A useful Google Ads report shows spend, conversions, cost per conversion and conversion value by campaign, explains changes with impression share and search terms, and ends with the business result your CRM confirms: qualified leads, sales and revenue. You can build most of it inside Google Ads with the Report editor, schedule it by email, and add CRM outcomes through offline conversion imports or an attribution tool. This guide covers which metrics to include, which columns to add, how to schedule the report, and a weekly template in text form.
What should a Google Ads report include?
A Google Ads report should answer: how much did we spend, which campaigns and queries produced results, what did each result cost, why did numbers move, and what will we change. A practical structure has six blocks.
- Summary: spend vs budget, conversions vs target, cost per conversion, and one sentence on what changed.
- Campaign performance: per campaign, the core columns in the table below.
- Demand and visibility: search impression share and the share lost to budget and to rank.
- Search terms: top converting queries, wasted queries to add as negatives.
- Business outcomes: qualified leads, sales and revenue from the CRM.
- Decisions: budget moves, bids, negatives, ad tests, with owners.
Which Google Ads columns should you add to the report?
In the campaigns table, open Columns > Modify columns, add the metrics below and save the column set. These are the columns most teams need.
| Column | What it tells you | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Spend in the period | Check account currency and time zone |
| Impressions, Clicks, CTR | Reach and ad relevance | CTR differs a lot between Search, Display and Performance Max |
| Avg. CPC | Auction price per click | Rising CPC is not bad if conversion rate rises too |
| Conversions | Primary conversion actions, the ones used for bidding | Only as good as what you set as primary |
| All conversions | Primary and secondary actions plus other types such as view-through | Do not report it as "leads" without explaining |
| Cost / conv. | Cost per primary conversion | A form fill and a sale have very different values |
| Conv. value and Conv. value / cost | Revenue tracked and platform ROAS | Values must reflect real revenue to mean anything |
| Search impr. share, Lost IS (budget), Lost IS (rank) | How much demand you are missing and why | Search campaigns only; the fixes differ |
The gap between Conversions and All conversions is worth a line in the report. Google's help center says Conversions counts primary actions, while All conversions also includes secondary actions and other conversion types. A big gap is normal if you track secondary actions on purpose. If the numbers are close and you have many conversion actions, check whether too many are set as primary, because Smart Bidding will optimize to all of them. Our guide to setting up conversions in Google Ads covers this.
How do you build and schedule a report in the Report editor?
- Go to Campaigns > Insights and reports > Report editor.
- Start from a predefined report (for example campaign or search terms) or a blank table.
- Drag in dimensions (campaign, ad group, day, device) and the metrics from the table above.
- Add filters, for example cost greater than zero, and save the report with a clear name.
- Click the email and schedule icon, pick recipients with account access, choose the frequency (daily, weekly, monthly) and the file format, and save.
According to Google's help center, scheduled reports for individual accounts run at 3 AM in the account's time zone, and saved reports not opened for more than 18 months are removed automatically. Interface names change, so check the current labels in your account.
What does a weekly Google Ads report template look like?
- Header: date range, account, attribution model in use, currency.
- Three-line summary.
- Funnel table: cost, conversions, qualified leads, sales, revenue, cost per conversion, cost per sale. This week, last week, change.
- Campaign table: one row per campaign with the core columns, plus impression share lost to budget.
- Search terms: five best queries, five worst, negatives added.
- Tests: ad copy or landing page tests running, with status.
- Decisions with owner and date.
Write the attribution model in the header. Google Ads conversion actions can use data-driven or last-click attribution, and the choice changes how credit spreads across campaigns. We explain the options in Google Ads attribution models.
Example: reading a Google Ads report with impression share
Example (hypothetical numbers): a law firm runs two Search campaigns in one week.
| Campaign | Cost | Conversions | Cost / conv. | Search IS | Lost IS (budget) | Lost IS (rank) | Signed clients (CRM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | $400 | 40 | $10 | 92% | 0% | 8% | 6 |
| Non-brand | $3,000 | 60 | $50 | 35% | 45% | 20% | 9 |
The non-brand campaign is losing 45% of possible impressions to budget. Its cost per signed client is $333 ($3,000 ÷ 9). If a signed client is worth more than that, the report's decision is clear: raise the non-brand budget before tuning bids. If Lost IS (rank) were the larger number, more budget would not help; ad quality and bids would. The brand campaign looks cheap, but some of those clients would likely have found the firm anyway. That is a question for an incrementality test, not for the weekly report.
How do you add CRM results to a Google Ads report?
For lead-gen, "Conversions" usually means form fills or calls. To report sales, you need CRM data:
- Offline conversion import: capture the GCLID (or use enhanced conversions for leads), then upload qualified and won events back to Google Ads. Step by step in how to import offline conversions into Google Ads.
- UTMs into the CRM: pass UTM parameters with hidden fields and join CRM stages to campaigns in a sheet.
- An attribution platform: Admira connects Google Ads, Meta, TikTok and WhatsApp leads to HubSpot, Salesforce, Kommo and other CRMs and shows cost per sale by campaign and keyword in one report. It starts at $199/month; for a single account with low lead volume, the free Report editor plus a sheet may be enough.
If leadership needs one view for all channels, see marketing reporting for CMOs, and pair this report with the Meta Ads report guide so both use the same definitions.
What are common Google Ads reporting mistakes?
- Reporting All conversions as leads. It mixes secondary actions and other conversion types.
- Using page views or "contact page visit" as a primary conversion. Bidding then chases cheap, worthless actions.
- Judging Performance Max on its own conversion count. It often takes credit for brand demand; see how to measure Performance Max.
- Ignoring conversion lag. Last week's numbers can still grow as conversions are attributed back to the click date.
- Adding up Google and Meta conversions without deduplication.
Who this is for, and when it doesn't apply
For: marketers and agencies running Search, Performance Max or YouTube for lead-gen or services, who need a weekly report that leads to decisions. When it applies less: very small accounts (a single campaign with a few hundred dollars a month) do not need a seven-block report; a monthly check of cost, conversions and search terms is enough. Pure ecommerce stores with good value tracking can rely more on Conv. value / cost and store data.
FAQ
How do I schedule a Google Ads report by email?
Open the report in Report editor, click the email and schedule icon, choose recipients with account access, frequency and format, and save.
What is the difference between Conversions and All conversions?
Conversions counts primary actions used for bidding. All conversions adds secondary actions and other types such as view-through conversions.
What does Lost IS (budget) mean?
The share of times your Search ads were eligible but did not show because the budget ran out. Lost IS (rank) is the share lost to low Ad Rank.
Can I export Google Ads reports to Looker Studio?
Yes. Google Ads has a native Looker Studio connector. It shows platform data only, so CRM revenue still needs a separate source.
How often should I report Google Ads?
Weekly for optimizations, monthly for budget and trends. Account for conversion lag when judging the latest days.
Which conversion should be primary for lead-gen?
Ideally a qualified lead or sale imported from the CRM. If you cannot import yet, use a real form submission or qualified call, not page views.
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