The essentials
- Outcome KPIs: cost per conversion, ROAS or cost per qualified lead, compared with the value of a customer and tracked over a rolling three months.
- Management KPIs: share of spend on off-target terms, impression share lost to rank, ad strength, number of changes per week.
- 2026 alert thresholds: more than 20% of spend off target, cost per conversion up 30% over a quarter, fewer than 4 changes a month.
- To set aside: impressions, clicks, CTR and average position as headline metrics; they measure activity, not results.
An SEA provider is judged on two levels: the economic result of its campaigns and the quality of the work that leads to it. The first also depends on your offer and your site; the second is entirely down to the provider. Good reporting must cover both, with thresholds agreed in advance. This article lists the metrics to require, their reference values and the reporting format. The contractual framing that goes with them is described in outsourcing your SEA to a provider.
Outcome KPIs: what the campaigns bring in
| KPI | Definition | 2026 benchmark (French SMEs) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per conversion | Spend divided by the number of primary conversions | €15 to €40 for a tradesperson, €50 to €150 in B2B, €100 to €300 in insurance or property | Monthly, over a rolling 3 months |
| Qualified lead rate | Share of conversions judged useful by the sales team | Above 50%; below that, the keywords or the audiences need reviewing | Monthly, based on advertiser feedback |
| ROAS (e-commerce) | Attributed revenue divided by spend | 400 to 800% depending on the margin; the break-even point depends on the gross margin | Monthly |
| Conversion rate | Conversions divided by clicks | 3 to 7% in lead generation, 1.5 to 3% in e-commerce | Monthly, by campaign |
| Conversion volume | Absolute number | Growth or stability at constant budget | Monthly |
The cost per conversion only means something in relation to the value of a customer, which the provider does not know without you. Supply it and set a threshold together: for example a cost per quote below 8% of the average value of a project. The calculation of that threshold is explained in the CPA. The qualified lead rate is the metric most often missing from reporting, even though it is the one that separates a volume of contacts from a volume of customers.
Management KPIs: what the provider actually does
| KPI | What it reveals | Alert threshold | Where to check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share of spend on off-target terms | How regularly the negatives are worked on | Above 20% of Search spend | Search terms report, rows with zero conversions |
| Impression share lost (rank) | The quality of the ads and the pages | Above 30% on the main campaigns | Impression share columns |
| Impression share lost (budget) | An inconsistent budget allocation | Above 20% on the most profitable campaign | Same |
| Responsive ad strength | The care taken over the ads | "Poor" or "Average" ads in active groups | Ads tab |
| Changes per month | Actual presence on the account | Fewer than 4 working sessions a month | Change history |
| Tests running | The improvement process | No ad or page test over a quarter | Experiments tab, drafts |
| Weighted Quality Score | The relevance between structure, ads and pages | Below 5 on the keywords that carry the budget | Quality Score columns |
These metrics are available in the account, provided you have kept access; that is the first clause to require. Reading lost impression share and the Quality Score is covered in detail in improving your Quality Score.
The figures that measure nothing
- Impressions: they rise by broadening the keywords or turning on the Display Network; it is the easiest KPI to inflate.
- Clicks and CTR: useful for comparing two ads, useless for judging a provider; a high CTR on off-target queries is a loss.
- Average position: removed by Google in 2019, it survives in some reports in a recalculated form; top-of-page impression share replaces it.
- Conversions across all actions: a column that mixes purchases, page views and clicks on a button; require the detail by action.
- Google optimisation score: it measures the take-up of Google's recommendations, several of which increase spend; a score of 70% is not a fault.
These figures fall into the category of KPI that are vanity metrics: they describe the platform's activity, not the value created for the advertiser.
The monthly reporting format to require
Useful reporting fits on two pages and always follows the same order:
- Results: spend, conversions by type, cost per conversion, ROAS or qualified lead rate, compared with the previous month and with the same month a year earlier.
- Explanations: the three factors that explain the gaps (seasonality, competition, a change of setting, a tracking problem).
- Actions taken: negatives added, ads tested, bids changed, pages proposed, with the date.
- Planned actions: what the provider will do the following month, and what it expects from you (feedback on lead quality, landing pages, budget).
- Management metrics: share of off-target spend, lost impressions, ad strength.
An automated dashboard, fed by Google Ads and GA4, is a better option than the monthly PDF: it lets you check the figures at any time and avoids favourable selections. The data to cross-reference on the GA4 side is described in Ads performance in GA4.
Judging over time, not over one month
The cost per conversion varies by 20 to 40% from one month to the next under the effect of seasonality and competition, without the provider having anything to do with it. Judge over a rolling three months, and on the one-year trend. A good provider brings the cost per conversion down by 15 to 30% in the first six months of a poorly kept account, then stabilises it; a mediocre provider keeps the starting figures and explains that "the market is more competitive". Comparison with sector benchmarks gives a reference point, to be handled with care: your offer, your site and your area count as much as the management.
How GreenRed helps
Rather than juggling several tools, GreenRed's SEA tracking and optimisation module brings these metrics together in a single dashboard, compares them over time and tells you which actions come first. You can try it free, with no card, from the Pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Which KPI matters most when judging a Google Ads provider?
The cost per qualified conversion, that is the cost of a genuinely useful contact or sale, tracked over a rolling three months and compared with the value of a customer. It combines the provider's work (keywords, ads, bidding) and the quality of the measurement. No activity metric (clicks, impressions, CTR) can replace it.
How often should the provider work on the account?
At least once a week on an active account: reviewing search terms, adding negatives, checking conversions and budgets. Ad tests and bid adjustments happen every two to four weeks. The account's change history lets you check that presence without asking for justification.
Should you include quantified targets in the contract?
Yes, in the form of reasonable, revisable thresholds: a maximum cost per conversion, a share of off-target spend below 15 or 20%, monthly reporting in a defined format. Avoid volume or ROAS guarantees, which the provider does not control alone, but provide for an exit clause if the thresholds are exceeded two quarters in a row.
How can you check the figures in the reporting?
By keeping administrator access to Google Ads and to GA4, and by comparing the conversions reported with your internal data (CRM, orders, calls received). A dashboard connected to both sources removes scope differences and favourable date selections. A gap of more than 20% between reported conversions and real contacts must be explained.