Short answer: SEO Runway is the best PPC audit tool if you want an AI (Gemini) audit of your Google Ads account with fixes you can review and apply in one click, next to your SEO data. Optmyzr is the most complete optimisation suite for PPC specialists. Opteo is the easiest recommendation-led tool. For a free one-off check, the WordStream Google Ads Grader gives a quick score.
Disclosure: SEO Runway is our product. We ranked it using the same criteria as every other tool, and noted where others do better.
Quick picks
- Best AI audit with one-click fixes: SEO Runway
- Most complete for PPC specialists: Optmyzr
- Easiest recommendations: Opteo
- Best for ad testing audits: Adalysis
- Best free check: WordStream Google Ads Grader
PPC audit tools compared
| Tool | Checks | Prioritised | Savings estimate | One-click apply | AI | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEO Runway | Campaigns, keywords, search terms, budgets, ads | Yes | Waste from search terms | Yes | Gemini audit | $29 |
| Optmyzr | Very broad | Yes | Yes | Yes | AI features | ~$209* |
| Opteo | Broad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Recommendations | ~$129* |
| Adalysis | Broad, ad testing | Yes | Partial | Partial | Yes | ~$149* |
| WordStream Grader | Core checks | Score | Estimated waste | No | No | Free |
| Adzooma | Core checks | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Free plan* |
| Karooya | Search terms, negatives | Partial | Yes | Partial | No | See site* |
| Semrush | Research-led | Partial | No | No | Yes | ~$139* |
| PPC Signal | Monitoring | Alerts | Check | No | Yes | See site* |
| Ryze AI | AI audit | Yes | Check | Check | Yes | See site* |
*Approximate; verify. Some tools price by ad spend.
How we chose these tools
We compared each tool's published features, plans and documentation on six criteria:
- Checks covered: structure, keywords, search terms, bids, budgets, ads, extensions and tracking.
- Prioritisation by impact, not alphabetical warnings.
- Estimated savings or upside.
- Fix guidance or one-click apply.
- AI that explains its reasoning.
- Price, flat or as a share of spend.
1. SEO Runway: best AI audit with one-click fixes
Verdict: connects to Google Ads with OAuth, runs a Gemini audit of your campaigns, and lets you apply the recommended fixes in one click, with changes written back to Google Ads.
Best for: businesses and agencies that run Google Ads alongside SEO and want audits without a PPC specialist's toolkit.
Key features:
- A Gemini campaign audit with prioritised recommendations and one-click apply.
- Search-term mining that flags wasted spend and suggests negatives.
- Campaigns, ad groups, keywords, budgets and status managed in-app and written back to Google Ads.
- AI responsive search ad copy: 5 headlines and 3 descriptions per request.
Pricing: Google Ads plans from $29/month; 14-day free trial. See plans.
Pros: an audit and fixes in one place; plain-English recommendations; SEO data in the same project.
Cons: fewer advanced scripts and bid strategies than Optmyzr; Google Ads only, with no Microsoft Ads.
2. Optmyzr: most complete for PPC specialists
Verdict: the deepest optimisation toolkit, with audits, rule engines, scripts and reports for serious PPC teams.
Key features: account audits; Rule Engine; one-click optimisations; budget pacing; Microsoft Ads support.
Pricing: from around $209/month, tiered by spend (verify).
Pros: depth; automation; multi-platform.
Cons: a learning curve; costly for small accounts.
3. Opteo: easiest recommendations
Verdict: a clean list of improvements you can push live in one click.
Pricing: from around $129/month (verify).
Pros: ease of use; clear impact estimates.
Cons: less customisation than Optmyzr.
4. Adalysis: best for ad testing audits
Verdict: strong on ad testing, quality score analysis and automated audits.
Pricing: from around $149/month (verify).
Pros: ad testing; daily audit checks.
Cons: a dated interface.
5. WordStream Google Ads Grader: best free check
Verdict: a free one-off report card on account health and estimated waste.
Pricing: free.
Pros: free; quick.
Cons: no ongoing monitoring or fixes.
6. Adzooma: best free plan
Verdict: an automated health check and opportunities, with a free tier.
Pricing: free plan; paid tiers (verify).
Pros: accessible.
Cons: lighter analysis.
7. Karooya: best for search-term waste
Verdict: focused on finding wasted spend in search terms.
Pricing: see Karooya's site.
Pros: waste detection.
Cons: narrow scope.
8. Semrush: best for competitive PPC research
Verdict: audits informed by competitor ad and keyword research.
Pricing: Semrush plans (verify).
Pros: competitor insight.
Cons: not an account optimiser.
9. PPC Signal: best for anomaly alerts
Verdict: monitors accounts and flags unusual changes.
Pricing: see PPC Signal's site.
Pros: early warnings.
Cons: alerts more than audits.
10. Ryze AI: AI-first audit newcomer
Verdict: an AI-led Google Ads analysis tool worth watching.
Pricing: see Ryze's site.
Pros: AI-first.
Cons: a young product with limited track record.
A 25-point manual Google Ads audit checklist
- Conversion tracking fires correctly and counts only real conversions.
- Primary and secondary conversions are set correctly.
- Auto-tagging is on and GA4 is linked.
- Campaigns are split by goal, not mixed.
- Ad groups are tightly themed.
- Bid strategies match each campaign's conversion volume.
- Budgets aren't capping your best campaigns.
- Search terms were reviewed in the last 7 days.
- Shared negative lists exist and are applied.
- There are no duplicate or conflicting keywords across ad groups.
- Match types are intentional.
- Low-quality-score keywords are fixed or paused.
- Each ad group has at least one RSA with 10 or more headlines.
- Ad strength is "Good" or better where it makes sense.
- Sitelinks, callouts and structured snippets are live.
- Call and location assets are set where relevant.
- Location targeting is "presence", not "interest", unless intended.
- Ad schedule matches business hours for call campaigns.
- Device performance has been reviewed.
- Display network expansion is off for search campaigns.
- Landing pages load fast and match the ad's promise.
- Final URLs return 200 and use the right tracking.
- Auto-applied recommendations are reviewed or turned off.
- Brand and non-brand are separated.
- The change history matches what the team expects.
Related Google Ads guides
Frequently asked questions
How often should I audit Google Ads?
Do a full audit every quarter and whenever performance changes sharply. Review search terms, budgets and conversion tracking weekly.
Can AI optimise Google Ads safely?
Yes, if you review each recommendation before it is applied, understand why it was made, and keep a change history. Avoid letting any tool apply changes unreviewed on high-spend accounts.
What does a PPC audit include?
Conversion tracking, account structure, keywords and match types, search terms and negatives, bidding, budgets, ads and assets, targeting and landing pages.
Are free Google Ads audits useful?
For a first check, yes. Free graders surface obvious waste, but they don't monitor the account or help you fix issues over time.
How much wasted spend is typical?
It varies widely. Irrelevant search terms are the most common source of waste, which is why search-term reviews are the highest-value weekly task.
The bottom line
- Businesses and agencies wanting AI audits with one-click fixes next to SEO: SEO Runway.
- PPC specialists: Optmyzr.
- Teams wanting the simplest recommendations: Opteo.
- A free one-off check: WordStream Grader.
Start a 14-day free trial of SEO Runway, connect Google Ads and run your first AI audit, or see the Google Ads workspace.
