Ad Grants Monthly Maintenance Checklist

Effective performance monitoring is essential for maximizing your Google Ad Grants impact, maintaining compliance, and continuously improving campaign results. This guide covers the key metrics to track, monitoring schedules, reporting strategies, and optimization triggers to help your nonprofit get the most from your $10,000 monthly advertising budget.

Ad Grants Monthly Maintenance: Essential Performance Metrics

Compliance Metrics (Critical Priority)

Account-Wide Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Target: 5% minimum (aim for 7-8% for safety buffer) Monitoring Frequency: Daily checks, weekly detailed review Calculation: Total clicks ÷ total impressions × 100 Action Threshold: If CTR drops below 6%, immediately investigate and optimize

CTR Monitoring Best Practices:

• Check daily to spot trends early
• Identify campaigns or ad groups dragging down overall CTR
• Pause keywords with CTR below 2% immediately
• Analyze search terms for relevance issues

Individual Keyword CTR

Target: 3-5% minimum per keyword to maintain in active campaigns Warning Level: Keywords consistently below 2% should be paused Review Frequency: Weekly keyword performance analysis Quality Focus: Better to have fewer high-performing keywords than many poor performers

Conversion Metrics (Impact Priority)

Conversion Rate

Definition: Percentage of clicks resulting in desired actions Calculation: Conversions ÷ clicks × 100 Benchmark Targets:

• Donation pages: 2-5%
• Volunteer applications: 3-8%
• Program inquiries: 5-10%
• Newsletter signups: 8-15%

Monitoring Strategy:

• Track conversion rates by campaign and ad group
• Compare performance across different conversion types
• Identify high and low-performing landing pages
• Monitor conversion rate trends over time

Cost Per Conversion

Definition: Average advertising cost to generate one conversion Calculation: Total cost ÷ total conversions Value Assessment: Compare cost per conversion to value of conversion action Optimization Target: Decrease cost per conversion while maintaining or increasing volume

Typical Nonprofit Benchmarks:

• Email signup: $1-5
• Contact form submission: $5-15
• Volunteer application: $10-30
• Online donation: $20-100 (varies significantly by organization size and cause)

Conversion Volume

Tracking: Total number of conversions by type and time period Goals: Set monthly targets based on organizational capacity and objectives Trend Analysis: Monitor month-over-month and year-over-year growth Impact Measurement: Connect conversion volume to actual organizational outcomes

Engagement Metrics

Quality Score

Scale: 1-10 rating for each keyword Target: 7+ for optimal performance Components: Expected CTR, ad relevance, landing page experience Impact: Higher Quality Scores improve ad position and efficiency

Quality Score Monitoring:

• Review Quality Scores monthly for all active keywords
• Identify keywords with scores below 5 for improvement or removal
• Analyze components to understand improvement opportunities
• Track Quality Score trends over time

Impression Share

Definition: Percentage of possible impressions your ads received Types: Search impression share, top-of-page impression share Lost Impression Share Causes: Budget limitations or ad rank Optimization Opportunity: Identifies growth potential for successful campaigns

Average Position

Range: Position on search results page where ads appear Target: Top 3 positions for high-intent keywords Monitoring: Track position changes over time Competitive Analysis: Understand position relative to bidding and quality

Budget and Spend Metrics

Daily and Monthly Spend

Daily Tracking: Monitor spend against $329 daily budget cap Monthly Target: Work toward utilizing full $10,000 monthly allocation Pacing Analysis: Ensure consistent spend throughout month Utilization Rate: Track percentage of available budget actually spent

Budget Utilization by Campaign

Distribution Analysis: Review how budget allocates across campaigns Performance Weighting: Ensure budget flows to highest-performing campaigns Opportunity Identification: Find campaigns hitting budget limits with good performance Reallocation Strategy: Shift budget from underperforming to high-performing campaigns

Ad Grants Monthly Maintenance: Monitoring Schedule and Processes

Daily Monitoring Tasks (10-15 minutes)

