DetectivePPC vs. Manual Audits vs. DIY AI vs. Google Recommendations
Not all audits are created equal. See how a scored case file stacks up against a manual audit, a general chat, and Google's built-in suggestions.
Your DetectivePPC report
Health
Good
3
Crit
7
Warn
12
Opp
Google Ads recommendations panel
Add 5 keywords
KeywordsReach more users searching for what you offer.
Use Performance Max campaigns
CampaignsFind more conversions across all channels.
Bid more efficiently with Maximize conversions
BiddingGet more conversions while maintaining ROAS.
Add responsive search ads
AdsShow more relevant messages to users.
The depth, prioritization, and advertiser-first framing are the difference.
DetectivePPC
Same investigation. A score you can compare. A PDF the client keeps.
Strengths
- The same checks every time — a health score you can compare
- White-label PDF with your branding
- Comprehensive 50+ dimension audit in around 5 minutes
- Channel deep dives: Shopping, Display, DSA, Video, Demand Gen, App
- Industry benchmarks against an anonymized peer cohort
- Cross-account portfolio dashboard + insights feed
- Scheduled audits + Monday weekly recap email per account
- A strategist and chat that interrogate the case file
Limitations
- Requires subscription for ongoing use
- AI recommendations may need human context
Manual Audit
Human analyst, time-intensive
Strengths
- Deep human judgment and business context
- Can incorporate qualitative factors
- Tailored to specific business goals
Limitations
- Takes 4-8 hours per account
- Quality varies by analyst experience
- Expensive ($150-500+ per audit)
- Hard to scale across many accounts
- PMax campaigns often skipped or surface-level
- No standardized health score or benchmarking
Google Recommendations
Built-in, Google-optimized
Strengths
- Free and always available
- Integrated directly in Google Ads UI
- Auto-apply option for some suggestions
Limitations
- Optimizes for Google's revenue, not yours
- No structural or cross-campaign analysis
- No negative keyword gap detection
- No budget reallocation suggestions
- No PDF export or client-ready reports
- Generic recommendations, not prioritized by impact
- Limited Performance Max insights
DIY AI audits
ChatGPT, Claude, or custom AI workflows
Strengths
- Flexible — ask any question about your account
- Can paste exports or connect spreadsheets
- Uses powerful general-purpose AI models
- Low cost or free
Limitations
- No structured audit methodology or scoring
- Requires manual prompting for each area
- Results vary by prompt quality and model
- No change detection, goal pacing, or monitoring
- No PDF export or white-label reports
- No proactive surveillance or alerts
- Limited by context window on large accounts
- Requires ongoing setup and data wrangling
Feature-by-feature comparison
A detailed look at what each approach covers.
← Scroll to compare →
| Feature | DetectivePPC | Manual Audit | Google Recs | DIY AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consistent methodology | Varies by analyst | |||
| Health score & benchmarking | Optimization score | |||
| White-label PDF export | Manual effort | |||
| Change detection between audits | ||||
| Scheduled audits + weekly recap email | ||||
| Cross-account portfolio dashboard | Spreadsheet | |||
| Time to complete | Around 5 minutes | 4-8 hours | Always on | Varies (manual prompts) |
| Audit dimensions | 50+ | 10-20 typical | ~15 | Depends on prompts |
| Campaign structure analysis | If prompted | |||
| Keyword cannibalization check | If prompted | |||
| Negative keyword gap analysis | If prompted | |||
| Performance Max audit | Rarely | Limited | Limited | |
| Shopping deep dive | Sometimes | If prompted | ||
| Display deep dive | Sometimes | If prompted | ||
| Video / Demand Gen / App / DSA | Rarely | Rarely | ||
| Ad copy quality scoring | Limited | If prompted | ||
| Landing page analysis | Sometimes | |||
| Brand vs non-brand split | Sometimes | If prompted | ||
| Budget reallocation suggestions | Sometimes | If prompted | ||
| Projected ROI impact | ||||
| Prioritized recommendations | Varies | Generic | ||
| Goal pacing & projections | ||||
| Seasonality intelligence | ||||
| Industry benchmarks (peer cohort) | ||||
| Strategy briefs & client comms | ||||
| Advertiser-first perspective | Depends on prompt | |||
| Works across all account sizes | Time-limited | Context window limits | ||
| AI account strategist | ||||
| Smart chat opener (proactive) | ||||
| Custom strategist persona per account | Implicit | Manual setup | ||
| Cost | From $39/mo | $150-500/audit | Free | Free-$20/mo |
Why it matters
The right audit approach doesn't just save time — it directly impacts your bottom line.
Save 40+ hours per month
What takes an analyst a full day, our AI completes in around 5 minutes. Audit more accounts in less time.
Advertiser-first perspective
Unlike Google's recommendations that optimize for ad spend, our AI identifies what actually saves you money and improves ROI.
Consistent & comprehensive
Every audit covers 50+ dimensions with channel deep dives. No human bias, no shortcuts, no areas skipped.
Ongoing intelligence, not one-off
Change detection, goal pacing, seasonality alerts, and strategy briefs keep you ahead between audits.
The best of all worlds
DetectivePPC combines the speed of automation with the depth of a manual audit and goes beyond what Google's built-in tools can offer. You get comprehensive, advertiser-first analysis with AI-prioritized recommendations — at a fraction of the cost and time.
Speed of automation
Full audit in around 5 minutes
Depth beyond manual audits
50+ dimensions + channel deep dives
Advertiser-first perspective
Your ROI, not Google's revenue
