Analytics
How to Read a Google Ads Report (Without Getting Fooled)
Jakub Pytlik
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March 28, 2026
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7 min read
TL;DR
You don't need to be a Google Ads expert to understand your report. Focus on 5 numbers: cost per conversion, ROAS, impression share, search terms, and month-over-month trend. If your agency isn't showing you these — ask why.
Why This Matters
Every month you receive a report from your agency or freelancer. 10 pages, colorful charts, a wall of acronyms. You nod, say "looks good," and pay the invoice. Sound familiar?
Here's the problem: if you don't understand the report, you don't know whether your money is working. And some agencies count on that. I'm not saying they're all dishonest — but if you can't ask the right questions, you won't get the right answers.
Here are the 5 metrics you need to understand. No jargon.
1. Cost per Conversion (CPA)
What it is: How much you pay for one desired action — a form submission, a phone call, a purchase. If you spent 3,000 PLN (~680 EUR) and got 30 leads, your CPA is 100 PLN (~23 EUR).
What to look for: Is CPA decreasing month over month? If it's going up — ask why. Sometimes there's a valid reason (seasonality, a new campaign ramping up), but you need to know what it is.
🚩 Red flag: The report doesn't include CPA or shows "clicks" instead of conversions. Clicks are not sales.
2. ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
What it is: How much revenue you earn for every unit of currency spent on ads. A ROAS of 5 means: you spend 1 PLN on ads, you earn 5 PLN in revenue. Primarily relevant for e-commerce.
What to look for: Does your ROAS cover your costs? If your margin is 30%, ROAS needs to be at least 3.3 just to break even. Anything below that means you're losing money.
🚩 Red flag: The agency brags about a ROAS of 10 but includes branded remarketing conversions. Ask for ROAS excluding brand.
3. Impression Share
What it is: The percentage of eligible impressions your ad actually receives. If you have 60%, it means your ad shows up 60 out of every 100 times someone searches a relevant query.
What to look for: If you're at 40% and saying "I want more customers" — the answer is straightforward: increase the budget or improve ad quality. If you're at 90% — scaling requires new keywords or channels.
🚩 Red flag: The agency doesn't include this metric. It's one of the most important indicators of growth potential.
4. Search Terms
What it is: The exact words people type into Google before clicking your ad. Not "keywords" (those are what you set) — but what people actually search for.
What to look for: Do the terms make sense? If you're a plumber in Gdansk and the report shows clicks for "plumber Warsaw" — money is going down the drain (pun intended).
🚩 Red flag: The agency refuses to share search terms or says "it's not important." It is important. Very.
5. Month-over-Month Trend
What it is: A comparison of the current month against the previous one. You're not looking at absolute numbers — you're looking at direction.
What to look for: Are conversions growing? Is CPA dropping? Is ROAS improving? If there's no positive trend after 3 months — it's time for a conversation.
🚩 Red flag: The report always shows "this month" with no comparison. Without context, numbers mean nothing.
Questions You Should Be Asking
At your next meeting with your agency or freelancer, ask these questions:
- "What's my cost per conversion and how has it changed vs. last month?"
- "Which search terms drive the most conversions, and which ones only generate clicks?"
- "What's our impression share? Is there room to grow?"
- "Which campaigns are profitable and which ones are just spending?"
- "What are you planning to change next month and why?"
If you get a vague answer to any of these — that's a signal.
Bottom Line
You don't need to be a Google Ads expert. You need to know what to look for: CPA, ROAS, impression share, search terms, trend. If your report doesn't include these — ask for them. If you still don't get them — consider switching providers.