Conversions in Google Ads do not match sales
The account reports many conversions, but your sales team sees far fewer real enquiries. Often the same action is counted twice, or page views and button clicks are set as primary conversions.
Google Ads audit
A Google Ads audit that shows where the budget leaks and what to fix first
SAB reviews your Google Ads account, conversion tracking and landing pages with read-only access. You receive prioritised findings and a practical fix plan, whether your team, your current agency or SAB carries it out.
Founded in 2017Based in JakartaClear scope in every proposal
Most useful for companies in Indonesia that already spend on Google Ads and want an independent second opinion before changing budget, strategy or agency.
Selected SAB client projectsView case studies →
Pertamina Energy TerminalKlinik Pela 9PracticumSwiss Education GroupIPMI International Business SchoolIDeA IndonesiaPertamina Energy TerminalKlinik Pela 9PracticumSwiss Education GroupIPMI International Business SchoolIDeA Indonesia
Why companies ask for an audit
Spend keeps going up, but you are not sure what it buys
Most audit requests start with a feeling rather than a clear diagnosis. These are the situations we hear about most often.
Ads show for the wrong searches
Broad match and close variants bring in job seekers, students and people looking for free information. Nobody has reviewed the search terms report or updated negatives in months.
Performance Max is a black box
A large share of budget moved into Performance Max. You cannot see clearly where the ads appear, which assets work, or whether it mostly captures searches for your own brand.
You need a second opinion
Your agency or in-house team says the account is healthy, but results have stalled. You want an independent view before deciding to change strategy, budget or provider.
How SAB approaches it
Check the measurement first, then the spend
An account can only be optimised as well as it is measured. We therefore start with conversion tracking: which actions count, how they are counted, and whether they match what your sales team actually receives. If the data feeding Smart Bidding is wrong, every other recommendation rests on sand.
Then we review where the money goes: campaign structure, search terms, match types, bidding, Performance Max, budget pacing and the landing pages that receive the clicks. Each finding is ranked by likely impact and effort, so you know what to fix this week and what can wait.
- Read-only access is enough; we change nothing in your account
- Conversion tracking is verified before anything else
- Findings ranked by impact and effort
- A fix plan your team or agency can act on
- A walkthrough session to answer questions
What we review
What the Google Ads audit covers
The exact scope depends on your account size and campaign types and is written in the proposal. A typical audit covers these six areas.
Conversion tracking and GA4
Primary and secondary conversion actions, counting settings, duplicate tags, GA4 key event imports and enhanced conversions. We also check that form, phone and WhatsApp click conversions fire correctly.
Account and campaign structure
Campaign and ad group logic, brand versus non-brand separation, location and language settings, network settings and auto-applied recommendations that may change the account without review.
Search terms, keywords and match types
What people actually searched before clicking, in both Indonesian and English. Negative keyword coverage, match type choices and keywords that compete with each other.
Bidding strategy fit
Whether the bidding strategy suits the conversion volume and data quality you have, and whether targets such as CPA or ROAS are realistic for each campaign.
Performance Max and assets
Asset groups and asset quality, audience signals, brand exclusions, final URL expansion and the placement and search insight reports Google makes available for the campaign.
Landing pages and budget pacing
Message match between ads and landing pages, mobile speed and form usability. Budget distribution, campaigns limited by budget and how spend paces across the month.
How it works
Five steps from access to fix plan
The audit follows SAB's usual flow of discovery, strategy, execution and optimisation, condensed into a focused project.
30-minute discovery call
We learn what you sell, who your customers are, what a good lead looks like and what worries you about the account. Book a slot at schedule.sab.id.
Read-only access
You grant read-only access to Google Ads and viewer access to GA4, and to Google Tag Manager or Merchant Center if used. Ownership and billing stay with you.
Account review
We review tracking, structure, search terms, bidding, Performance Max, landing pages and budget. Where needed, we ask your sales team how many real enquiries came in over the same period.
Findings and fix plan
You receive a written report of findings, each with the evidence, the likely impact, the effort required and a recommended fix, ordered by priority.
Walkthrough and next steps
We walk your team or agency through the findings and answer questions. If you want help implementing, we can propose that separately.
Comparison
Built-in recommendations, a full agency switch, or an independent audit
Each option has its place. This table helps you decide which fits your situation.
| Built-in recommendations and tools | Switching to a new agency | Independent audit by SAB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | Free or low | Ongoing management fee | One-off project fee |
| Context about your business | None; based on account data only | Built over time | Gathered in discovery and from your sales team |
| Checks tracking against real sales | No | Varies by agency | Yes, as the first step |
| Access required | Already in the account | Usually admin access | Read-only access |
| Who implements | You, often with one click | The new agency | Your team, your current agency, or SAB if you choose |
| Commitment | None | Usually a management contract | Limited to the audit scope |
Google's own recommendations are useful, but they are generated from account data without knowledge of your business, so review each one before accepting it. If your current agency is responsive, an audit is often most useful as input for them rather than a reason to switch.
Practical guide
Six checks you can run on your Google Ads account today
You do not need an agency to start. These checks reveal the most common problems we see in accounts run for the Indonesian market.
