A well-designed PPC dashboard gives you instant visibility into campaign performance. But with so many metrics available, which ones should you monitor daily? Focusing on the right metrics helps you catch issues early and make quick optimization decisions.
This guide covers the essential PPC dashboard metrics to monitor daily: what to track, why it matters, how to interpret the data, and how to use dashboard insights for efficient campaign management.
Why Daily Monitoring Matters
Early Issue Detection
Catch problems quickly:
- Performance declines
- Budget issues
- Tracking problems
- Campaign errors
- Delivery issues
Benefits: Fix issues before they escalate, prevent wasted budget, maintain performance.
Quick Optimization
Identify opportunities:
- Performance improvements
- Scaling opportunities
- Optimization needs
- Budget reallocation
- Creative refresh needs
Benefits: Optimize faster, improve performance, maximize ROI.
Client Management
Stay informed:
- Performance visibility
- Proactive communication
- Quick responses
- Better service
- Client confidence
Benefits: Better client relationships, proactive management, higher satisfaction.
Essential Daily Metrics
Spend Metrics
Daily spend:
- Actual spend vs. budget
- Spend trends
- Budget pacing
- Overspend alerts
- Underspend identification
Why monitor: Ensure budgets are spent appropriately, catch overspending early, identify scaling opportunities.
What to look for:
- Spending as expected
- No sudden spikes/drops
- On track for monthly budget
- No delivery issues
Performance Metrics
Conversions:
- Conversion volume
- Conversion trends
- Conversion rate
- Cost per conversion
- Conversion value
Why monitor: Track campaign success, identify performance changes, optimize for conversions.
What to look for:
- Conversions meeting targets
- No sudden drops
- Conversion rate stable
- CPA within targets
ROAS/ROI:
- Return on ad spend
- Profitability
- Efficiency trends
- Performance vs. targets
Why monitor: Ensure profitability, track efficiency, optimize for ROI.
What to look for:
- ROAS above targets
- Stable or improving
- Profitable campaigns
- Efficiency maintained
Efficiency Metrics
Cost per click (CPC):
- Click costs
- Cost trends
- Efficiency indicators
- Budget impact
Why monitor: Track efficiency, identify cost issues, optimize bidding.
What to look for:
- CPC within normal range
- No sudden increases
- Competitive costs
- Efficient spending
Cost per acquisition (CPA):
- Acquisition costs
- Efficiency trends
- Profitability indicators
- Performance vs. targets
Why monitor: Ensure profitable acquisition, track efficiency, optimize costs.
What to look for:
- CPA below targets
- Stable or improving
- Profitable acquisition
- Efficiency maintained
Engagement Metrics
Click-through rate (CTR):
- Ad engagement
- Creative performance
- Audience relevance
- Performance indicator
Why monitor: Track engagement, identify creative issues, optimize relevance.
What to look for:
- CTR stable or improving
- No sudden drops
- Above benchmarks
- Good engagement
Impression share:
- Market coverage
- Budget sufficiency
- Competition level
- Opportunity identification
Why monitor: Understand market position, identify opportunities, optimize coverage.
What to look for:
- Sufficient impression share
- Opportunities to increase
- Budget adequate
- Competitive position
Dashboard Design Principles
Focus on Key Metrics
Prioritize essentials:
- Most important metrics first
- Quick-glance visibility
- Clear hierarchy
- Actionable data
Avoid clutter: Too many metrics reduces focus, prioritize what matters most.
Visual Design
Clear visualization:
- Charts and graphs
- Color coding
- Trend indicators
- Comparison views
Best practices:
- Use colors meaningfully
- Show trends clearly
- Make comparisons easy
- Highlight important data
Customization
Client-specific views:
- Customize per client
- Relevant metrics
- Client goals
- Industry benchmarks
Flexibility: Different clients need different metrics, customize accordingly.
Daily Monitoring Routine
Morning Check (5-10 minutes)
Quick scan:
- Overall performance
- Key metrics
- Alerts and issues
- Budget status
Focus: Identify urgent issues, check overnight performance, plan day.
Mid-Day Check (5 minutes)
Performance update:
- Current performance
- Budget pacing
- Any issues
- Quick adjustments
Focus: Stay current, catch midday issues, make quick fixes.
End of Day Review (10-15 minutes)
Comprehensive review:
- Full day performance
- Compare to targets
- Identify trends
- Plan next day
Focus: Understand daily performance, plan optimizations, prepare for next day.
Alert Setup
Critical Alerts
Set up alerts for:
- Budget thresholds (80%, 100%)
- Performance drops (CPA spikes, conversion drops)
- Campaign issues (paused, errors)
- Tracking problems (missing conversions)
Benefits: Immediate notification, quick response, prevent issues.
Performance Alerts
Set up alerts for:
- Significant performance changes
- Budget pacing issues
- Efficiency changes
- Delivery problems
Benefits: Early warning, proactive management, optimization opportunities.
Using Dashboard Data
Quick Decisions
Daily optimizations:
- Budget adjustments
- Campaign pausing
- Quick fixes
- Urgent optimizations
Use dashboard: Make quick decisions, respond to issues, optimize efficiently.
Trend Identification
Weekly trends:
- Performance patterns
- Seasonal trends
- Growth trajectories
- Decline indicators
Use dashboard: Identify trends, plan optimizations, strategic planning.
Client Communication
Client updates:
- Performance summaries
- Quick updates
- Issue notifications
- Proactive communication
Use dashboard: Stay informed, communicate proactively, build trust.
Common Dashboard Mistakes
Mistake 1: Too Many Metrics
Problem: Information overload, can't focus, missed important data.
Solution: Focus on essentials, prioritize key metrics, avoid clutter.
Mistake 2: Not Customizing
Problem: Generic dashboard, irrelevant metrics, missed insights.
Solution: Customize per client, focus on relevant metrics, align with goals.
Mistake 3: Not Setting Alerts
Problem: Miss issues, reactive management, problems escalate.
Solution: Set up alerts, monitor proactively, respond quickly.
Mistake 4: Ignoring Trends
Problem: Focus only on daily data, miss patterns, poor planning.
Solution: Review trends, identify patterns, plan strategically.
Best Practices
Regular Review
Make it routine:
- Daily checks
- Weekly deep dives
- Monthly analysis
- Quarterly strategic review
Consistency: Regular monitoring catches issues early and identifies opportunities.
Action-Oriented
Focus on actionable:
- Metrics that drive decisions
- Data you can act on
- Optimization opportunities
- Performance improvements
Avoid vanity metrics: Focus on metrics that drive action and improvement.
Documentation
Document insights:
- Performance notes
- Optimization decisions
- Trend observations
- Client updates
Benefits: Track decisions, learn from history, improve over time.
Conclusion
A well-designed PPC dashboard with the right metrics provides daily visibility into campaign performance. By:
- Focusing on essential metrics
- Monitoring daily
- Setting up alerts
- Using data for decisions
- Following best practices
You'll have dashboards that:
- Provide quick visibility
- Enable fast decisions
- Catch issues early
- Drive optimization
Remember, dashboards are tools for insight and action. Monitor regularly, focus on what matters, and use dashboard data to make better decisions and improve performance.
Ready to optimize your dashboard? Connect your accounts to our dashboard and see how comprehensive metrics and daily monitoring can help you manage campaigns more effectively and make better optimization decisions.