Getting spend, click and conversion data out of Google Ads reports is easy. The hard part is deciding which results deserve attention among dozens of campaigns and ad groups. In accounts that run several campaign types in particular, overall performance figures may not fully explain where the budget is going or which campaigns are drifting from their goals. Choosing the right KPIs in your Google Ads reporting makes it possible to compare campaign results and to make better budget decisions for the next period.
Google Ads reporting is the analysis of an ad campaign's spend, traffic, conversion and revenue data over defined periods. KPIs such as CTR, CPC, CPA, ROAS and conversion value are the core indicators of a report. By comparing campaign goals, previous-period results and performance changes, you can determine budget allocation and optimization needs.
What Data Should a Google Ads Report Include?
You don't need to put every metric shown in a Google Ads account into a single report. The specialist responsible for campaign optimization and the marketing manager may need different data. That's why reports should be built around the decisions their readers will make.
In management reports, outcome indicators such as total spend, number of conversions, conversion value, CPA and ROAS may take priority. Operational reports go into more detail on CTR, CPC, impression share and search terms.
A report table should show actual results, targets and previous-period data side by side. For example, if a campaign with a target CPA of 500 TRY has an actual cost of 650 TRY, it is generating conversions at a cost 30% above target. Before making a decision, however, you should also check the conversion volume and any campaign changes made during the period.
15 KPIs to Track in Google Ads Reports
Google Ads KPIs can be grouped under traffic, cost, conversion, value and ad visibility. Some metrics measure the commercial results of campaigns, while others are used to investigate why performance has changed.
You don't need to add all of the indicators below to every campaign. In particular, the last three metrics, which relate to impression share, apply to Search campaigns.
1. Impressions
The impressions metric tracks how many times your ads were shown to users. It can serve as a starting point when you investigate increases and decreases in campaign visibility.
If impressions drop while budget and targeting haven't changed, you can check search demand, ad eligibility or impression share.
2. Clicks
The number of clicks shows how much traffic your ads generate. Alongside the account-wide total, the report should show which campaigns are gaining or losing traffic. For example, if impressions rise in a new ad group while clicks stay low, you can review the ad copy and the queries being targeted.
3. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
CTR measures what share of ad impressions result in a click. You can use it to compare engagement performance across ad copy, keywords and ad groups.
Brand searches and generic category queries reflect different user intent. For this reason, the CTR results of brand and non-brand campaigns should be evaluated separately in Search reports.
4. Average Cost per Click (Average CPC)
The average amount paid for an ad click is tracked in the Average CPC column. It is especially useful in Search campaigns for comparing traffic costs across keywords and ad groups.
When investigating the source of CPC changes, you can look at the bidding strategy, search queries and competitive conditions. Calculation details are covered in the CPC, CPM and CTR guide.
5. Ad Spend (Cost)
Ad costs for the selected date range appear in the Cost column. It is used to track how the budget is distributed across campaigns and how spend changes over time.
When monthly ad spend rises, you can see which campaigns the increase came from. That lets you check whether the additional budget went to the campaigns it was planned for.
6. Conversions
The number of conversions refers to the goal actions included in the relevant column of your Google Ads account. Actions such as purchases, form submissions or phone calls can be measured according to campaign goals.
When preparing a report, check which conversion actions are included in the Conversions column. Conversions and All conversions can offer different scopes. The Primary and Secondary conversion settings, along with the goals a campaign uses, also affect how results are evaluated.
7. Conversion Rate (CVR)
CVR measures how often eligible ad interactions turn into conversions. It is an important analysis indicator for campaigns where traffic volume and conversion results move in different directions.
For example, if the number of clicks stays at the same level while the conversion rate falls, you can investigate search queries, targeting changes or landing page performance.
8. Cost per Conversion (CPA)
CPA is the average ad budget spent to earn one conversion. It is tracked through the Cost / conv. column in Google Ads.
