Google Ads Lead Forms guide: what they are, how they work and how to create them

 

Lead form assets are an effective means of generating leads, enabling individuals to conveniently submit their information directly through your advertisement.

Within this article, you will gain insights into lead forms and discover their advantageous impact on your Google Ads campaigns.

How it works

The process is simple

1. Create a lead form within Google Ads and incorporate it into your campaign. You have the flexibility to include lead forms in Search, Video, Discovery, and Display campaigns.
2. Individuals within your target audience visit a Google platform, such as YouTube, and engage with the ad that contains the lead form. Upon opening the lead form, they have the option to provide their contact details, including email addresses, phone numbers, and other pertinent information.
3. Access and manage your leads through Google Ads. You can choose to download your leads as a CSV file or establish a webhook integration to receive leads directly into your customer relationship management (CRM) system. It’s important to note that you can only download leads submitted within the past 30 days. Additionally, you have the option to automatically export lead form data from the last 60 days to your CRM using the Google Ads API.

Prerequisites for using lead forms

Before utilizing lead forms, ensure that you meet the following requirements:

1. Adherence to policies:

   Maintain a commendable record of policy compliance.

2. Eligible Google Ads account:

   Possess a Google Ads account in a vertical or sub-vertical that qualifies for lead forms. Note that sensitive verticals (e.g., sexual content) are ineligible for this feature.

3. Privacy policy:

   Have a privacy policy in place for your business. When creating a lead form in Google Ads, you must provide a link to your privacy policy. The privacy policy will be displayed at the end of the lead form.

Moreover, if you intend to add a lead form to a Video, Discovery, or Display campaign, or create a Search campaign where the ad’s headline directly opens a lead form, the following additional criteria must be met:

Total spend threshold

Maintain a minimum total spend of over $50,000 USD in Google Ads. If your account operates in a currency other than USD, your spend will be converted to USD using the average monthly conversion rate for that currency.

If you have an active lead form asset, the following conditions must also be satisfied for the lead form to be eligible for use in a lead form ad format:

1. Bidding:

   Ensure that your campaign employs a bidding strategy focused on conversions.

2. Conversion goal:

   Optimize the campaign towards a Google lead form conversion goal. Even if the campaign is optimizing for other types of conversions (non-lead form), it should include the Google lead form conversion.

3. Ad types:

   Responsive search ads creatives are eligible for serving lead forms, while expanded text ads are ineligible.

Where lead forms can be viewed

Lead forms can be viewed in the following countries where they are eligible to serve:

Argentina Australia Austria Bangladesh Belize Belgium Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Czech Republic Denmark Ecuador El Salvador Finland France Germany Greece Guatemala	Honduras Hong Kong Hungary India Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Japan Kazakhstan Lithuania Malaysia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Pakistan Panama Peru Philippines	Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Romania Singapore Slovakia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Vietnam

Using lead forms

To utilize lead forms effectively, follow these guidelines:

1. Meet the requirements

   Ensure that you fulfill the prerequisites for using lead forms. Failure to meet these requirements will restrict your ability to create lead forms.

2. Adhere to policies and guidelines

   Ensure that your lead form complies with the advertising policies and guidelines set forth by the platform. For instance, ensure that you target a country where lead forms are available. If not, your campaign will not serve.

3. Limit of one lead form per campaign

   Note that you can only add one lead form per campaign. Adjust your strategy accordingly.

4. Understand campaign-specific differences

   Although the process of creating a lead form is similar across all campaign types, there may be variations in how they function within different campaign types.

Search Campaigns

• Lead forms can be displayed on both desktop and mobile devices.

Video Campaigns

• Lead forms are exclusively available on mobile devices using the Android operating system.
• If your campaign targets iOS or desktop, lead forms will not be served to users.

Discovery Campaigns

• To enable the serving of lead forms, you need to have at least one Discovery image ad.
• Lead forms are not compatible with carousel ads in Discovery campaigns.

Display Campaigns

• Lead forms can be shown on both desktop and mobile devices in display campaigns.
• To utilize lead forms, you must have at least one responsive display ad.
• Lead forms are not compatible with uploaded image ads in display campaigns.

Lead form assets at the account level

• You have the option to attach a lead form asset at the account level, which can be used with Search or Performance Max campaign types.
• Lead form assets at the campaign level in Google Ads always take precedence over lead form assets at the account level.
• If lead form assets at the campaign level are disapproved, the lead form assets at the account level will be served.

