Quote Value vs. Sales Value: Which Drives Better Google Ads Optimization?

You’ve got Google Ads running, conversions coming in, and a lead tracking platform that captures every call, form, and chat.

Now it’s time to feed that conversion data back to Google so it can optimize your campaigns.

Here’s the big question: Should you send “quote value” or “sales value” back to Google?

On the surface, “sales value” sounds better—after all, that’s the real money in the bank. But in practice, quote value wins every time for three critical reasons:

1. Speed
2. Representation
3. Volume

1. Speed: Google Learns Fast—So You Should Too

Google’s algorithm thrives on fast feedback.

Every time a conversion happens, Google looks at the value tied to that conversion to learn what “good” looks like.

The faster it learns, the better your campaigns perform.

If you wait for a sales value, you’re delaying that feedback loop. Sales often take days (or even weeks) to close, meaning Google is optimizing blind while you wait.

With quote value, you can determine a representative dollar amount within seconds of a lead being qualified.

That instant signal helps Google start optimizing today, not next week.

Pro Tip: Speed + Value = Smarter Optimization.
The faster Google sees value, the faster it finds more of it.

2. Representative Sales Value: Give Google a Realistic Target

When sending value data to Google, accuracy matters—but so does scale.

Let’s say you run a campaign for water heater replacements. If a water heater replacement typically quotes around $2,000, that’s a fair and representative value to send to Google.

Sure, the actual sales might come in between $2,000–$4,000, but you don’t need to wait for the final invoice. Google just needs to see a positive ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) signal.

If you spent $400 to generate that $2,000 quote, Google reads that as a 5x ROAS—a strong signal that your campaign is working. Positive ROAS encourages Google to allocate more budget toward similar conversions.

If you lowball the value—say, $100 for a repair inquiry—Google can’t make the math work. Poor ROAS signals mean Google’s algorithm may throttle your campaign, thinking it’s unprofitable.

Bottom line: Don’t send perfect numbers; send representative ones.
Google just needs to know that your marketing dollars produce valuable opportunities.

3. Volume: More Data = Better Learning

For every sale you close, you probably have two or three quotes that didn’t convert (yet).

That means if you only send sales value to Google, you’re starving the algorithm of valuable learning data. By sending quote value, you’re giving Google three times more conversion data to analyze.

More data points = faster learning = better optimization.

Remember: Google doesn’t know which quote will become a sale—it just knows which conversions tend to produce valuable opportunities.

Your job is to teach it what those opportunities look like.

Quote Value Feeds the Algorithm; Sales Value Follows

Marketing’s job is to generate valuable opportunities. The sales team’s job is to close them.

By sending quote value, you’re optimizing for what marketing can control—and giving Google the best data to work with.

Once sales values come in later, you can update or reconcile them if you want. But for day-to-day optimization, speed and volume matter most.

In short:

• Send quote value for faster learning.
• Make it representative to drive positive ROAS.
• Feed more data to Google for smarter optimization.

The Formula: Speed + Representative Value + Volume = Campaign Optimization

When it comes to Google Ads optimization, the best value signal isn’t the final sale—it’s the earliest accurate one.

Sending quote values gives you:

• Faster feedback loops
• Stronger ROAS signals
• More data for Google’s machine learning
• And ultimately, better-quality leads flowing to your sales team

It’s not just about what converts; it’s about what teaches Google to find more of what converts.

Ready to optimize smarter?
Sign up for your free 14-day WhatConverts trial and start sending quote value to Google and watch how quickly your campaigns learn what “value” really looks like.