Cost per acquisition (CPA)

CPA is the price of a result. It is the number most lead and call businesses manage to, and the one Target CPA bidding aims at.

It is only as good as the conversion behind it: a CPA built on double-counted leads or on brand searches says less than it seems.

1. Add the Cost / conv. column to Campaigns, Ad groups or Keywords.
2. Compare it with the target CPA set on the campaign, if any.
3. Split brand and non-brand before reading it.
4. Check it by device, location and time where volume allows.

If one lead in five becomes a €1,000 customer, a €40 lead costs €200 per customer, which the business can afford.

• Blending brand and generic into one CPA.
• Setting a target CPA from a wish rather than from what a customer is worth.
• Judging CPA on a few conversions.

The audit checks Oppy runs on this, each with its own page.

• A target set a long way from what the account does
• A device paying much more per conversion than the rest of its campaign
• Budget sitting where it is not being used

• Target CPA: A bid target for the average cost per conversion.
• Conversion: An action you count as a result of an ad: a purchase, a lead form, a call, a sign-up or a store visit.
• Return on ad spend (ROAS): Conversion value divided by cost, often shown as a percentage: €400 of sales from €100 of ads is a 400% ROAS.
• KPI (key performance indicator): The number an account is judged on, such as cost per lead or ROAS.