Let me tell you something I’ve learned after years of managing PPC accounts, fixing messy builds, and walking into accounts that looked “fine” at first glance…
Sometimes campaigns look great on the surface, but underneath?
- Budgets are going places you never approved
- Conversions inflated beyond reality
- Ads showing in places you’d never intentionally target
- Strategies that don’t match your goals anymore
And the wild part?
Most of these issues aren’t the result of bad intentions; they happen because no one’s asking the right questions.
I’ve seen CMOs and marketing managers trust the numbers they’re given… until they finally dig in and realize things aren’t adding up. And I’ve seen account managers absolutely shine when their clients ask thoughtful, informed, accountability-focused questions.
So here’s a practical, easy-to-read checklist to help you keep your PPC team aligned, transparent, and driving tangible results, not vanity metrics.
1. Do We Have Full Access to Our Ad Accounts?
You’d be surprised how many businesses think they do… but don’t.
Real example:
A brand thought it owned its accounts only to find out that everything was under the agency’s MCC. When they wanted to switch, they had no historical data, no campaigns, nothing.
Ask for admin-level access on every platform. No exceptions.
2. How Is Our Conversion Tracking Set Up?
This is the difference between “we’re crushing it” and “oh… we’ve been counting form impressions as leads.”
Ask:
- what events are being tracked?
- What is being counted as a conversion?
- Are we counting unique conversions or totals?
- Are any events being double-counted?
Real example:
I once audited an account showing 500+ monthly conversions. After digging in? Only 120 were actual leads. The rest were button clicks, page views, and repeat users flooding the numbers.
Clean tracking = clean strategy.
3. How Is Our Budget Pacing, and Where Is It Actually Going?
Budgets drift. Goals shift. Algorithms optimize for whatever you told them last quarter.
Ask:
- What campaigns are getting the most spend today?
- Does that match our priorities?
- Are we pacing evenly or overspending early?
- What locations are we targeting?
Real example:
One client discovered 60% of their spend was going to a campaign targeting states they didn’t even sell in. It took one question to find it.
4. What Campaigns Are Running and Why?
This is where alignment often breaks down.
Ask:
- What’s the purpose of each active campaign?
- Which goals do they support?
- Do we need all of them right now?
Real example:
A company focused on lead quality… yet half their budget was still going to an awareness campaign built two years earlier. No wonder leads felt cold.
5. What Do Auction Insights Tell Us About Our Competitors?
You don’t have to beat everyone, but you should understand how competitive your space is.
Ask:
- Who are we competing with in the PPC auction?
- Are they outranking us during peak hours?
- Where do we overlap most?
Real example:
A client thought they had no competitors bidding on their name. Auction insights said otherwise; their most significant competitor was bidding aggressively on their brand every weekend.
6. What Does Our Search Terms Report Look Like?
This one is GOLD.
Ask:
- Which real queries are triggering our ads?
- Do we need more negative keywords?
- Are we showing up for irrelevant or low-intent searches?
- What match types are we using and why?
Real example:
An RV dealer was spending hundreds on searches like “used RV toy model,” yes, people looking for literal toys. Search terms fixed that in five minutes.
7. Where Are Our Ads Showing, and What Do They Look Like?
Never assume your ads look the way you think they do.
Ask:
- Are our ads showing on Search, YouTube, Display, partners, or all of the above?
- Are these placements intentional?
- Can we see all current creatives?
Real example:
A brand found their ads running on mobile gaming apps, tons of accidental clicks, and almost zero conversions.
Final Thought
You don’t need to micromanage your PPC team. You do need to stay aligned, informed, and proactive. The right questions don’t just keep your team accountable; they protect your budget, sharpen your strategy, and ensure every dollar is doing something meaningful.
