Running Ads but Still Spinning Your Wheels? Track These 3 Metrics First.

Hey business owners — if you’re running ads and it feels like you’re working hard… but the results aren’t matching the effort, you’re not alone.

Most of the time, the problem isn’t “ads don’t work.”

It’s that you’re looking at the wrong data (or not knowing what the data is trying to tell you).

So today, let’s simplify it.

If you only track three metrics consistently, you’ll be able to tell exactly where the breakdown is — and what to fix first.

1) CTR (Click-Through Rate): Are people actually interested?

CTR tells you how many people clicked your ad compared to how many saw it.

Think of it as your attention check.

If your CTR is low, it usually means one of these is happening:

• Your hook isn’t strong enough

• Your creative isn’t stopping the scroll

• Your copy isn’t speaking to the right pain point

• The offer isn’t clear at a glance

What to do if CTR is low

Before you touch your budget, try:

• a new headline/hook

• a new creative angle (same offer, different “why”)

• clearer benefit-led copy

• tighter targeting (if it’s super broad)

Translation: Low CTR = your ad isn’t resonating yet.

2) Conversion Rate: Are clicks turning into leads/sales?

Conversion rate tells you: out of everyone who clicked… how many actually took action?
(They booked, bought, signed up, downloaded — whatever your goal is.)

This is where I see businesses get frustrated because they think:
“People are clicking… so why isn’t it working?”

If CTR is solid but conversion rate is low, it’s usually NOT your ad.

It’s usually one of these:

• landing page doesn’t match the promise in the ad

• page is confusing or too long

• CTA is weak or buried

• too much friction (too many form fields, too many steps)

• not enough trust (proof, reviews, FAQs, guarantees)

What to do if conversion rate is low

Quick wins to test:

• match your landing page headline to your ad copy (same words)

• move your CTA higher on the page

• simplify the form

• add proof where people hesitate (reviews, testimonials, results)

Translation: Clicks with no conversions = the page isn’t closing the loop.

3) ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Is it profitable?

ROAS tells you: how much revenue you earned for every $1 spent.

If you’re e-commerce, ROAS is a primary “keep or kill” metric.

If you’re lead gen, ROAS may not be your main KPI — you’ll likely track:

• Cost per lead

• Cost per booked call

• Cost per acquisition (CAC)

But the idea is the same: are you getting a return that makes sense?

What to do if ROAS is low

ROAS is usually a mix of:

• the right audience

• the right offer

• the right funnel

• plus consistent optimization over time

So if ROAS is low, I look at:

• targeting (are we bringing in the right traffic?)

• creative (are we attracting buyers or browsers?)

• offer (is it compelling enough to convert?)

• checkout/booking flow (is something breaking downstream?)

Translation: Low ROAS = something is off in the full system, not just the ad.

The simple “what to fix first” cheat sheet

If you want the fastest way to diagnose what’s happening, use this:

• Low CTR → fix creative/copy/hook

• CTR is good but conversions are low → fix landing page/offer alignment

• Conversions happen but ROAS is low → fix efficiency + targeting + funnel

Your turn (tell me what you’re seeing)

If you’re currently running ads, which one are you struggling with most?

1. Getting clicks (CTR)

2. Turning clicks into customers (conversion rate)

3. Profitability (ROAS / cost per lead)

Drop your answer — and if you tell me your platform (Google or Meta), I’ll reply with what I’d check first.