Quick Health Check

Account-Wide CTR: Verify CTR remains above 5% Campaign Status: Ensure all campaigns are active and delivering Policy Alerts: Check for any Google Ads notifications or warnings Spend Pacing: Review daily spend against budget allocation

Daily Dashboard Review:

• Log into Google Ads account
• Check account overview for CTR and spend
• Review notifications tab for alerts
• Scan campaign performance table for anomalies

Immediate Action Triggers

CTR Below 5%: Investigate cause and implement fixes Campaign Paused: Determine reason and resolve issues Policy Warnings: Address compliance issues immediately Zero Spend: Troubleshoot delivery or technical problems

Weekly Monitoring Tasks (45-60 minutes)

Performance Analysis

Campaign Review: Analyze each campaign’s CTR, conversions, and cost per conversion Ad Group Analysis: Identify high and low-performing ad groups Keyword Performance: Review individual keyword metrics Search Terms Report: Analyze actual search queries triggering ads

Weekly Optimization Actions:

• Pause keywords with CTR consistently below 2%
• Add negative keywords to prevent irrelevant traffic
• Adjust bids based on performance data
• Test new ad copy variations for underperforming groups

Conversion Tracking Verification

Goal Functionality: Test that conversion tracking is working properly Data Accuracy: Compare Google Ads conversion data with website analytics Tracking Issues: Identify and resolve any tracking discrepancies Value Assessment: Ensure conversion values remain accurate

Monthly Monitoring Tasks (2-3 hours)

Comprehensive Performance Review

Account Health: Complete compliance audit including CTR, keywords, and policies Campaign Performance: Detailed analysis of each campaign’s contribution to goals Conversion Analysis: Deep dive into conversion rates, costs, and volume Budget Utilization: Review spend patterns and optimization opportunities

Monthly Reporting Elements:

• Total conversions by type
• Cost per conversion by campaign
• Account-wide CTR trend
• Budget utilization percentage
• Quality Score distribution
• Top performing keywords and ads
• Underperforming elements requiring attention

Strategic Planning

Goal Progress: Measure progress toward quarterly and annual objectives Trend Identification: Recognize patterns in performance data Opportunity Assessment: Identify areas for campaign expansion or optimization Next Month Planning: Set priorities and action items for coming month

Quarterly Strategic Review (4-6 hours)

Comprehensive Analysis

Performance Trends: Analyze 90-day performance trends and patterns Seasonal Factors: Identify seasonal impacts on performance Competitive Landscape: Review auction insights and competitor activity ROI Assessment: Calculate return on investment and mission impact

Strategic Adjustments:

• Revise campaign structure based on learnings
• Reallocate budget across campaigns for optimal performance
• Plan seasonal campaigns and budget adjustments
• Set goals and benchmarks for next quarter

Ad Grants Monthly Maintenance: Key Performance Reports to Monitor

Google Ads Standard Reports

Search Terms Report

Purpose: Shows actual search queries triggering your ads Insights: Identifies relevant and irrelevant traffic patterns Action Items: Add negative keywords, discover new keyword opportunities Review Frequency: Weekly minimum, more often for new campaigns

Analysis Focus:

• High-volume search terms with low CTR or conversions
• Irrelevant queries to add as negative keywords
• High-performing terms to add as keywords
• Search intent patterns and trends

Keyword Performance Report

Metrics: CTR, conversions, cost per conversion by keyword Sorting: Identify best and worst performers Optimization: Pause poor performers, increase bids for winners Quality Focus: Track Quality Scores alongside performance metrics

Campaign Performance Report

Overview: Campaign-level performance across all key metrics Comparison: Identify which campaigns drive best results Budget Allocation: Determine optimal budget distribution Strategic Planning: Inform campaign expansion or consolidation decisions

Google Analytics Reports

Acquisition Report

Source Analysis: Understand how Ad Grants traffic compares to other sources Behavior Metrics: Review bounce rate, pages per session, time on site Conversion Paths: Analyze how ads contribute to multi-touch conversions Landing Page Performance: Identify best and worst performing pages

