How to Run a Google Ads Audit That Actually Finds Wasted Spend (UK 2026)

# How to Run a Google Ads Audit That Actually Finds Wasted Spend (UK 2026)

A Google Ads audit that finds wasted spend starts with the search terms report, conversion actions, and landing-page match. If a click could never become a customer, that money was gone the moment Google charged it. You can see the leak in about an hour.

## Why UK accounts still leak in 2026

Operators keep paying for job-seeker, DIY, and informational searches that never enquire. Broad matching and leftover phrase themes pull those queries in. Cheap clicks hide the leak because the account still looks busy.

A plumber in Manchester does not want clicks for "how to unblock a drain" or "plumber apprenticeship". A dentist does not want "NHS dentist jobs". Those queries spend like traffic and convert like nothing.

## The one-hour wasted-spend audit

Do this in order. Do not raise budget until the leak is closed.

1. Open the search terms report for the last 30 days and sort by cost. 2. Flag queries with no buying intent: jobs, DIY, definitions, and research-only questions. 3. Check conversion actions. Imported page views, button clicks, or thank-you pages that are not a real enquiry inflate the account. 4. Open the landing page for the top five spend queries. If the ad promised emergency call-out and the page is a generic homepage, that spend is leaking. 5. Check match types and leftover broad themes. One mixed ad group is enough to buy the wrong searches. 6. Recheck weekly. A one-off cleanup does not stay clean.

## What to fix first

Fix the query set before you raise the budget. More spend into a leak buys more of the leak.

Add negative keywords for career, DIY, and informational terms. Split themes so emergency and planned work do not share an ad. Send commercial clicks to a page that matches the promise, not a homepage of every service.

## What good looks like

After the audit you should be able to point to the searches you no longer buy, the conversion that is a real lead, and the page that matches the ad. If you cannot name those three things, the audit is not finished.

## VettedAd view

VettedAd reviews search terms, exclusions, and landing-page match during the build. You approve what is applied. Nothing writes to Google Ads until you say go. That is how wasted spend stays visible instead of getting buried in another monthly report.

## FAQ

What is wasted Google Ads spend? Clicks that never become a useful enquiry because the search had no buying intent or the page did not match the ad.

How often should I run this audit? Do a deep check once, then spend 30 minutes a week on search terms and placements.

Can I do this without an agency? Yes. The search terms report, conversion actions, and landing pages are enough for the first pass. Get help when the account is large or the tracking is wrong.