The Question Every Business Owner Asks
"If I spend £500 a month on Google Ads, how many leads will I get?" It's the most common question we hear, and it deserves a straight answer — even though the real answer is "it depends."
It depends on your industry, your location, your website, and how well your campaigns are set up. But that doesn't mean we can't give you realistic numbers to plan around. This guide breaks down the conversion funnel, provides UK benchmarks by industry, and helps you set expectations you can actually measure against.
Understanding the Google Ads Conversion Funnel
Every pound you spend on Google Ads goes through a funnel before it becomes a lead. Understanding each step helps you diagnose where you might be losing potential customers.
The Funnel in Numbers
| Stage | What Happens | Typical Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Impressions | Your ad appears in search results | — |
| Clicks | Someone clicks your ad | 3–8% of impressions (CTR) |
| Landing page visits | They arrive on your website | ~95% of clicks (some bounce before page loads) |
| Leads | They call, fill in a form, or message you | 5–15% of landing page visits |
So if 1,000 people see your ad, roughly 50 click it, and of those 50, between 3 and 8 contact you. Those 3–8 contacts are your leads.
A Worked Example
Let's say you're a plumber in Birmingham spending £600 per month:
- Average CPC (cost per click): £4
- Clicks: £600 ÷ £4 = 150 clicks
- Landing page conversion rate: 8%
- Leads: 150 × 8% = 12 leads
- Cost per lead: £600 ÷ 12 = £50
Twelve leads from £600 is realistic for a plumber in a competitive city. In a smaller town with less competition, the same budget might generate 18–20 leads because CPCs are lower.
Realistic Lead Volume by Budget and Industry
These estimates assume a reasonably well-optimised campaign with proper conversion tracking, a decent landing page, and appropriate keyword targeting.
Budget: £300–£500/month
| Industry | Expected Leads/Month | Typical CPL |
|---|---|---|
| Window cleaning | 15 – 30 | £12 – £20 |
| Carpet cleaning | 12 – 25 | £15 – £25 |
| Pest control | 10 – 20 | £18 – £30 |
| Gardening/landscaping | 10 – 18 | £20 – £35 |
| General plumber | 8 – 15 | £25 – £40 |
| Electrician | 8 – 15 | £25 – £45 |
Budget: £500–£1,000/month
| Industry | Expected Leads/Month | Typical CPL |
|---|---|---|
| Window cleaning | 25 – 50 | £12 – £20 |
| Carpet cleaning | 20 – 40 | £15 – £25 |
| Pest control | 18 – 35 | £18 – £30 |
| Plumber | 15 – 30 | £25 – £45 |
| Electrician | 12 – 25 | £25 – £50 |
| Heating engineer | 10 – 20 | £35 – £60 |
| Roofer | 8 – 18 | £40 – £70 |
| Builder | 6 – 12 | £50 – £90 |
Budget: £1,000–£2,000/month
At this level, you should be generating enough data for Google's automated bidding to work well. Lead volume scales, but not perfectly linearly — competition increases as you bid for more impressions.
| Industry | Expected Leads/Month | Typical CPL |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber | 25 – 50 | £25 – £45 |
| Electrician | 20 – 40 | £30 – £50 |
| Heating/boiler | 18 – 35 | £35 – £60 |
| Roofer | 15 – 30 | £40 – £70 |
| Builder | 12 – 25 | £55 – £95 |
| Kitchen/bathroom fitter | 10 – 22 | £55 – £100 |
What Affects Your Lead Volume
1. Location and Competition
A locksmith in central London faces far more competition (and higher CPCs) than one in Exeter. The same budget goes further in less competitive areas.
2. Your Landing Page
This is the single biggest lever you have control over. A well-designed landing page with a clear headline, visible phone number, simple contact form, and fast mobile load time can double your conversion rate — and therefore double your leads without spending an extra penny.
3. Keyword Selection
Targeting "plumber near me" (high intent) will generate fewer but better leads than targeting "plumbing tips" (low intent). Focus your budget on keywords that indicate someone ready to hire.
4. Ad Copy Relevance
Ads that closely match what the searcher is looking for get higher click-through rates and lower costs per click. Specific beats generic every time.
5. Time of Day and Day of Week
Many service searches happen during working hours and early evening. Running ads 24/7 when you can only answer calls 8am–6pm means paying for leads you can't respond to.
6. Conversion Tracking Accuracy
If your tracking is broken or incomplete, your reported lead numbers will be wrong. Many businesses undercount leads because they're not tracking phone calls from ads.
Why Leads Aren't the Whole Story
Getting 20 leads a month means nothing if only two of them turn into paying customers. The full picture requires looking at the entire chain:
| Metric | Example |
|---|---|
| Monthly ad spend | £800 |
| Leads | 20 |
| Cost per lead | £40 |
| Lead-to-customer rate | 30% |
| New customers | 6 |
| Average job value | £450 |
| Monthly revenue from ads | £2,700 |
| Cost per customer | £133 |
| ROI | 238% |
In this example, the business is earning £2,700 from £800 in spend — a strong return. But if their lead-to-customer rate dropped to 15% (only 3 customers), revenue would halve to £1,350 and ROI would drop to 69%.
Your sales process — how quickly you respond, how you handle enquiries, and how you quote — is just as important as your ad campaign.
Setting Realistic First-Month Expectations
If you're starting Google Ads for the first time, your first month will almost always be your worst. Here's why:
- Google's algorithms need 2–4 weeks of data to optimise bidding
- Your initial keyword list will include some duds that need pruning
- You haven't yet built a negative keyword list from real search data
- Your landing page might need adjustments based on actual user behaviour
A reasonable expectation for month one is 50–70% of the lead volume you'd expect from a mature campaign. By month three, well-managed campaigns typically hit their stride.
Red Flags: When Your Lead Volume Is Genuinely Low
If you're consistently getting fewer leads than the benchmarks above, check these common issues:
- No conversion tracking set up. You might be getting leads but not counting them.
- Broad match keywords draining budget. Check your search terms report for irrelevant queries.
- Landing page not mobile-friendly. Over 60% of local service searches are on mobile.
- Ad copy doesn't include a call to action. Tell people what to do — "Call now for a free quote."
- Budget too thin. If your daily budget runs out by noon, you're missing afternoon and evening searches.
How to Get More Leads From the Same Budget
Before you increase your budget, optimise what you've got. Read our guide on lowering your cost per lead for specific tactics. The short version: tighten your keywords, improve your landing page, add negative keywords weekly, and respond to leads within five minutes.
Want to know exactly how many leads your budget should be generating? Get a free audit from SwiftLead. We'll review your campaigns, benchmark your performance, and show you where leads are being left on the table.
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