Most accounts start backwards: spend first, hope for leads later. Flip it. Decide what a qualified lead is worth to you, then work back to a cost-per-lead you can afford.

Why it matters

With a target, every campaign has a pass/fail line. Without one, you optimise for whatever the dashboard highlights — usually clicks, rarely revenue.

Attention is the scarce resource. Track ten metrics and you act on none. Choose one — cost per qualified lead or ROAS — and let it drive weekly decisions.

Everything else is diagnostic. Useful for why, not for what to do next.

Paid media gives you data and demand this week. SEO gives you cheaper demand next quarter. A new brand usually starts paid to learn what converts, then feeds those winners into content and search.

The mistake is treating them as rivals run by two agencies who never talk.