Most ad reports are full of numbers that look good and mean nothing. Clicks without conversions. Impressions without engagement. Your agency will show you the metrics they can control. You need to track the ones that matter.
Cost per qualified lead — not cost per click
CPL is only useful if you define qualified. A lead that never becomes a call is not a lead — it's a vanity metric. Build your reporting around leads that reach the next stage of your sales process, not just form completions.
Lead-to-close rate by channel
Not all lead sources are equal. Google Search leads often close at 3× the rate of Meta leads — but Meta can drive volume at lower CPL. Without tracking by channel, you're optimising in the dark.
Revenue return on ad spend (not just ROAS)
ROAS measures revenue per pound spent on ads. But it doesn't account for your cost of goods or service delivery. Revenue ROAS — net margin on ad-attributed revenue — is the number that tells you whether to scale or stop.