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A large challenge with Plasma Wakefield Acceleration lies in creating a plasma with a profile and length that properly match the electron beam. Using a laser-ionized plasma source provides control in creating an appropriate plasma density ramp. Additionally, using a laser-ionized plasma allows for an accelerator to run at a higher repetition rate. At the Facility for Advanced Accelerator Experimental Tests, at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, we ionize hydrogen gas with a 225 mJ, 50 fs, 800 nm laser pulse that passes through an axicon lens, imparting a conical phase on the pulse that produces a focal spot with an intensity distribution described radially by a Bessel function. This paper overviews the diagnostic tests used to characterize and optimize the focal spot along the meter-long focus. In particular, we observe how wavefront aberrations in the laser pulse impact the peak intensity of the focal spot. Furthermore, we discuss the impact of nonlinear effects caused by a 6 mm, CaF2 vacuum window in the laser beam line.