Audit before you scale
Increasing budget on a broken account structure amplifies waste. Run this checklist when ACOS drifts up, when hero SKUs lose rank, after a catalog merge, or before peak season.
Export 60-90 days of campaign data, search term reports, and business reports before you change anything. You need a baseline to prove the rebuild worked.
Account structure and naming
Campaigns should map to intent and margin tiers, not to whoever built them last year. Consistent naming makes automation and reporting possible.
- Separate branded, competitor, category, and auto discovery campaigns
- Use consistent naming: Brand | Type | SKU/Goal | Match
- Archive zero-impression campaigns older than 90 days
- Confirm each hero SKU has dedicated exact and product targeting paths
- Document campaign ownership and review cadence in a shared sheet
Search term hygiene
Search term reports are where budget leaks hide. Promote converters to exact campaigns; negate irrelevant clicks before they become expensive habits.
- Pull search term report for last 60 days minimum
- Negate irrelevant terms with sufficient click volume and no orders
- Harvest converters into exact match ad groups with controlled bids
- Check auto campaigns for overlap with manual targets
- Review broad match modifiers and audience layering separately
Bid and placement logic
Bids should reflect margin targets and placement value, not set-and-forget defaults. Top-of-search boosts belong on proven converters, not on every keyword.
- Compare CPC vs ASP trend over 8 weeks
- Audit top-of-search and product page placement modifiers
- Lower bids on high-click, low-convert terms before negating
- Align bid floors with minimum acceptable ACOS or ROAS target
- Check dayparting only after statistical volume justifies it
Budget allocation and caps
Budget-constrained campaigns that convert well are missed revenue. Over-funded campaigns with weak ROAS are margin leaks. Rebalance toward SKUs that clear contribution targets.
- Flag campaigns hitting budget daily before 6 PM local
- Shift budget from sub-target ROAS campaigns to top quartile performers
- Confirm portfolio caps are not throttling profitable campaigns
- Set separate budgets for launch SKUs vs mature SKUs
- Model peak-season budget lifts against inventory coverage
Listing and catalog readiness
Ads cannot fix weak PDPs. Before scaling spend, confirm the detail page converts: images, title clarity, bullet hierarchy, price competitiveness, and in-stock status.
- Main image meets category requirements and reads on mobile
- Price is competitive vs Buy Box and key competitors
- Inventory covers at least 21 days of ad-driven velocity
- Review count and rating not in active crisis
- A+ or Brand Story live if registered
Targeting overlap and cannibalization
Multiple campaigns bidding on the same query inflate your own CPC. Map keyword and ASIN targets across campaigns and resolve conflicts intentionally.
- List duplicate keyword targets across ad groups
- Decide which campaign owns each hero keyword
- Review SD and SP overlap on retargeting pools
- Check brand defense terms are not competing with category terms
Reporting rhythm and ownership
An audit is only useful if someone owns the fixes. Assign deadlines to each finding and review weekly until metrics stabilize.
- Weekly: search terms, budget caps, stockouts, bid anomalies
- Biweekly: placement performance, new keyword harvest
- Monthly: structure review, SKU-level TACoS vs total revenue
- Quarterly: full rebuild consideration and match type strategy
- Keep a change log: date, change, expected impact, result