Ogilvy’s line still holds: we sell, or else. For a local business, “sold” means a booked job, not a Facebook lead object. Cost per lead is useful the way a thermometer is useful. It is not the sport.
The numbers that actually change the week
- Speed to first response. Minutes, not hours.
- Call connect rate and show rate on estimates.
- Close rate on booked work, by offer.
- Revenue and contribution after media, not vanity ROAS alone.
When CPL drops and revenue does not move, the leak is almost never “the algorithm.” It is creative that attracted the wrong person, a form that collected junk, or a follow-up rhythm that lets warm intent go cold.
How we report
Monthly (Starter) or weekly (Premium) we show what ran, what won, what we killed, and the next test. You should be able to answer “what should we do with next month’s budget?” in one sitting. If a report cannot support that sentence, it is a slide deck, not a system.