Conversion Funnel Report

Process Analysis: Understand where visitors drop off in conversion process Optimization Opportunities: Identify steps to improve for better conversion rates Technical Issues: Spot potential technical problems preventing conversions A/B Testing Ideas: Develop hypotheses for landing page improvements

Behavior Flow Report

User Journey: Visualize how ad traffic navigates through website Content Engagement: Identify most and least engaging pages Exit Pages: Understand where and why visitors leave site Path Optimization: Improve user journey based on behavior patterns

Ad Grants Monthly Maintenance: Performance Monitoring Tools and Dashboards

Google Ads Dashboard Configuration

Key Metrics Display: Configure dashboard to show critical compliance and performance metrics Custom Columns: Add columns for most important metrics to campaign view Saved Reports: Create and schedule automated reports for regular delivery Alerts: Set up automated alerts for performance thresholds

Recommended Dashboard Metrics:

• Account-wide CTR
• Total conversions and conversion rate
• Cost per conversion
• Budget utilization
• Quality Score average
• Impression share

Google Analytics Dashboard Setup

Ad Grants Overview Dashboard: Create custom dashboard for Ad Grants performance Goal Tracking: Display conversion goals and completion rates Real-Time Monitoring: Set up real-time view for conversion tracking verification Custom Alerts: Configure alerts for unusual traffic or conversion patterns

Spreadsheet Tracking

Performance Log: Maintain monthly performance tracking spreadsheet Trend Analysis: Chart performance metrics over time Goal Tracking: Document progress toward organizational objectives Stakeholder Reporting: Prepare simplified reports for board and leadership

Optimization Triggers and Action Thresholds

Immediate Action Required

CTR Below 5%

Response Time: Same day Actions: Pause lowest performing keywords, improve ad relevance, add negative keywords Escalation: If CTR doesn’t improve within 3 days, implement more aggressive optimization

Campaign Not Delivering

Response Time: Within hours Actions: Check budget, bids, targeting, ad approval status Resolution: Identify and resolve delivery issues immediately

Conversion Tracking Stopped

Response Time: Same day Actions: Test tracking functionality, check code implementation, review recent website changes Priority: Critical for campaign optimization and reporting

Weekly Optimization Triggers

Keyword CTR Below 2%

Action: Pause keyword after 2 consecutive weeks below threshold Analysis: Understand why keyword underperforms before pausing Alternative: Consider improving ad copy or landing page before removal

Ad Group CTR Below 4%

Action: Review entire ad group for relevance and optimization opportunities Components: Analyze keywords, ad copy, and landing page Testing: Implement changes and monitor for improvement

Cost Per Conversion Increasing

Action: Analyze cause of increase and implement corrections Factors: Review changes to bids, keywords, competition, or landing pages Optimization: Adjust bidding strategy or improve conversion rate

Monthly Optimization Triggers

Campaign Conversion Rate Declining

Action: Comprehensive campaign audit and optimization Analysis: Review landing pages, ad copy, keyword relevance, and tracking Testing: Implement A/B tests to identify improvement opportunities

Budget Consistently Underutilized

Action: Expand campaigns with additional keywords and ad groups Strategy: Test new campaign types or geographic expansion Growth: Gradually increase budgets while maintaining performance

Quality Score Below 5

Action: Systematic improvement of keyword relevance and landing pages Components: Improve expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience Monitoring: Track Quality Score improvements after optimizations

Performance Reporting for Stakeholders

Executive Summary Reports (Monthly)

Format: One-page overview with key highlights Metrics: Total conversions, cost per conversion, key wins Impact: Connect advertising performance to organizational outcomes Recommendations: Brief summary of next month’s priorities

Essential Elements:

• Total donations or volunteers generated
• Cost efficiency compared to other marketing channels
• Notable successes or improvements
• One-sentence outlook for next period

Detailed Performance Reports (Quarterly)

