Google Ads ROI Calculator
Your dashboard CPL is almost always wrong. Model your real cost per qualified lead, true cost per customer, and ROAS in 30 seconds. Free, no signup, nothing leaves your browser.
How the calculation works
Dashboard CPL = ad spend Γ· total leads. This is the number Google shows you, and it counts every form-fill β including spam and unqualified leads.
Real CPL = ad spend Γ· qualified leads. Once you strip out the unqualified share, the true cost of a usable lead is typically 1.5-2x higher.
Cost per customer (CAC) = ad spend Γ· (qualified leads Γ close rate). This is what you actually pay to acquire a paying customer.
ROAS = revenue Γ· ad spend, where revenue = customers Γ average customer value. Pair it with your margin to know if the math truly works.
Want the full method behind it? Read how to calculate your real cost per lead, or check CPL benchmarks by industry.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you calculate ROI on Google Ads?
- Google Ads ROI is (revenue from ads β ad spend) Γ· ad spend, expressed as a percentage. To get there you need four numbers: ad spend, how many qualified leads you actually get (not raw form-fills), your lead-to-customer close rate, and average customer value. Multiply qualified leads by close rate to get customers, multiply customers by customer value to get revenue, then apply the ROI formula. This calculator does all of it live.
- Why is my real cost per lead higher than the Google Ads dashboard shows?
- Google's dashboard counts every form-fill as a conversion. But a large share are spam, wrong-country, wrong-fit, or never respond β for most B2B accounts 30-50% of dashboard conversions are noise. Your real cost per qualified lead is total spend divided by qualified leads only, which is typically 1.5-2x the dashboard number. This calculator shows you that gap.
- What's a good ROAS for Google Ads?
- It depends on your margin. A ROAS of 4x (400%) means $4 revenue per $1 spent β healthy for most businesses β but a 3x ROAS is unprofitable if your margin is below 33%. For lead-gen, what matters more is cost per customer relative to customer lifetime value. Always pair ROAS with margin and CAC to know whether a campaign actually makes money.
- Is this Google Ads calculator free?
- Yes, completely free, no signup required. All calculations run in your browser β nothing you enter is sent anywhere or stored. Adjust the sliders to model different scenarios for your account.