Google Ads & Amazon Optimization Checklist Framework

Overview

Asymmetric manages paid advertising across Google Ads and Amazon for multiple clients. During the Q4 2025 OKR review, the team identified that optimization work had been limited to a monthly cadence — insufficient for catching performance issues early and maintaining consistent account health. The decision was made to build a structured, tiered checklist system covering daily through quarterly intervals for both platforms.

This article documents the framework rationale and the intended checklist structure. Actual checklist content should be built out in collaboration with ^[1], who owns this initiative.

Origin: Gilbert committed to building these checklists as a Q1 OKR deliverable. See ^[2].

Why Checklists Over SOPs

The broader operational direction at Asymmetric is to pivot from complex SOPs to simple, actionable checklists. SOPs tend to be long, hard to maintain, and rarely consulted in the flow of work. Checklists are:

• Faster to create (especially with AI assistance)
• Easier to follow consistently
• More likely to surface issues at the right cadence
• Simpler to update as platforms evolve

This philosophy applies directly to paid advertising optimization. Rather than a single document describing how to manage an account, the goal is a set of lightweight checklists that prompt the right actions at the right time.

See also: ^[3] for the broader operational context.

Checklist Cadence Structure

Daily

Focus: catch acute issues before they compound.

• [ ] Check for disapproved ads or policy flags
• [ ] Review spend pacing vs. daily budget
• [ ] Check for significant CTR or conversion rate drops (>20% vs. prior day)
• [ ] Review any automated recommendations or alerts from the platform
• [ ] Confirm tracking is firing correctly (especially after any site changes)

Weekly

Focus: performance trends and bid management.

• [ ] Review keyword performance — pause underperformers, identify breakout terms
• [ ] Check search term reports for negative keyword opportunities
• [ ] Review impression share and lost IS (budget vs. rank)
• [ ] Assess ad group-level performance; flag anomalies
• [ ] Review audience segment performance (if applicable)
• [ ] Check Quality Scores (Google) or Relevance Scores and adjust as needed
• [ ] Review landing page conversion rates — flag if traffic is arriving but not converting

Bi-Weekly

Focus: creative and audience refresh.

• [ ] Review ad copy performance; identify lowest-performing variants for replacement
• [ ] Check frequency/fatigue indicators (display/YouTube/Amazon DSP)
• [ ] Review competitor activity or auction insights
• [ ] Assess bid strategy performance vs. targets (tCPA, tROAS, etc.)
• [ ] Review any A/B tests in progress; document results

Monthly

Focus: strategic review and client reporting.

• [ ] Full account performance review vs. prior month and prior year
• [ ] Compare performance to industry benchmarks (CTR, CPA, ROAS)
• [ ] Review budget allocation across campaigns; reallocate if needed
• [ ] Assess conversion path and landing page alignment — are ads sending traffic to the right destination?
• [ ] Review account structure for consolidation or expansion opportunities
• [ ] Update client-facing reporting and OKR progress
• [ ] Document what changed, what was tested, and what the results were

Quarterly

Focus: strategy reset and goal alignment.

• [ ] Full audit of account structure, settings, and targeting
• [ ] Review campaign goals against client business objectives — are we optimizing for the right outcomes?
• [ ] Assess keyword list comprehensiveness; conduct fresh keyword research
• [ ] Review and refresh negative keyword lists
• [ ] Evaluate match type strategy
• [ ] Review conversion tracking setup end-to-end
• [ ] Identify new campaign types or formats to test (e.g., Performance Max, YouTube, Amazon Sponsored Brands)
• [ ] Set targets and focus areas for the next quarter

Platform-Specific Notes

Google Ads

• Pay particular attention to Quality Score components: expected CTR, ad relevance, landing page experience. Low QS inflates CPA and limits reach.
• Monitor Performance Max campaigns separately — they require different optimization levers than standard search.
• Gilbert is working toward proficiency in YouTube Ads and service-only ad formats as part of a 6-month learning plan.

Amazon Ads

• Optimization must account for the full funnel: ads drive traffic, but conversion depends on listing quality, pricing, and reviews. Don't optimize ads in isolation.
• Track ACoS and TACoS as primary efficiency metrics.
• The ^[4] account has had flat profit margins for over a year — a new strategy is needed that looks beyond ad optimization to the conversion layer.
• Review Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display separately; each has distinct optimization levers.

Relationship to X-Ray Dashboard

The ^[5] will surface key performance data across platforms in a single dashboard, including industry benchmark comparisons for metrics like CTR and CPA. Once live, X-Ray should be used as the starting point for weekly and monthly checklist reviews — reducing the need to log into each platform individually before identifying where to focus.

Ownership & Next Steps

Related

• ^[2]
• ^[6]
• ^[3]
• ^[7]
• ^[1]