Comprehensive Analysis: Full performance breakdown with trends and insights Strategic Context: How Ad Grants supports broader organizational goals ROI Calculation: Return on investment and mission impact Forward Planning: Recommendations and goals for next quarter

Board-Level Reports (Annual)

High-Level Overview: Year in review with major accomplishments Impact Metrics: Total organizational impact from Ad Grants program Strategic Value: How advertising supports mission advancement Future Vision: Plans and goals for continued growth

Conclusion

Effective performance monitoring transforms your Google Ad Grants from a compliance requirement into a powerful tool for mission advancement. Systematic tracking of key metrics, consistent monitoring schedules, and data-driven optimization ensure you maximize the impact of your $10,000 monthly advertising budget.

The key to successful monitoring is establishing sustainable routines that balance compliance requirements with performance optimization. Focus on the metrics that matter most for your organization, respond quickly to issues, and continuously refine your campaigns based on data insights.

Remember that performance monitoring is not just about tracking numbers—it’s about understanding how your advertising connects people with your mission and drives meaningful action. Use monitoring data to tell your impact story and continuously improve your ability to serve your community.

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Simplify performance monitoring with Ad Grants Pilot, which provides automated performance tracking, compliance alerts, and actionable optimization recommendations to maximize your Ad Grants effectiveness.

Monthly Maintenance Checklist: Keeping Your Ad Grants Account Healthy

Regular monthly maintenance is essential for sustaining Google Ad Grants compliance, optimizing performance, and preventing issues before they impact your account. This comprehensive checklist provides a systematic approach to monthly account management, ensuring you maintain the 5% CTR requirement while maximizing the impact of your $10,000 monthly advertising budget.

Monthly Maintenance Overview

Why Monthly Maintenance Matters

Compliance Protection: Proactive monitoring prevents account suspension Performance Optimization: Regular optimization improves conversion rates and efficiency Budget Maximization: Ensures effective use of available advertising budget Strategic Planning: Provides data for informed decision-making and campaign expansion

Time Investment

Estimated Duration: 2-3 hours per month Frequency: Complete checklist within first 5 days of each month Team Involvement: Can be completed by one person or split among team members Documentation: Record completion dates and key findings for reference

Compliance Verification (Priority 1)

Account-Wide CTR Check

• Review 30-day account CTR in Google Ads overview
• Verify CTR is above 5% (target 7-8% for safety buffer)
• Calculate CTR trend compared to previous month
• Document CTR percentage in tracking spreadsheet

If CTR is below 6%:

• Identify campaigns or ad groups pulling down average
• Pause keywords with CTR below 2%
• Review and improve ad copy relevance
• Add negative keywords to improve targeting

Keyword Policy Compliance

• Audit keyword list for single-word keywords
• Remove any single-word terms that were added accidentally
• Verify all keywords contain two or more meaningful words
• Check match type compliance across all campaigns

Common Single-Word Violations to Check:

• Organization types (nonprofit, charity, foundation)
• Cause names (cancer, education, poverty)
• Service types (counseling, training, housing)
• Generic terms (help, support, volunteer)

Bid Compliance Verification

• Review maximum CPC settings across all campaigns
• Verify no bids exceed $2.00 limit
• Check automated bidding strategies respect maximum CPC cap
• Adjust any non-compliant bids to $2.00 or below

Policy Notifications Review

• Check Google Ads notifications tab for policy warnings
• Review any disapproved ads and correct issues
• Address landing page policy violations immediately
• Document any policy issues and resolutions taken

Performance Analysis (Priority 2)

Campaign Performance Review

• Review CTR by campaign and identify underperformers
• Analyze conversion rate by campaign
• Calculate cost per conversion for each campaign
• Review budget utilization by campaign
• Compare month-over-month performance trends

Performance Documentation:

• Total impressions and clicks by campaign
• Conversion volume and conversion rate
• Cost per conversion benchmarks
• Best and worst performing campaigns

