Measuring Ad Performance: The Metrics That Actually Matter
Impressions and clicks are easy to grow and easy to misread. These are the metrics that show whether advertising is making money, and how they connect.
3 min read · Evergreen guideSearch Ads vs Social Ads: Matching the Platform to Customer Intent
Search ads catch people who are already looking. Social ads reach people who aren’t looking yet. Knowing the difference decides where your budget works hardest.
Key takeaways
- Search ads capture existing demand. Social ads create demand among the right audiences.
- High-intent, urgent services usually start with search. Visual and impulse products often start with social.
- Landing pages and conversion tracking matter as much as the ads themselves.
- Most growing businesses end up using both at different stages of the customer journey.
Two kinds of intent
Search ads appear when someone types a query into a search engine. The person has already expressed a need, such as “AC repair near me” or “buy office chairs online”. You are answering a question they asked.
Social and display ads appear while people scroll feeds, watch videos or read websites. They were not looking for you, so the ad has to earn attention and create interest.
When search ads are the better start
- Customers search for your service when they need it: repairs, legal help, medical care, B2B services.
- The need is urgent and the decision is quick.
- You can bid on specific, high-intent keywords.
Watch out for broad keywords that attract the wrong people. Use negative keywords to exclude irrelevant searches. Make sure the ad and landing page match the query closely.
When social ads are the better start
- Your product is visual, new, or something people do not know to search for.
- You can target by interests, life events, demographics or behaviour.
- You want to build awareness and retarget engaged people later.
The creative is critical here. The first second of a video or the main image decides whether anyone notices.
The customer journey view
- Awareness: social video, display and video platforms reach new people.
- Consideration: retargeting with reviews, comparisons and case studies.
- Decision: search ads for brand and high-intent keywords, plus retargeting offers.
The part most campaigns get wrong: what happens after the click
- Send traffic to a page that matches the ad’s promise, not your generic home page.
- Make the next step obvious: call, form, WhatsApp or buy.
- Load fast on mobile.
- Track conversions, meaning calls, forms, purchases and messages, so the platforms can optimise and you can measure.
Running a fair test
- Define the goal and the acceptable cost per lead or sale.
- Allocate a test budget to each platform.
- Run for long enough to collect meaningful data.
- Compare on cost per conversion and lead quality, not clicks.
- Shift budget towards what performs.
Our Paid Advertising packages include search and social campaigns with conversion tracking set up from day one. Pair them with a campaign landing page for best results.
Frequently asked questions
Should I bid on my own brand name?
Often yes. It is usually cheap, protects you from competitors appearing above you, and lets you control the message. Review it periodically to confirm it adds value.
Why are my clicks cheap but enquiries low?
Usually a mismatch between targeting, ad message and landing page, or missing conversion tracking. Check search terms, audience settings and the page experience.
