with no urgency or incentive, running too soon or too often.
Fix:
Segment retargeting by behavior: page depth, content interaction, or funnel exit point. Rotate offers by time — e.g., reminder on Day 3, discount on Day 7, social proof on Day 10.
6. Reporting Is Too High-Level
What to check:
- Do you have visibility at the ad, audience, and placement level?
- Are you comparing performance across formats, not just campaigns?
Red flag:
Weekly reports that only show campaign-level ROAS or spend, hiding underperforming creative or segments.
Fix:
Use dashboards that break down by ad set, creative type, geo, and audience. Use RedTrack, Google Data Studio, or native platform exports to dig deeper than surface-level metrics.
Conclusion: PPC Can Scale — But Only If You Can See What’s Breaking
PPC is not just media buying — it’s infrastructure. Without a clear structure, aligned messaging, and proper tracking, even good campaigns stall.
Use this audit approach to identify friction, clean up structure, and reintroduce scale with control.
Want more audit templates and PPC playbooks? Visit the Blog page for real-world campaign teardown insights.
