Digital marketing audit

Understand a persistent marketing problem using relevant data. We select the core metrics, test possible explanations against supporting evidence, then present findings, recommended solutions and a prioritised action roadmap.

Aaron CheahLed by Aaron CheahFounder, Multiplier Engine · Kuala Lumpur
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Still unsure what is causing your marketing problem?

Start with the concern you recognise in your business. These are signs of an unresolved marketing problem that need investigation; they are not findings about your performance.

01

Metrics and reports tell conflicting stories.

Advertising reports count enquiries, but your sales team records bookings or sales. Comparing them without checking definitions can mislead your budget decision.

02

Traffic does not translate into business outcomes.

More people reach the website, but you cannot tell whether they need your offer or found the information they wanted.

03

Possible causes remain untested assumptions.

You suspect the audience, offer, content or customer journey is holding performance back, but have not tested which explanations the available evidence supports.

04

Recommended fixes have no clear priorities.

You have recommendations from several suppliers, but no clear reason to choose one before the others.

Know what the evidence supports and what to fix first.

We record what the reports and pages show, and what still needs customer or sales-team input.

01

Facts separated from assumptions.

We distinguish observed data from possible explanations, then test each explanation against relevant evidence.

ReportObservationQuestionNext check recorded
02

Findings and recommended solutions.

We present supported findings and insights, recommended solutions and a prioritised action roadmap in slides, with evidence limits made clear.

QuestionFindingsPriorities
03

A prioritised action roadmap.

We prioritise recommended solutions and the next checks using the supported findings, likely business impact and work required.

StartProblem
ReviewEvidence
NextFirst fix

Follow the evidence from your marketing question to the next action.

We start with the marketing problem you need to understand, then test possible explanations against relevant information. What the evidence supports, and what remains uncertain, shape the recommended solutions and priorities.

An anonymised healthcare client asked Aaron why organic traffic had stagnated despite producing content. He reviewed Google Analytics and Google Search Console, used a third-party search tool, and investigated technical website issues, blog content and other pages. He recommended reviewing keyword choices for key pages and blog articles, and adding missing internal links between related articles. No measured traffic or ranking outcome is included in this account.

A desk with a laptop and notes prepared for a marketing review.
  1. 01

    Start with the marketing question.

    We clarify the persistent problem and the business outcome it affects, then select the core metrics that can help investigate it.

  2. 02

    Identify possible explanations.

    We form explanations to test rather than treating the first plausible cause as a finding.

  3. 03

    Examine relevant evidence.

    We review supporting and derived metrics, relevant segments, pages and other agreed information. The question determines which sources need attention.

  4. 04

    Separate supported findings from assumptions.

    We test each explanation against the available evidence. Unsupported explanations are discarded, while missing information and uncertainty remain explicit.

  5. 05

    Prioritise solutions and next checks.

    We connect supported findings to recommended solutions, then weigh the likely business impact and work required.

The marketing question determines the sources reviewed and the next checks.

Turn relevant data into findings and an action roadmap.

Define the business problem, choose the metrics that matter and test possible explanations. Open each stage to see how the investigation leads to supported findings and prioritised recommendations.

01

Problem and core metrics

Define the marketing problem and core metrics.

Agree the persistent problem, the business outcome and the core metrics needed to investigate it.

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Choose metrics that relate to the problem and check their definitions, measurement periods and reliability.

  • Marketing problem and intended business outcome
  • Core metrics, definitions and data quality
02

Evidence

Drill into supporting and derived metrics.

Select the supporting data, calculated metrics and segments that can help explain the core metrics.

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Inspect relevant channel, page, audience and time-period data where available. Derived measures such as conversion rates and correlated patterns can help identify explanations to test; a correlation or platform report alone does not establish a cause.

  • Relevant analytics, records and access
  • Supporting metrics, derived measures and segments
  • Missing or unreliable information
03

Investigation

Test explanations against the evidence.

Check whether the available evidence supports each explanation.

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Separate observed facts from assumptions. Compare each explanation with the available evidence, look for alternative explanations and discard unsupported assumptions. Record what remains uncertain and what further checks are needed.

  • Supported and unsupported explanations
  • Further questions and limitations
04

Presentation

Present findings, solutions and an action roadmap.

Discuss the supported findings, insights and recommended solutions in a slide presentation.

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We present what the evidence supports, its limitations and any additional problems discovered. We prioritise the action roadmap by the strength of the evidence, likely business impact and work required, with next checks to evaluate progress. Implementation is scoped separately.