List your primary conversion actions
Go to Goals, then Conversions, and see which actions are marked primary. Only primary actions feed Smart Bidding and the Conversions column. If page views, scroll depth or the same form submission from both a Google tag and a GA4 import are primary, your bidding is optimising for the wrong thing. For lead forms, counting is usually set to 'One' per click rather than 'Every'.
Check location settings
In each campaign's location options, the default 'Presence or interest' can show ads to people outside Indonesia who search about Jakarta or Indonesia. If you only serve local customers, switch to 'Presence' so ads reach people who are in, or regularly in, your target locations.
Read the search terms report in both languages
Sort search terms by cost over the last 90 days. Look for job searches such as 'lowongan' or 'loker', 'gratis', 'cara', 'PDF' and competitor or unrelated product names. Add them as negatives at the right level, and check English and Indonesian variants separately.
Review network and auto-apply settings
In Search campaigns, check whether Search Partners and Display Network expansion are on, and compare their performance separately. Then open Recommendations and see which auto-applied recommendations are enabled; some can add keywords or change bids without anyone reviewing them.
Look inside Performance Max
Check brand exclusions, whether final URL expansion is sending traffic to pages such as careers or blog posts, and the search term insights and placement information available for the campaign. If most PMax conversions come from brand searches, it may be taking credit for customers who would have found you anyway.
Understand how budgets pace
Google Ads can spend up to twice your average daily budget on a single day, but will not charge more than about 30.4 times the daily budget in a month. Campaigns marked 'Limited by budget' may need more budget, or tighter targeting. Do not judge a campaign on a few days of data, especially soon after bidding changes.
Is a Google Ads audit from SAB right for you?
An audit is most useful when there is enough account history to learn from. Here is an honest view.
A good fit if
- You already run Google Ads in Indonesia and have several months of data
- Reported conversions do not match what your sales team sees
- You are considering a change of strategy, budget or agency
- You want findings your own team or current agency can act on
- You can share read-only access and basic sales feedback
Probably not a fit yet if
- You have not launched Google Ads yet (campaign setup is a better fit)
- You want someone to take over and run the account from tomorrow
- You expect the audit alone to change results without implementing fixes
- You cannot grant access to the ad account or analytics
Cost
What determines the cost of a Google Ads audit
We do not sell a fixed package. The fee depends on scope, mainly these four factors.
Number of accounts and campaigns
One account with a few Search campaigns takes less time than several accounts with many campaigns, markets or languages.
Campaign types
Performance Max, Shopping with a Merchant Center feed, Display and YouTube each add their own checks on top of Search.
Tracking setup
A simple Google tag setup is quicker to verify than GA4 imports, Google Tag Manager, offline conversion uploads or CRM integrations.
Depth of deliverables
A findings report with walkthrough differs from an audit that also includes detailed implementation guidance or follow-up review.
Exact scope, fee, tax and payment terms are set out in the proposal after the discovery call. Your media spend is not affected by the audit.
What SAB clients say
Quotes from client reviews published on sab.id.
SAB helped us not only for our brand awareness but also the sales conversion. Budget management is transparent, and they hit the agreed KPI. That's what I'm always looking for from an agency.
Ariandes VeddytarroPT Servier Indonesia
Frequently asked questions
What access do you need?
Read-only access to Google Ads, viewer access to GA4, and read access to Google Tag Manager and Merchant Center if you use them. We do not need admin rights or billing access, and we do not change anything in your accounts during the audit.
Will our current agency know about the audit?
That is your decision. Read-only access is visible to account administrators. Many companies share the findings with their agency, since the fix plan is written so any competent team can act on it.
Can you guarantee better results after the audit?
No. An audit identifies problems and recommends fixes, but results depend on implementation, competition and market conditions. Any performance commitment would only apply if written in a signed agreement.
How much account history do you need?
Several months of data gives the clearest picture, especially for search terms and bidding. For newer accounts we can still review setup, tracking and structure, but some findings will be less conclusive.
Do you audit Performance Max and Shopping campaigns?
Yes. We review asset groups, brand exclusions, final URL expansion and the reports Google makes available. For Shopping and feed-based campaigns we also look at the Merchant Center feed and product groupings.
What do we receive at the end?
A written report of prioritised findings, each with the evidence, likely impact, effort and recommended fix, followed by a walkthrough session. The report is in English; key points can be summarised in Indonesian for local team members.
Can SAB implement the fixes?
Yes, if you want. Implementation or ongoing management is proposed separately after the audit, so there is no obligation to continue with SAB.
Do you check landing pages and tracking outside Google Ads?
Yes, to the extent they affect the account. We check message match, mobile experience, form and WhatsApp click tracking and how GA4 key events are imported. A full website audit is a separate service.
Book a Google Ads audit with SAB
Send us your website, the Google Ads campaigns you run, your approximate monthly spend range and the main concern you want answered. We will prepare questions for a 30-minute discovery call.
Related SAB services
Each page covers a different need. Pick the one closest to your current challenge.
Explore all SAB services