Lead form optimization

• In addition to audience targeting, you can optimize your lead form to either generate more leads (“More volume”) or obtain higher-quality leads (“More qualified”).
• Choosing either option will not add or remove audiences, and the fields in your lead form will remain unchanged.
• It’s important to note that the optimization process may differ based on the campaign type.
• The default lead form type is “More volume,” but you can switch to “More qualified” if desired. The chosen lead form type can impact the cost per lead and the quantity of leads collected.
• You have the flexibility to change the lead form type at any time during the campaign.
• The “More qualified” lead form type may involve a multi-step form design, resulting in fewer leads. However, these leads are likely to exhibit a higher level of interest in your business, product, or service.
• The “More volume” lead form type employs a streamlined form design with fewer steps, generating a higher quantity of leads. However, some of these leads may display less interest in your business, product, or service.

How to create a lead form in a new campaign

To create a lead form asset in a new campaign, follow these steps:

1. Access your Google Ads account and click on the Campaigns icon.
2. From the section menu, click on the Campaigns dropdown.
3. Click on the plus button and select “New campaign.”
4. Choose “Leads” as your campaign goal.
5. Select the desired campaign type: Search, Video, Discovery, Performance Max, or Display.
6. Click “Continue.”
7. Configure your campaign settings.
8. Open the lead form editor to enter the details of your lead form.
   • For Search and Display campaigns: Scroll down to the “Assets” section, click on “More asset types,” and select “Lead forms.”
   • For Video and Discovery campaigns: Scroll down to the “Lead form” section and click on “Form.”
9. In the lead form asset editor, click on “Create new.”
10. Provide a headline, business name, and description for your lead form.
11. Choose the questions you want to ask in the lead form. You must select at least one option to proceed. Available questions may include:
    • Name (can be customized as First name and last name or Full name)
    • Email
    • Phone number
    • City
    • Zip / Postcode
    • State / Province
    • Country
    • Company name
    • Job title
    • Work email
    • Work phone number
12. (Optional) To further qualify your leads, you can add your own qualifying questions by clicking on “+Question.” You can choose from suggested questions or suggest your own question to be added to the catalog.
13. Add the URL to your privacy policy. A privacy policy is required and will be displayed at the end of the lead form.
14. (For Search campaigns only) You can click on “Image” to add a background image to the lead form. The recommended dimensions are 1.91:1 (1200 x 628).
15. Enter a headline and description for the form submission message that appears after people submit their contact information.
16. If applicable, include a submission message call-to-action to encourage interaction. Select a call-to-action type from the dropdown menu and provide a description.
17. (Optional) If you want to receive leads directly in your CRM system, add your webhook information to the lead form or link Zapier.
18. Choose “More qualified” or “More volume” as your lead form optimization based on your preferences.
19. If this is your first time creating a lead form, review and accept the terms of service.
20. Click “Save” to add the lead form to your campaign.

How to add a lead form to an existing campaign

To add a lead form asset to an existing campaign, follow these steps:

1. Access your Google Ads account and click on the Campaigns icon.
2. From the section menu, click on the Assets dropdown.
3. Click on “Assets.”
4. You will see a table displaying all your assets. Choose “Association” from the “Table view” dropdown menu.
5. Above the table toolbar, select “Lead form” from the list.
6. Check the box next to the lead form that you want to add to your existing campaign.
7. Select “Add to” and then choose “Campaign.” Make sure the campaign you select has “Leads” set as the campaign goal.
8. Click “Done.” Once a lead form is attached to an existing campaign, the campaign will start running after the lead form is approved. You can check the review status of your lead form under “Lead form” in your campaign settings.

How to create a lead form asset at the account level

To add a lead form asset at the account level in your Google Ads account, follow these steps:

1. Access your Google Ads account and click on the Campaigns icon.
2. From the section menu, click on the Assets dropdown.
3. Click on “Assets.”
4. Click on the plus icon and choose “Lead form asset.”
5. At the top of the page, select “Account” from the “Add to” dropdown.
6. Choose the “Create new” option.
7. Enter the required information to create your lead form.
8. Click “Save.” Note: It’s important to note that you can only add one lead form asset at the account level.

How to edit a lead form

To edit a lead form asset in your Google Ads account, follow these steps:

1. Access your Google Ads account and click on the Campaigns icon.
2. From the section menu, click on the Assets dropdown.
3. Click on “Assets.”
4. You will see a table displaying all your assets. Choose “Association” from the “Table view” dropdown menu.
5. Select “Lead form” from the list above the table toolbar.
6. Hover over the lead form you want to edit and click the pencil icon (Edit).
7. Make the desired changes to your lead form.
8. Click “Save.”

