Urgent Google Ads CPC Audit

In the past seven days my average cost-per-click on Search Network campaigns geared toward lead generation has suddenly doubled. I have no record of intentional bid, budget, or creative changes during that window, so a hidden shift—whether in quality score, keyword match behaviour, auction dynamics or conversion-tracking—appears to be draining spend. Here’s what has to happen: • Comprehensive account audit: read-only access first, pinpoint when and where the spike began, and identify every factor contributing to the jump. • Actionable optimisation roadmap: clearly prioritised fixes with expected impact, covering bids, negative keywords, ad rank, extensions, quality-score components, and any policy or tracking issues. • Implementation & validation: once I approve the plan, apply changes, monitor for at least three days, and confirm that CPC returns to its historical range without reducing lead volume. Acceptance criteria – Average CPC back at—or below—its prior benchmark for three consecutive days while maintaining lead count. – All adjustments annotated inside the account and summarised in a short handover report. You’ll have fast access to Google Ads Manager, Editor, Auction Insights, GA4, and whatever further data you need. Please outline similar CPC rescue work you have completed and how quickly you can begin; the spend hemorrhage means time is critical.