Measure Google Ads lead quality

A campaign can generate activity without generating work your business can take on. A simple lead-quality review helps you decide what to improve.

1. Define a qualified enquiry

Before reviewing results, write down what a suitable lead looks like: the right service, a location you cover, and a genuine request with enough information for a follow-up. A job may still be unsuitable for other reasons. Use a few consistent categories such as relevant, unclear and out of scope, rather than assigning a vague score after the fact.

For example, a kitchen fitter could mark a local kitchen installation enquiry as relevant and a request outside the service area as out of scope. This is an illustrative classification; use your own business rules.

2. Connect the stages

Record a modest weekly view: spend, clicks, recorded calls or forms, relevant enquiries and customers won. A form submission is a useful signal but does not prove the job was a fit. If tracking is incomplete, mark it as incomplete rather than treating a zero as a business result. Google’s conversion guidance discusses checking the path from search to action.

Keep customer notes limited to what is needed to assess the enquiry and follow up. If you use a CRM, use its normal access controls. Avoid adding personal details to a shared campaign spreadsheet.

3. Calculate cost per qualified enquiry

Use campaign spend divided by qualified enquiries from the same scope and period. In a fictional review, £300 spend and 6 qualified enquiries gives £50 per qualified enquiry. If there were 15 total enquiries, the qualified share would be 6 ÷ 15 = 40%. These are arithmetic examples, not targets or claimed PBC results.

If no enquiries qualify, report the spend and zero qualified enquiries; do not report a £0 acquisition cost. Allow for follow-up delays and incomplete attribution before comparing periods. Track customers won separately so a promising enquiry is not counted as a sale.

4. Decide on the next test

Compare the services and search terms that brought relevant enquiries with the ones that used budget without a fit. Then choose one change: refine the advert, improve the landing page, adjust location coverage, or review terms. Record the date and watch what happens before making the next change.

Simple review: What did we spend? How many enquiries were usable? What did they ask for? Which one part of the journey should improve next?

Reviewed 10 October 2026. PBC Courses provides independent practical training. Google Ads reports and definitions can change; check your current account guidance.

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