Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) has become the technique of choice for trace elemental analysis recently. Much work has focused on direct solid‐sample introduction techniques for ICP‐MS, with laser ablation (LA) showing the most promise. Photographs taken of the LA craters are used to demonstrate independent optimization of the ablation event. The type of optimization used will depend on the individual analysis requirements. An axial time‐of‐flight (TOF) mass spectrometer is used in conjunction with the ICP for the direct analysis of metals. Using this combination, inhomogeneities of specific trace metals (Nd, Zr, and Ta) in certified standard reference materials were found, while other metals remained homogeneous. These results are confirmed using steady‐state scanning of the sample and individual spot analysis.