  • Findings and supporting evidence
  • Recommended solutions and a prioritised action roadmap

Define the problem, test possible causes and present the findings.

Aaron uses the following process to investigate your question. He explains any limits in the available evidence.

  1. 01

    Define the problem and core metrics.

    Define the persistent marketing problem and select the core metrics that reflect the business outcome. Check definitions and data quality before forming explanations to investigate.

  2. 02

    Test the explanations against relevant data.

    Examine supporting and derived metrics, relevant segments and correlated patterns. Test explanations against the available evidence, separate observations from assumptions and discard unsupported explanations. Missing data and uncertainty remain explicit.

  3. 03

    Present the findings and next actions.

    Aaron presents supported findings and insights in slides, with recommended solutions and an action roadmap prioritised by the evidence, business impact and work required. He also explains unresolved questions and how to evaluate the next actions.

See how evidence supports findings and priorities.

An investigation record connects the original question, possible explanations and relevant evidence to the findings and next actions. This illustrative board shows the method, not a completed client audit.

Example investigation record

Example marketing investigation record

StartMarketing question
ReviewEvidence and explanations tested
NextSupported findings and priorities
Marketing question
The persistent problem and business outcome to investigate
Possible explanations
Explanations to test against the available information
Relevant evidence
Core metrics, supporting information and agreed sources
Supported findings and solutions
What the evidence supports and which solutions address it
Priorities and next checks
Recommended actions weighed against business impact and work required
Evidence limits
Missing information, uncertainty and further checks
Illustrative investigation record. It contains no client results or completed findings; recommendations depend on the evidence available in an agreed audit.

Working with Aaron.

Before the review, we agree your marketing question, the relevant information and the people who can discuss it. Aaron leads the audit and presents the findings, solutions and action roadmap to you.

Aaron reviewing papers during a discussion.
01

Bring the marketing problem you need to investigate.

Explain the unresolved problem, its business impact and what you have already tried.

02

Arrange the relevant data or access.

Your team arranges the relevant data or agreed account access and names the people who can explain it.

03

Review findings, solutions and the action roadmap.

We discuss the findings, evidence limits and recommended solutions with you, then agree the priorities for your team or delivery partner to consider.

Is a digital marketing audit the right starting point?

Use these questions to prepare for a scope discussion. They do not assess performance or guarantee suitability.

What can you bring to the discussion?

Questions before a digital marketing audit.

Use these questions to clarify scope, responsibilities and the limits of the available information.

How is this different from a paid media audit?

A paid media audit centres on advertising. Our digital marketing audit starts with your main business question; the possible causes and evidence needed determine which marketing areas are investigated.

What information should I bring?

Bring your main business question and the information you already have. We then request the analytics, records or access needed to test possible explanations.

What will I receive?

A slide presentation that we present to you, covering supported findings and insights, other problems discovered, recommended solutions and a prioritised action roadmap. It explains evidence limits and unresolved questions; implementation is scoped separately.

Will an audit prove why sales are low?

Not always. We test possible explanations using relevant data, but an incomplete record may limit the answer. The presentation explains what the evidence supports, what remains uncertain and what should be investigated next. Correlation alone is not causal proof.

Are fixes included?

Only if the proposal includes them. Recommendations and implementation are separate pieces of work; we agree who makes any changes.

How long does an audit take?

Timing depends on the review areas, the information available and any access or input needed from your team. We agree the schedule after scoping the audit.

Can I use this with my existing agency?

Yes. We can review the reports and recommendations you already have, then agree with you how the findings are shared with your agency and who approves and implements any resulting changes.

Can an audit help if traffic has stopped growing despite new content?

Yes. We can examine search and traffic data, website issues and content to test which explanations the evidence supports. The areas we review depend on your question and the information available.

What happens when the information does not support the first explanation?

We discard unsupported assumptions and investigate other possible explanations. Missing information and remaining uncertainty are made clear in the presentation; the audit does not force a definite answer from incomplete records.

Do I need to give access to every marketing account?

No. We start with your question and the information you already have, then request the analytics, records or access relevant to the explanations being tested. We agree the accounts, permission level and information to share before access is granted. Only relevant records are needed; unnecessary personal information should be excluded.

A practical starting point

Discuss the marketing problem you need to solve.

Share the persistent marketing problem and the information you already have. The first discussion can establish the relevant evidence, service and scope.

What to expect from a call