How to make a responsive search ad open to a lead form

If you want to show a lead form every time someone clicks the headline in your responsive search ad, see this quick guide.

Measure your performance

To measure the performance of your lead form in your Google Ads account, follow these guidelines:

1. Keep in mind that every time a lead form is opened, it is tracked as a click.
2. When someone submits their information through a lead form, it is counted as a conversion. Google Ads automatically generates lead form conversions once the form receives its first submission.
3. It’s important to note that your campaign may also drive website conversions.
4. You can analyze your click and conversion performance by segmenting your performance report based on “Click type” and “Conversion type” in your Google Ads account.
5. Please be aware that visits and conversions won’t be attributed to your lead forms in Google Analytics. Google Analytics only reports engagements that directly lead users to your website. Note: If you observe any discrepancy between the number of conversions attributed to your Google-hosted lead form and your downloaded lead data, consider segmenting your performance reporting by “Conversion type”. Other conversions, such as purchases made on your website, may be credited to your Google-hosted lead form.

Retrieve your leads

To download your leads, you have the option to export them as a simple CSV file or as an advanced CSV file that can be imported into a customer relationship management (CRM) system.

Additionally, you can set up a webhook integration to receive leads directly in your CRM or utilize the Google Ads API to retrieve your leads.

Options to download leads

1. CSV File:

   You can download your leads as a CSV file directly from your Google Ads account. Please note that the CSV file will be empty until you receive your first lead. Keep in mind that leads are only stored for 30 days, so it’s important to download them regularly. If you find conversions attributed to your lead form asset but no leads in your CSV file, it’s possible that the conversions shown in the user interface are from a different conversion action. To confirm this, you can segment your data by Conversion action.

2. Third-Party or Webhook Integration:

   You can integrate your lead form with a third-party service or set up a webhook integration to receive your leads directly in your customer relationship management (CRM) system. This allows for seamless transfer of lead data to your preferred external system.

3. Google Ads API:

   If you have the technical capabilities, you can utilize the Google Ads API to retrieve your leads programmatically. This provides more flexibility and automation in managing and accessing your lead data.

Ways to download your leads

There are several ways to download your leads depending on your preferences and the tools you use. Here are the available options:

1. Google Ads:

   • CSV:

     You can download leads as a simple CSV file directly from Google Ads. The columns in the file will correspond to the full question names in your Google Ads account, translated to the language you use.

   • CSV for CRM:

     This option provides a more advanced CSV file where the columns represent field names instead of question names. You can refer to the field description section in the developers guide to understand the mapping between field names and questions. This CSV file can be imported into your CRM.

2. CRM, Third-Party Integrations, and Google Ads API:

   • Webhook:

     If you prefer to receive leads directly in your CRM, you can set up a webhook integration. In this case, the questions will be identified using column IDs. The field description section in the developers guide can help you understand the mapping between column IDs and questions. Refer to the developers guide for assistance in setting up the webhook integration.

   • Third-Party Integrations:

     You can use third-party integration providers that offer lead export integrations. These providers can automatically send lead form data to your CRM using a webhook. Some popular integrations include LeadsBridge, HubSpot, Salesforce, Adverity, and Driftrock. Note that some of these integrations may require a paid account.

   • Zapier:

     Google Ads also offers a lead export integration with Zapier, a third-party data partner. This integration uses the Google Ads API instead of a webhook. You can learn more about exporting leads using Zapier here.

   • Google Ads API:

     Developers have the option to directly access and retrieve leads using the Google Ads API. This allows for more customization and control over the lead data retrieval process.

How to download your leads in a CSV file

1. In your Google Ads account, click the “Campaigns” icon.
2. Click the “Assets” dropdown in the section menu.
3. Select “Assets” from the dropdown list.
4. On the “Assets” page, click “Lead form.”
5. Below the lead form asset, choose either “CSV” or “CSV for CRM” to download the leads in the desired format.

How to download leads from removed forms

1. In your Google Ads account, click the “Campaigns” icon.
2. Click the “Assets” dropdown in the section menu.
3. Select “Assets” from the dropdown list.
4. On the “Assets” page, click “Lead form.”
5. Add a filter for “Status > Removed” to display any removed lead form assets.
6. Below the removed lead form asset, click “CSV” or “CSV for CRM” to download the leads.

How to download leads in your CRM

For instructions on how to download leads in your CRM, please refer to the specific instructions provided by your CRM platform or consult with the person responsible for managing your CRM system.