Why CTR and CVR are the two fastest levers
In most accounts, CTR is your creative-market fit signal and CVR is your offer + landing page signal. When ROAS/CPA is bad, decomposing into CTR and CVR tells you where the leakage is.
A simple diagnosis flow
| Symptom | Likely issue | First fixes |
|---|---|---|
| Low CTR | Creative mismatch or fatigue | New angles, new hooks, new formats; rotate; fix frequency |
| OK CTR, low CVR | Landing/offer mismatch | Match intent, simplify CTA, speed, trust signals |
| High CPC | High CPM or low CTR | Improve relevance/creative; adjust placements/audiences |
| High CPA | Low CVR or high CPC | Fix the worst lever first; don't guess |
Set break-even targets (so you stop guessing)
- Use break-even CTR to set creative quality targets for a placement mix.
- Use break-even CVR to set landing page targets given CPM/CTR and economics.
- Use max CPC to set bidding guardrails from margin and CVR assumptions.
Common mistakes
- Optimizing CTR with curiosity clicks (CVR collapses).
- Refreshing creative without changing the underlying message/offer (fatigue returns).
- Using revenue-only ROAS targets when variable costs and returns are material.