Session 20: SEM Audit, Quality Score & Finalizing A3

Block 3: The Real-World Technical SEO/SEM Audit (A3)

View lecture slides: Session 20 Slides

1-Hour Lecture (Theory & Strategy)

  • SEM audits mirror SEO audits: check account structure (campaign → ad group → keyword → ad relevance), Quality Score drivers (expected CTR, ad relevance, landing page experience), and wasted-spend signals (broad match with no negatives, low-relevance search terms).
  • Read the full theory here: Intro to SEM/PPC, Campaign Structure, and Ad Performance.
  • Recap the Phase 1 reference for quick lookups: Google Ads Reference.
  • Report structure for A3: Executive summary (3 bullets) → Keyword mapping → On-page/technical fixes → SEM observations (if applicable) → Prioritized action list → Appendix (screenshots/evidence).

1-Hour Lab (Agency Execution)

  1. If your audit site runs (or mock-runs) Google/Meta ads, review the mock campaign structures from Phase 1 Session 4: SEM & Paid Search and Phase 1 Session 5: Paid Social Media Strategy for ad-group-to-keyword relevance and note any Quality-Score red flags (broad match with no negative keywords, generic ad copy vs. specific ad groups).
  2. If no live SEM account exists, substitute a 10-minute peer audit swap: review a classmate’s mock Google Ads structure from Phase 1 and give one Quality Score observation.
  3. Assemble your full A3 SEO Mini-Audit report using the structure from the lecture: executive summary, keyword map (Session 18), fixes (Session 19), SEM notes, prioritized actions, evidence appendix.
  4. Proofread against the rubric, then submit.

Deliverable: Assignment A3 — Submitted

SEO Mini-Audit report complete. Block 4 shifts focus to email automation, analytics, and finalizing A2.