When businesses run Google Ads, they usually focus on basic metrics: clicks, conversions, cost per click (CPC), and return on ad spend (ROAS). These matter — but top-performing advertisers know that real optimization comes from tracking deeper, often-overlooked metrics that reveal inefficiencies, ad fatigue, and opportunities for improvement. A savvy PPC Agency Toronto watches those “hidden” metrics closely to ensure ad spend is efficient and results keep improving.

In this article, we explain the lesser-known but powerful metrics, why they matter, and how monitoring them can result in better targeting, lower costs, and higher conversion efficiency.

Why “Standard” Metrics Aren’t Enough

While clicks and conversions are the final outputs, they don’t tell the whole story. High click volume with poor conversion rate may hide issues like irrelevant traffic, weak landing pages, or inefficient bidding. Conversely, low click volumes but high conversion efficiency might signal wasted budget or missed opportunities.

That’s why the best PPC specialists look deeper — beyond conversions — to gauge campaign health and unlock performance improvements long before results drop or budgets run dry.

Key Hidden Metrics Every PPC Agency in Toronto Should Track

1. Quality Score & Ad Rank Components

What is it: Google assigns a “Quality Score” (1–10) per keyword, based on expected click-through rate (CTR), ad relevance, and landing page experience. 

Why it matters: A higher Quality Score leads to lower CPC and better ad positions, meaning you get more qualified clicks for less spend. 

What a PPC Agency Toronto does:

  • Matches ad copy closely with search intent and keyword themes.

  • Uses tightly grouped ad groups so relevance stays high.

  • Optimizes landing page experience — fast load times, clear CTAs, relevant content — to satisfy the “landing page” part of Quality Score.

  • Prunes or restructures poorly performing keywords to avoid draining budget on low-quality traffic.

2. Impression Share & Lost Impression Share (Rank / Budget)

What is it: Impression Share (IS) is the % of total possible impressions your ads received. Lost IS shows how much share was lost because of low bids/rank or insufficient budget. 

Why it matters: Low impression share might mean your ads aren't showing often enough — even if your ads are good. High Lost IS (rank) flags you’re being outbid or not meeting quality thresholds; Lost IS (budget) signals insufficient budget.

How tracking helps:

  • Identifies when to increase bids or adjust strategy to capture more potential traffic.

  • Helps balance budget allocation across campaigns to avoid overspending on low-volume keywords.

3. Assisted Conversions & Conversion Funnel Attribution

What is it: Beyond last-click conversions, this metric tracks all touchpoints that led to conversion (ads, display, retargeting, etc.). 

Why it matters: Many B2B or high-consideration purchases have multiple touchpoints. Focusing only on last-click ignores the influence of upper-funnel ads and retargeting.

What a PPC Agency Toronto does:

  • Enables multi-channel conversion tracking (ads + remarketing + display + supporting content).

  • Uses attribution models to credit the right channels, so you don’t scale or cut budgets based on incomplete data.

  • Adjusts strategy across funnel stages (awareness, consideration, conversion) rather than relying only on bottom-of-funnel results.

4. Viewability & Active-View Metrics (for Display / Video Ads)

What is it: For display or video campaigns, it’s not enough to have served impressions — they must be visible. Metrics like Active View Viewability track how often ads were actually viewable by users. 

Why it matters: Non-viewable ads waste budget without brand exposure or conversions. Low viewability signals and placements might be poorly chosen or too low quality.

What to do:

  • Use Google’s viewability and placement exclusion settings.

  • Prioritize high-quality placements and avoid low-value inventory that eats budget without visibility.

5. Bounce Rate, Sessions per User & Post-Click Engagement (Site Behavior)

What is it: These are user experience metrics after someone clicks your ad — how they behave on your site, how many pages they visit, time spent, etc. Google Ads + Google Analytics data combined provide insight. 

Why it matters: A high bounce rate or low engagement often means your landing page doesn’t match ad promise — resulting in wasted clicks and wasted spend.

How to use it:

  • Compare bounce rates and engagement metrics across traffic sources (paid vs organic).

  • Optimize landing pages: fast loading, relevant copy/image, clear CTA.

  • Use A/B testing to validate which landing page variants convert better before scaling spend.

6. Ad Fatigue & Creative Performance — Ad Strength & Asset Performance

What is it: Beyond keyword-level metrics, the performance of ad creative (headlines, assets, ad variants) matters. When CTR or conversion drops while spend remains constant, creative fatigue could be the cause. 

Why it matters: Changing creative periodically can sustain performance and avoid diminished returns.

What to do:

  • Rotate ads regularly.

  • Test different ad formats (responsive search ads, asset-based ads, video).

  • Monitor asset-level performance and retire poor-performing creatives.

Why These Hidden Metrics Matter for Toronto Businesses

If you run Google Ads campaigns for Toronto-based customers — especially in competitive verticals (services, real estate, local retail) — performance efficiency becomes vital. Here’s why:

  • CPCs and competition tend to be higher in major metro areas, so even small inefficiencies waste a lot of money.

  • Audience overlap and ad fatigue are common — tracking creative performance and fatigue helps prevent wasted spend.

  • Local business conversions may involve offline actions (phone calls, visits), so attribution and assisted conversions become more important.

  • Local competition means impression share matters — missing impressions due to poor rank or budget leads to lost opportunities.

That’s why a professional PPC Agency Toronto must monitor these metrics — they provide lever points to optimize continuously, reduce waste, and improve long-term ROI.

Final Thoughts — Optimizing for Efficiency, Not Just Volume

Clicks and conversions are easy to see — but often don’t tell the full story. The most successful campaigns are built on continuous optimization, using hidden signals like Quality Score, Impression Share, creative fatigue, and ad viewability to incrementally reduce wasted spend and improve conversion efficiency.

If you’re running Google Ads in a competitive market like Toronto, ask your agency (or your in-house team) to dive deeper into these metrics. The insight they uncover often leads to significant cost savings and better ROI — especially over the long run.

Choosing a thoughtful PPC Agency Toronto that digs beneath the surface metrics is one of the smartest investments for sustainable growth in 2025.