CPA
CPA (cost per acquisition) is what you pay, on average, for one conversion.
In detail
Divide spend by conversions. Its usefulness depends entirely on the conversion being real — a form submission that never becomes a customer flatters the number.
Target CPA only makes sense against customer value.
Example
€1,200 spend and 24 qualified leads gives a CPA of €50.
Why it matters
It is the clearest link between advertising spend and business outcome.
Common mistakes
- Counting low-quality actions as conversions.
- Setting a target CPA without knowing customer value.
Related questions
Related articles
- Google Ads: 10 Common Mistakes That Waste Your Budget
The recurring reasons paid search budgets disappear without results — and the fix for each one.
Related guides
- The Complete Google Ads & SEA GuideGuide
Paid search from first principles: account structure, keywords and match types, ads, landing pages, bidding, tracking and profitability.
Related terms
- ROAS
ROAS (return on ad spend) is the revenue generated per unit of advertising spend.
- Conversion Tracking
Conversion tracking records the valuable actions people take after clicking an ad or visiting a page.
- Conversion Rate
Conversion rate is the share of visits or clicks that complete the action you care about.
Related questions
- How much should I spend on Google Ads?
Work backwards from value, not from a benchmark. If you know what a customer is worth and roughly how many clicks it takes to win one, you know the most you can afford per click.