In reports, you can compare actual CPA with the business's acceptable acquisition cost. Keep in mind that the Target CPA defined in a Google Ads bidding strategy may not always match the business's financial goal.
9. Conversion Value
Conversion value shows the total monetary value of the conversions attributed to your ads. In e-commerce reports, it is used to assess which campaigns generate more sales value.
When comparing campaign results, make sure the same conversion actions are being measured. Purchase amounts that are missing or passed along incorrectly can directly affect the conversion value shown in the report.
10. Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
ROAS measures the conversion value reported by Google Ads against ad spend. You can track it in the Conv. value / cost column in Google Ads.
A campaign's actual ROAS can be compared with its target. The business's financial expectations and the Target ROAS setting in the Google Ads bidding strategy may differ. The distinction between ROAS and overall marketing efficiency is explained in detail in the MER vs. ROAS comparison.
11. Value per Conversion (Value / Conv.)
This metric shows the average monetary value of a conversion and can be used to understand changes in revenue performance. It is especially useful for comparing campaigns that have similar conversion counts but generate different sales values.
If the same report contains different conversion actions, the result shouldn't be interpreted directly as average order value.
12. Conversion Value per Click (Conv. Value / Click)
It measures the average conversion value generated per eligible ad click. It can be used, especially in Search campaigns, to compare the value-generating performance of keywords or ad groups with similar traffic volumes.
While ROAS is based on spend, this metric focuses on the number of clicks. It can therefore serve as a supporting indicator in more detailed traffic analyses.
13. Search Impression Share
Search impression share is the ratio of the impressions your ad received to the estimated total impressions it was eligible to receive. It is used to track the visibility performance of Search campaigns.
Especially for brand campaigns and high-priority category searches, changes in impression share can help you understand how your access to existing demand is developing.
14. Search Lost Impression Share Due to Budget (Search Lost IS – Budget)
It measures the estimated Search impression opportunities lost because of insufficient budget. You can use it to explore potential room for a budget increase in Search campaigns that are meeting their goals.
In reports, the CPA and ROAS results of campaigns with high budget-related visibility loss should also be reviewed. Don't assume that additional budget will be spent at the current level of efficiency.
15. Search Lost Impression Share Due to Rank (Search Lost IS – Rank)
It shows the estimated visibility loss caused by insufficient Ad Rank. It is used to investigate why campaigns fail to reach a sufficient position in some of the ad auctions they are eligible for.
Unlike budget-related loss, areas such as bids, ad relevance and landing page experience can be checked.
Quality Score, on the other hand, is not a core performance KPI in Google Ads but an indicator used to diagnose ad quality. It can be included in operational analysis when necessary.
How to Build a Google Ads Report
When building a Google Ads report, define the campaign goal, the date range and the comparison period. Then select the relevant KPI columns and analyze performance at the campaign or ad group level.
Selecting KPI Columns
You can customize the metrics shown in a report from the Columns section of the Google Ads campaign table. For a sales-focused campaign report, you can use the following column order:
Campaign → Cost → Clicks → Conversions → Conv. rate → Cost / conv. → Conv. value → Conv. value / cost
This order starts with spend and traffic data and moves on to conversion cost and revenue performance. For Search campaigns, you can add the Search impr. share, Search lost IS (budget) and Search lost IS (rank) columns when needed.
Creating Custom Reports with Report Editor
In the Google Ads interface, you can reach Report Editor from the Insights and reports menu in the Campaigns section. There, you choose a table or chart and add dimensions such as campaign, along with the KPIs to analyze, to the relevant fields.
Report Editor lets you filter, sort and apply conditional formatting. For example, you can filter for campaigns that spend above a certain amount or look separately at results that are drifting from the target CPA level.
Saving and Scheduling Reports
Reports created in Google Ads can be saved and shared by email at set intervals. Teams that report daily, weekly or monthly can reuse the same report structure.
Saving reports reduces manual work, especially for agencies and in-house marketing teams that work with a fixed set of KPIs. For detailed information on the reporting and scheduling options Google Ads offers, see the Google Ads Report Editor documentation.
