Google reports cost per lead. Your business runs on booked jobs and customers. This lesson shows you how to calculate the numbers that matter, with a worked example.
At a glance
- Cost per lead = spend ÷ charged leads.
- Cost per real customer = spend ÷ distinct people who contacted you (repeat callers counted once).
- Cost per booked job = spend ÷ jobs booked from those leads.
- Use the same window for all three, in whole weeks or months.
A worked example (illustrative numbers)
| Month | Figure |
|---|---|
| Spend | $3,000 |
| Charged leads | 60 |
| Distinct people (after linking repeat calls and messages) | 48 |
| Jobs booked | 20 |
| Metric | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per lead | $3,000 ÷ 60 | $50 |
| Cost per real customer | $3,000 ÷ 48 | $62.50 |
| Cost per booked job | $3,000 ÷ 20 | $150 |
The steps
- Export a month of leadswith phone number or email, charge status and credit status.
- Remove credited leadsfrom the charged count, so the cost reflects what you actually paid for.
- Link repeat contacts.Group leads by phone number or email; each group is one real customer.
- Mark which customers bookedand what each job was worth.
- Calculate all three numbersfor the same window, and compare month to month by service.
Common mistakes
- Mixing windows (spend for a calendar month, bookings for 30 days).
- Counting every call and message as a separate customer.
- Leaving credited leads in the charged count.
How CallRadius handles this
CallRadius Signal links repeat contacts to the same person and shows cost per distinct customer next to Google's cost per lead, with economics by service. On managed accounts, the CallRadius LSA AI management system tracks cost per charged lead and booked-job economics separately for the manager.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between cost per lead and cost per booked job?
Cost per lead divides spend by charged leads. Cost per booked job divides spend by jobs actually booked, which tells you what a customer really cost.
Why count repeat callers once?
A customer who calls twice and sends a message can count as three leads. Counting distinct people shows your real cost per customer.