Search advertising
Paid search reporting
Paid search reporting should tell you whether Google Ads, and any other search advertising, is bringing customers at a cost you can afford, and what to change next. The ad platform reports clicks, costs and the conversions it tracks; those figures are useful but depend on how conversions are defined and on how many visitors consented to tracking. A report worth reading checks that conversions are real, puts platform figures beside the enquiries and sales in your own records, works out the cost of a real customer, highlights what the search terms report revealed and ends with clear decisions. Google says conversions provide insights into campaign performance; the report's job is to turn them into actions.
This page covers which figures matter, reconciling with your records, consent, search terms insight, layout and frequency. LetGetGrow sets up and manages Google Ads and LinkedIn Ads, including B2B campaigns, with the scope, management fee and reporting set out in a custom quotation.
Illustrative diagram
- Collect
- Reconcile
- Calculate
- Search terms
- Decide
Figures worth reporting
| Figure | Source | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | Ad platform | What search ads cost |
| Tracked conversions | Ad platform | Comparing campaigns and keywords |
| Enquiries or sales from search ads | Your CRM, shop or analytics | The real result |
| Cost per customer | Calculated | Judging against your target |
| Search terms findings | Search terms report | Waste removed and opportunities added |
Define conversions first
A report is only as good as its conversion definitions. Is a conversion a submitted form, a call over a certain length, a booking or a sale? If a page view or button click is counted as a lead, every figure is inflated. Write down what each conversion action means, test it and include those definitions in every report.
Reconciling with your records
Put tracked conversions beside the enquiries or sales your own systems recorded from search ads, using campaign tags or a source field. The two rarely match exactly. Explain the gap: duplicates, test submissions, consent declines or calls not tracked. Over time the gap should be understood and stable.
Consent and missing data
On UK websites, ICO guidance says non-essential tracking needs consent. Visitors who decline may not be tracked. Google describes consent mode as a way to pass users' consent status to Google. Note in reports how consent affects the figures, so readers do not mistake missing data for falling results.
Building a monthly report
Collect
Platform figures and your records.
Output: Raw data
Reconcile
Explain differences.
Output: Trusted figures
Calculate
Cost per customer by campaign.
Output: Headline result
Search terms
Waste and opportunities found.
Output: Changes made
Decide
Actions for next month.
Output: Decisions
Example: a one-page search report
Illustrative example — not a client case study
Situation: An electrician wants to know whether Google Ads are worth it.
- The top line shows spend, tracked calls and forms, and jobs booked from ads in the electrician's job system.
- A short section lists negatives added after the search terms review and two new keywords promoted.
- Three decisions end the report: raise budget for emergency repairs, pause EV charger ads, rewrite one landing page.
What this shows: The electrician could see jobs won and what would change. This example is illustrative.
Reporting checklist
Accuracy
- Conversion definitions stated
- Platform and own records side by side
Insight
- Search terms findings
- Cost per customer by campaign
Action
- Changes made
- Decisions for next period
Layout
Answer first: did search ads meet the target this period? Then the evidence and the actions. Keep the same layout each month so trends are easy to see, and attach detail for anyone who wants it.
Brand and non-brand
Report searches for your business name separately. They tend to look very efficient because those people were already looking for you, and mixing them in can hide weak category campaigns.
Phone calls
For many local and service businesses, the phone is the main way customers make contact. If calls are not tracked, reports will undercount results and campaigns may be cut unfairly. Count calls from ads and from the website where you can, set a minimum call length that suggests a real conversation, and record which calls became customers.
Trends, not single months
Show the last few months side by side so readers can see whether cost per customer is improving, steady or rising. Note events that explain movements, such as a new landing page, a seasonal peak or a tracking change, so a one-off swing is not mistaken for a trend.
How often to report
A monthly report with a quick weekly check on spend and broken tracking suits many accounts. Weekly full reports on small accounts mostly show noise.
Questions about paid search reporting
What should a paid search report show?
Spend, real results, cost per customer, search terms findings and decisions.
Why define conversions?
Wrong definitions inflate every figure.
Why do platform and own figures differ?
Duplicates, consent, untracked calls and attribution.
Does consent affect reports?
Yes; declined visitors may not be tracked.
Should brand searches be separate?
Yes, so category results are clear.
How often should we report?
Monthly reports suit many businesses.
Sources referenced
Platform features, guidance and rules change. We check the current versions before committing to an approach. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- Google Ads Help: About conversion measurement (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-10-30
- Google Ads Help: About consent mode (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-10-30
- ICO: Cookies and similar technologies (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-10-30
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