Which Segments Should You Use in Google Ads Reports?
Account-wide performance data can hide cost increases or conversion losses in specific campaigns. For this reason, reports should be built by campaign and the appropriate sub-breakdowns.
| Segment | Question it answers in the report |
|---|---|
| Campaign | Which campaigns are spend and conversions concentrated in? |
| Ad group | What are the performance differences within the same campaign? |
| Device | How do mobile and desktop results differ? |
| Time | How is performance distributed across days and hours? |
| Search terms | Which queries is Search traffic coming from? |
| Network | In supported campaigns, which networks are results coming from? |
| Location | Which regions are generating more conversions? |
The segments available can vary by campaign and report type. In particular, keep in mind that the search terms report doesn't include every query. Google Ads may not show some low-volume queries because of privacy standards.
For example, a Search campaign's CPA may be meeting the target. But if the device breakdown shows that conversions from mobile traffic come at a higher cost, you can investigate the mobile landing page and user behavior separately.
Google Ads Report Example: Campaign-Level Performance Comparison
In monthly reports, alongside account-wide results, you should also show how each campaign performs against its goals. That makes it clear which campaigns the budget is being used on and where optimization is needed.
The table below is a fictional e-commerce example built from campaigns that measure the same purchase conversion. The target ROAS values are the business's hypothetical performance goals.
| Campaign | Spend | Conversions | Conversion value | ROAS | Target ROAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand Search | 30,000 TRY | 300 | 270,000 TRY | 9.0 | 8.0 |
| Category Search | 80,000 TRY | 200 | 360,000 TRY | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| Performance Max | 150,000 TRY | 375 | 750,000 TRY | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Total | 260,000 TRY | 875 | 1,380,000 TRY | 5.31 | — |
The Brand Search campaign delivered a ROAS of 9, above its target of 8. However, you can't conclude that the budget should be increased without first reviewing current brand search demand and impression share.
In the Category Search campaign, the actual ROAS is 4.5 against a target of 5. The campaign fell 10% below target. In this case, you should examine the ad groups and search terms within the campaign to find where spend is concentrated.
The Performance Max campaign exceeded its target of 4.5 with a ROAS of 5. Because it accounts for the largest share of total spend, changes in its budget and conversion value need to be monitored closely in the next period.
At the end of the report, you can include an action table like the one below:
| Campaign | Finding | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Brand Search | ROAS above target | Check impression share and budget loss |
| Category Search | ROAS 10% below target | Investigate underperforming ad groups and queries |
| Performance Max | ROAS above target | Assess suitability for a budget increase and next-period efficiency |
The results in the table are not enough on their own to decide to pause a campaign or raise its budget. The performance gaps against targets are used here to identify areas that call for closer review.
How to Turn Google Ads Reports into Action
At the end of a Google Ads report, you should identify which campaigns performance changes occurred in and what will be done in the next period. A target-versus-actual comparison is the starting point for prioritizing actions.
Say a campaign has a target CPA of 600 TRY and an actual cost of 750 TRY: it has come in 25% above target. Before making a decision, however, you should consider the number of conversions, the spend volume and any campaign changes made during the period.
One common mistake in reporting is looking only at the account average. In some campaigns, rising costs can be offset by the strong performance of others. Similarly, data from the most recent days may not be complete yet because of conversion lag.
In a management report, each action should include the campaign name, the issue identified, the responsible team and the date of the next check. In the next reporting period, you can compare the effect of the changes on CPA, ROAS or conversion volume.
If Google Ads and GA4 show different conversion results, that calls for a separate measurement check. Details on attribution, conversion timing and data scope are covered in Google Ads and GA4 conversion differences.
How to Report on Google Ads Data with AdsLuma
For teams that manage multiple campaigns or ad accounts, a large part of the reporting process goes into collecting and organizing data. Comparing results from different ad channels for the same period can also add to the manual workload.
