What are the realistic budget tiers, and what does each teach you?
Match spend to what you can learn from it:
| Budget tier | Monthly spend per platform | What you learn |
|---|---|---|
| Insufficient | Below $1,000 | Not enough data — cannot conclude anything |
| Test tier | $1,500-$3,000 | Whether the platform works for you at all + best creative angle |
| Scale tier | $3,000-$10,000 | Which segment, which offer, which creative wins |
| Optimise tier | $10,000+ | Marginal cost per lead, geographic scale, funnel efficiency |
What cost-per-lead should you expect while testing?
Cost per lead varies wildly by industry, market, and campaign quality. Directional ranges for English-language markets in 2026:
| Category | Google Ads CPL | Meta Ads CPL |
|---|---|---|
| Professional services (legal, financial) | $40-$180 | $20-$90 |
| Trades & home services | $30-$120 | $15-$60 |
| E-commerce lead-gen (email capture) | $5-$25 | $2-$12 |
| B2B SaaS demos or trials | $60-$300 | $40-$180 |
| Real estate enquiries | $25-$100 | $10-$50 |
| Coaching, courses, digital products | $15-$60 | $8-$35 |
Why should you optimise for cost per <em>qualified</em> lead, not cost per lead?
Meta CPL is typically lower than Google CPL — but Google leads convert to sales at 2-4x the rate. A “cheap” lead that never buys is expensive.
The right metric is cost per qualified lead (CPQL) — cost divided by leads that meet your qualification criteria (right industry, right role, actual buying interest). A qualified lead at $80 on Google beats an unqualified lead at $20 on Meta if the Google lead converts 5x more often.
How long do you need to run the test before judging?
Give each platform 60 days minimum. 90 days is better. The timeline:
- Days 1-14 — platform algorithm learns your audience and creative. CPL usually looks bad. Don't panic.
- Days 15-30 — campaigns exit learning phase. Kill obvious losers, scale winners.
- Days 31-60 — real cost-per-lead reads. You know if the platform works for your business.
- Days 61-90 — cost per qualified lead becomes reliable. Real business decisions can be made.
When do you decide to kill a test versus keep going?
Kill only if after 60 full days: cost per qualified lead is more than 3x your target, no creative or audience iteration has moved the number, and there's no clear signal a new approach would fix it.
Keep going if you're seeing directional improvement week over week — even if CPL is still above target — because the platform is learning and you have more room to iterate. The most common SME mistake is killing a Meta or Google campaign at day 21 because it “isn't working.” Almost every campaign looks unprofitable in weeks 1-3.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the minimum monthly budget to test Meta or Google Ads properly?
$1,500-$3,000 per month per platform for 60-90 days. Below $1,000/month you don't get enough conversions to leave learning phase and every optimization decision is guesswork. Above $5,000 for a first test wastes budget before you know what works.
How long before you can judge whether Meta or Google Ads is working?
60 days minimum, 90 days better. Weeks 1-2 are learning phase and usually look bad. Weeks 3-4 show early cost-per-lead signals. Weeks 5-8 are the first real read on cost-per-qualified-lead. Killing before day 60 is the most common SME mistake.
What's a realistic cost per lead on Google Ads in 2026?
For English-language markets: professional services $40-$180, trades $30-$120, e-commerce lead-gen $5-$25, B2B SaaS $60-$300. Meta Ads CPL is typically 40-60% lower — but Google leads convert to sales at 2-4x higher rate, so optimise for cost per qualified lead not cost per lead.