Keyword Performance Analysis

• Sort keywords by CTR (lowest to highest)
• Pause keywords with CTR below 2% for 30+ days
• Review keywords with no impressions in last 30 days
• Identify top 10 performing keywords by conversions
• Check Quality Scores for all active keywords

Keyword Optimization Actions:

• Pause 10-20% of worst performing keywords
• Increase bids on top converting keywords
• Add variations of successful keywords
• Remove or modify low Quality Score keywords (below 5)

Ad Copy Performance

• Review ad performance by ad group
• Identify lowest performing ad assets (headlines/descriptions)
• Replace bottom 20% of assets with new variations
• Test new ad copy themes for underperforming groups
• Document winning ad copy for replication

Landing Page Analysis

• Review landing page conversion rates by campaign
• Test all landing pages for functionality and load speed
• Check mobile experience on key landing pages
• Verify conversion tracking is working correctly
• Identify pages with high bounce rates for improvement

Search Terms and Negative Keywords (Priority 2)

Search Terms Report Review

• Generate 30-day search terms report
• Sort by impressions to find high-volume terms
• Identify irrelevant search queries triggering ads
• Find new keyword opportunities in search terms
• Analyze search intent patterns and trends

Search Terms Analysis Tasks:

• Add 10-20 high-performing search terms as keywords
• Add 20-30 irrelevant terms as negative keywords
• Review search terms for brand confusion or misalignment
• Identify themes for new ad groups or campaigns

Negative Keyword Maintenance

• Review existing negative keyword list
• Add campaign-level negative keywords for broad exclusions
• Add ad-group-level negatives for specific targeting
• Create negative keyword lists for easier management
• Document negative keyword strategy and rationale

Common Negative Keywords to Add:

• Jobs and employment terms (unless recruiting)
• Commercial and for-profit terms
• Competitor organization names
• Irrelevant service terms
• Research and academic terms (unless relevant)

Budget and Spend Optimization (Priority 2)

Monthly Budget Review

• Calculate total spend for previous month
• Determine budget utilization percentage (spent ÷ $10,000)
• Review daily spend patterns for consistency
• Identify campaigns hitting budget limits consistently
• Calculate average daily spend across campaigns

Budget Optimization Actions:

• Increase budgets for high-performing campaigns hitting limits
• Decrease or pause budgets for underperforming campaigns
• Reallocate budget toward highest ROI campaigns
• Plan budget adjustments for seasonal opportunities

Campaign Budget Allocation

• Review budget distribution across campaigns
• Compare spend to conversions by campaign
• Calculate ROI for each campaign type
• Adjust daily budgets based on performance data
• Plan budget increases for upcoming month

Budget Planning Considerations:

• Seasonal factors (giving season, awareness months)
• Organizational priorities (fundraising events, program launches)
• Historical performance patterns
• Available organizational capacity for conversions

Conversion Tracking Verification (Priority 3)

Conversion Tracking Audit

• Test all conversion actions by completing them on website
• Verify conversions appear in Google Ads within 24 hours
• Compare Google Ads conversions with Google Analytics goals
• Check conversion values are accurate and consistent
• Review conversion attribution settings

Conversion Tracking Checks:

• Donation completion tracking
• Volunteer application submissions
• Contact form conversions
• Newsletter signup tracking
• Program registration conversions

Google Analytics Integration

• Verify Google Ads and Analytics linking is active
• Check that goals are importing correctly
• Review goal completion data in Analytics
• Analyze user behavior from ad traffic
• Monitor bounce rates from ad campaigns

Technical Maintenance (Priority 3)

Website Quality Check

• Test all ad landing pages for functionality
• Verify HTTPS security on all pages
• Check mobile responsiveness on key pages
• Test page load speeds (target under 3 seconds)
• Verify contact information is current and visible

Website Element Checks:

• Navigation links work properly
• Forms submit successfully
• Images and videos load correctly
• Privacy policy is accessible
• Donation processing functions properly

Ad Extensions Review

• Verify all sitelinks are working and relevant
• Update callout extensions for accuracy
• Check structured snippets for current information
• Test call extensions if applicable
• Review location extensions for accuracy

