In this guide
- Check conversion tracking and value first, then structure, bidding, creative, landing pages and audiences.
- Use diagnostics in the interface and compare with your store.
- Change one thing at a time and wait for the learning phase.
A struggling Google Ads account is rarely broken in one place. A methodical walk through ten checks finds most problems. This page lists them with what to look at. It is a companion to improve PPC performance, Google Ads conversion tracking and server-side conversion tracking for Google Ads.
The ten checks
| # | Check | What to look at |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conversion actions | Status "Recording conversions"; one primary action per outcome; values correct |
| 2 | Duplicates | Transaction IDs; no double counting between tag and import |
| 3 | Enhanced conversions | On, with hashed customer data and consent |
| 4 | Offline stages | Qualified and won imported for lead generation |
| 5 | Campaign structure | Enough volume per campaign; clear themes |
| 6 | Search terms | Irrelevant terms and negatives |
| 7 | Bidding strategy and targets | Targets match margin; learning status |
| 8 | Ads and assets | Ad strength, assets, fresh variations |
| 9 | Landing pages | Speed, relevance, mobile experience |
| 10 | Audiences | Customer lists for signals and exclusions |
Orders from your store, back to the ad that earned them
Your store sends the order once. Open Tracked passes it on to each ad platform, cleaned and deduplicated.
Use the diagnostics
- Recommendations and optimisation score: read them critically. They are not always in your interest.
- Change history: see what changed before a drop.
- Diagnostics in Goals: conversion tag status and data issues.
- Search terms and placement reports: where the money went.
Tracking quality in practice
Google Ads can only optimise on what it sees. If conversions are lost to blockers and Safari, bidding learns from a partial picture. Server-side conversion tracking with enhanced conversions recovers a share. With Open Tracked, Click ID Restorer and Cookie Keeper (every plan) keep click IDs and cookies available, the Data Store and Enricher add stored customer data, and the POAS Data Feed (Pro) can send profit as the conversion value. See profit on ad spend.
Ask Ari instead of digging through reports
Ari reads your tracking and ad data and answers in plain words.
When to wait
After changes to bidding strategy, targets or conversion actions, the account enters a learning phase. Judge results after about two weeks and enough conversions. Avoid stacking changes on top of each other.
A simple improvement loop
Compare Google Ads conversions with your store
For the same dates.
Fix tracking gaps
Before anything else.
Remove waste
Negatives, poor placements, off-intent terms.
Improve the offer
Ads and landing pages.
Review profit
By campaign, with POAS.
A realistic example
A store spends $8,000 a month on Google Ads and its ROAS has slipped. A ten-point review finds three things. The purchase conversion is counted by both the tag and a shop import with different order IDs, so reported conversions are inflated. A shopping campaign has spent heavily on terms for competitors' products. And the target ROAS was set from revenue rather than margin, so the account is chasing low-profit baskets. The team removes the duplicate, adds negatives, resets the target from break-even and gives bidding two weeks. Reported ROAS falls on paper because the double count is gone, while profit per ad dollar rises. The lesson is to fix the measurement first, so that you know what you are improving.
3 things to remember
Scroll and the points stack up.
Check conversion tracking and value first, then structure, bidding, creative, landing pages and audiences.
Use diagnostics in the interface and compare with your store.
Change one thing at a time and wait for the learning phase.
Frequently asked questions
How do I improve Google Ads performance?
Check conversion tracking, remove waste in search terms, set targets from margin, improve ads and landing pages and use customer lists.
Why is conversion tracking first?
Smart bidding learns from it. Poor data leads to poor optimisation.
How long is the learning phase?
Usually about two weeks after a bidding or conversion change.
Should I follow optimisation score recommendations?
Read them critically. Apply those that fit your goals.
Can server-side tracking help?
Yes. It recovers conversions lost in the browser and improves matching.
Do I need spreadsheets to read my results?
No. Once tracking is live, the Open Tracked analytics shows spend, revenue, ROAS and profit, and you can ask Ari, the built-in AI assistant, questions about your own numbers in plain words. Ari's allowance depends on your analytics plan.
Is Open Tracked different from Open Track or Open Space Track?
No. Open Tracked is the official name of our server-side tracking platform, and the website is opentracked.io. Many people search for it as Open Track, OpenTrack or Open Space Track. All of them lead to the same product: server-side Google Tag Manager hosting, first-party analytics and a CRM pipeline.
Fix your tracking at the source
Open Tracked hosts your server-side Tag Manager, keeps first-party cookies alive and shows what each ad is really worth.
The Open Tracked team
We build Open Tracked: server-side tracking hosting, analytics and the tools around them, for stores that spend on ads. Questions about this guide, or an idea for the next one?
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