Short answer
CPC is what you pay on average for one click. CTR is the share of people who saw the ad and clicked it. Cost per lead is your total spend divided by the number of leads. Read them together, in order from seeing to clicking to enquiring, and compare each campaign with its own past rather than with someone else's figures.
Numbers about being seen
- Impressions: how many times the ad was shown. One person can create several impressions.
- Reach: how many different people saw it at least once. Meta shows this; Google search reports focus on impressions.
- Frequency: impressions divided by reach, the average number of times each person saw the ad. When it climbs, people may get tired of the same ad.
- CPM: cost per thousand impressions. It tells you how expensive it is to be seen by this audience at this time.
Numbers about clicking
- Clicks: on Meta, check whether you are looking at all clicks (including likes and profile taps) or link clicks, which are the ones that send people somewhere.
- CTR (click-through rate): clicks divided by impressions. A low CTR usually points to the ad itself or the audience: the picture, the first line or who is seeing it.
- CPC (cost per click): spend divided by clicks. It rises with competition and falls when the ad is more relevant to the people seeing it.
Numbers about results
- Conversions or leads: forms, calls, bookings or purchases you are tracking.
- Conversion rate: conversions divided by clicks. A low figure here usually points to the landing page, the form or the offer, not the ad.
- Cost per lead: spend divided by leads. It is the number most owners care about, but a cheap lead that never answers the phone is not a bargain.
- ROAS (return on ad spend): revenue from ads divided by ad spend. It needs reliable sales tracking, which many service businesses do not have yet.
Reading the chain to find the weak link
Think of the numbers as a path. People see the ad, some click, some enquire, some buy. When results are poor, find the step where people drop off. Many impressions but few clicks means the ad is not interesting to that audience. Many clicks but few leads means the page or offer is not convincing. Many leads but few sales means the follow-up or lead quality needs attention.
Fixing the wrong step wastes time. Changing the ad will not help if the form is broken.
Why there is no universal good number
You will find articles quoting average click costs or click-through rates by industry. Treat them with caution. Costs differ hugely between cities, seasons, products and platforms, and between a dentist in a metro and a bakery in a small town. The useful comparison is your campaign against itself last month, and one ad against another in the same campaign.
Meta and Google also count differently. Each platform claims credit for conversions within its own attribution window, so adding their numbers together usually overcounts.
How reports show these numbers in AI Marketing Master
Once Meta Ads or Google Ads is connected, reports show spend, clicks, cost per click, click-through rate, leads and cost per lead, with a short plain-English note on what changed and what to look at next. You can ask Milo what any number means, and leads from ad forms can be followed through to customers in the CRM.
What it does not do
- Reports cover spend, clicks, CPC, CTR, leads and cost per lead; ROAS needs your own sales data.
- Ad numbers appear only after Meta or Google connections are approved and connected.
Questions people ask
Which number matters most?
The one closest to money: cost per customer if you can track it, otherwise cost per lead plus a check on how many leads become customers.
Is a high CTR always good?
Not always. A catchy ad can attract curious clicks from people who will never buy. Check what happens after the click.
Why do my Meta and Google numbers not match my sales?
Each platform uses its own tracking and attribution rules, some visitors block tracking, and some sales happen offline. Compare with your own records.
Can the app tell me what my cost per lead should be?
No. It shows your real numbers and changes over time, but it does not set targets or promise a cost per lead.
We only describe what the product really does today. Results depend on your business, your market and many things no tool controls.