Extension Maintenance:

• Remove outdated event or seasonal extensions
• Add new extensions for upcoming programs or events
• Update extension landing pages if programs changed
• Test extension performance and remove poor performers

Account Structure Review

• Review campaign organization and naming conventions
• Check ad group themes for tight relevance
• Verify geographic targeting aligns with service areas
• Review audience exclusions if applicable
• Update campaign schedules for seasonal changes

Reporting and Documentation (Priority 3)

Performance Documentation

• Update monthly performance spreadsheet with key metrics
• Document month-over-month changes in performance
• Record major optimizations implemented
• Note any issues encountered and resolutions
• Calculate quarterly progress toward goals

Key Metrics to Document:

• Account-wide CTR
• Total conversions by type
• Cost per conversion
• Budget utilization percentage
• Quality Score average
• Top performing campaigns and keywords

Stakeholder Reporting

• Create monthly summary for leadership team
• Highlight key wins and improvements
• Report total impact (donations, volunteers, etc.)
• Share optimization plans for upcoming month
• Update quarterly report if applicable

Report Elements:

• Total conversions and organizational impact
• Cost efficiency metrics
• Compliance status
• Notable successes or challenges
• Next month priorities

Strategic Planning (Priority 3)

Opportunity Identification

• Identify underutilized budget opportunities
• Find successful themes to expand
• Discover new keyword opportunities from search terms
• Plan seasonal campaigns for upcoming months
• Review competitor activity in auction insights

Next Month Planning

• Set performance goals for upcoming month
• Plan campaign expansions or new launches
• Schedule content creation for new ads or landing pages
• Identify testing priorities for optimization
• Allocate resources for planned activities

Planning Checklist:

• New keywords to test
• Ad copy variations to develop
• Landing pages to create or optimize
• Budget allocation adjustments
• Seasonal campaign preparations

Annual Tasks (Complete Once Per Year)

Annual Survey Completion

• Watch for annual survey notification (typically January/February)
• Complete survey within deadline (usually 2-4 weeks)
• Document survey completion date
• Update organizational information as needed

Annual Strategic Review

• Review full year performance trends and patterns
• Calculate annual ROI and organizational impact
• Assess goal achievement against annual objectives
• Plan strategy for upcoming year
• Update account structure based on learnings

Checklist Completion Tips

Efficiency Strategies

Batch Similar Tasks: Complete all keyword reviews together, then all ad copy reviews Use Filters and Segments: Create saved filters in Google Ads for quick access to key data Template Reports: Use consistent reporting templates to speed monthly documentation Set Reminders: Calendar reminders ensure checklist completion within first 5 days of month

Team Delegation

Split Responsibilities: Divide checklist among team members based on expertise Clear Ownership: Assign specific sections to specific people Completion Tracking: Use shared document to track checklist progress Communication: Schedule brief meeting to review findings and plan actions

Documentation Best Practices

Maintain Log: Keep monthly checklist completion records Track Changes: Document all major optimizations and their impact Note Anomalies: Record unusual performance patterns or external factors Archive Reports: Save monthly reports for year-over-year comparisons

Conclusion

Consistent monthly maintenance is the foundation of sustainable Google Ad Grants success. This systematic approach to compliance verification, performance optimization, and strategic planning ensures your account remains healthy while continuously improving results.

The key to effective maintenance is establishing a regular schedule and treating the checklist as non-negotiable monthly priority. Investing 2-3 hours per month in systematic account review prevents compliance issues, identifies optimization opportunities, and maximizes the impact of your advertising budget.

Remember that monthly maintenance is not just about checking boxes—it’s about understanding your account’s health, making data-driven decisions, and continuously improving your ability to connect supporters with your nonprofit’s mission.

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Automate your monthly maintenance with Ad Grants Pilot, which provides automated compliance monitoring, performance alerts, and monthly optimization recommendations to streamline account management and maximize effectiveness.