By Felipe Morales, CEO of ESBUENISIMO LINKS
Sales funnel: stages, metrics and what each click costs by stage
Sales funnel: what it is, its stages (TOFU, MOFU and BOFU), what to measure at each one and how much a Google click costs by stage, with 2026 data from Chile.
A sales funnel is the model that describes how a large group of people who know a brand shrinks, stage by stage, into a small group that buys. It is drawn as a funnel because people drop out at every stage: out of every thousand visits, a few leave their details and even fewer end up buying. It shows where customers are lost and which stage deserves investment.
This guide covers the stages of the sales funnel, what to measure at each one and a number rarely shown: how much a Google click costs at each stage. With real searches from Chile, a click at the bottom of the funnel can cost 15 times more than one at the top.
View the data as a table
| times more expensive per click from “what does car insurance cover” to “car insurance quote” | 15 |
| times more expensive per click for “best CRM” than “what is a CRM” | 6.6 |
| US dollars: suggested CPC for “embudo de ventas” (sales funnel) in Chile | 10.5 |
What is a sales funnel and what is it for?
A sales funnel organizes the commercial process from the company's point of view: how many prospects come in, how many move forward and how many buy. Its value lies in the rates between stages. If only 4 of 200 leads buy, the problem is not attracting more traffic but closing. If almost every lead buys but few arrive, the work is needed at the top.
Interest is high everywhere. In the United States “sales funnel” gets 5,400 searches a month with a suggested CPC of US$20.55. In Latin America, the Spanish “embudo de ventas” and the Spanglish “funnel de ventas” add up to 4,300 monthly searches in Mexico and 1,310 in Chile. In Chile the term carries a suggested cost per click of US$10.50, high for an informational query: many agencies and software companies pay to appear there.
| Country | “embudo de ventas” | “funnel de ventas” | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 2,400 | 1,900 | 4,300 |
| Colombia | 1,600 | 880 | 2,480 |
| Peru | 1,000 | 880 | 1,880 |
| Argentina | 880 | 720 | 1,600 |
| Chile | 590 | 720 | 1,310 |
View the data as a table
| Mexico | 2,400 |
| Colombia | 1,600 |
| Peru | 1,000 |
| Argentina | 880 |
| Chile | 590 |
The stages of the sales funnel
The simplest model has three stages: TOFU (top of the funnel), MOFU (middle) and BOFU (bottom). Many teams add a fourth, post-purchase, because keeping a customer usually costs less than winning a new one.
- Top (awareness): the person has a question or a problem and is not yet looking for a vendor. They search “what is” or “how to”.
- Middle (consideration): they know what they need and compare options. They search “best”, “comparison”, “reviews”.
- Bottom (decision): they are ready to buy. They search “price”, “quote”, “buy”, or the brand directly.
- After (retention): they already bought; the goal is a repeat purchase and a referral.
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We checked search volume and the suggested Google Ads cost per click for two industries in Chile, with a typical search for each stage. The pattern repeats: the top has more searches and cheap clicks; further down, clicks get pricier because the searcher is closer to paying.
| Industry | Stage | Search term (Spanish) | Searches per month | Suggested CPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car insurance | Top (awareness) | qué cubre un seguro automotriz (what does car insurance cover) | 40 | US$0.46 |
| Car insurance | Middle (consideration) | mejor seguro automotriz (best car insurance) | 110 | US$6.79 |
| Car insurance | Bottom (decision) | cotizar seguro automotriz (car insurance quote) | 1,600 | US$6.90 |
| CRM software | Top (awareness) | qué es un crm (what is a CRM) | 1,300 | US$1.64 |
| CRM software | Middle (consideration) | mejor crm (best CRM) | 30 | US$10.81 |
| CRM software | Bottom (decision) | crm para pymes (CRM for small businesses) | 20 | US$5.09 |
In insurance, a click on “cotizar seguro automotriz” (car insurance quote, US$6.90) costs 15 times one on “qué cubre un seguro automotriz” (what does car insurance cover, US$0.46). In software, “mejor crm” (best CRM) costs 6.6 times more than “qué es un crm” (what is a CRM). There are exceptions, such as “crm para pymes” (CRM for small businesses), cheaper than “best CRM”, because CPC reflects how many advertisers compete and not just intent. For the priciest industries in Chile, see our study of the most expensive Google Ads keywords in Chile.
The practical takeaway: paying for ads at the top of the funnel is rarely worth it, and that is exactly where organic content wins. An article ranking for “what does car insurance cover” attracts that reader without paying for each click and moves them toward the next stages. That is the approach in our guide to content marketing.
What to measure at each funnel stage
A funnel is only useful if each stage has a metric and an owner. This illustrative example, with assumed rates, shows the logic: with 10,000 visits, a 2% lead conversion rate and 20% of leads closing, the result is 40 customers.
| Stage | Goal | Main metric | Channels that matter most | Illustrative example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top | Get known | Visits and brand searches | SEO, media, social, AI | 10,000 visits |
| Middle | Get considered | Leads and conversion rate | Content, comparisons, email | 200 leads (2%) |
| Bottom | Get chosen | Close rate, cost per customer | Google Ads, sales, demos | 40 customers (20% of leads) |
| After | Get them back | Repeat purchase and lifetime value | Email, support, community | Depends on the industry |
With that math in view, every improvement can be valued. Raising lead conversion from 2% to 3% yields 60 customers instead of 40 without a single extra visit. Doubling visits with content and authority on Google yields 80. What does not work is looking at a single stage.
Four common mistakes when building a sales funnel
- Measuring only the last stage. If monthly sales are the only metric, the team cannot tell whether the problem is traffic, conversion or closing, and ends up raising the ad budget out of habit.
- Buying all the traffic. Paying for clicks at every stage works as long as the budget lasts. Switch the campaigns off and the funnel empties. Organic content and links from media keep bringing visits months later.
- One message for everyone. Someone searching “what is a CRM” does not want a demo; they want to understand. Offering them a quote at that stage scares off the reader who would have bought three months later.
- Forgetting the after stage. A repeat customer costs less than a new one and refers others. If the funnel ends at the purchase, the most profitable stage is lost.
The sales funnel in 2026: Google, media and AI at the top
The top of the funnel no longer lives only on Google. Many people now ask their first question in ChatGPT or read Google's AI summary, and those answers come from the sources each AI considers reliable: media, comparison sites and authoritative websites. That is why companies that used to track only visits now also track whether their brand appears in those answers, something we cover in our digital marketing strategy guide.
To fill the top of the funnel without paying for every click, ESBUENISIMO LINKS runs link building campaigns in Chile with stories in real media, which raise the site's authority on Google and give AI sources to cite. If you also need to organize content for each stage, our SEO agency builds the full plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a sales funnel?+
It is the model showing how a large group of people who know a brand shrinks, stage by stage, down to those who buy. It shows where customers are lost and where to invest.
What are the stages of a sales funnel?+
Top or awareness (TOFU), middle or consideration (MOFU) and bottom or decision (BOFU). Many teams add a fourth stage for retention or post-purchase.
What is the difference between a sales funnel and a marketing funnel?+
The marketing funnel usually covers attraction and lead generation; the sales funnel follows those leads to the close. In practice many companies use a single funnel with both parts.
How much does a click cost at each funnel stage?+
It depends on the industry. On Google Chile in November 2026, “qué cubre un seguro automotriz” (what does car insurance cover) had a suggested CPC of US$0.46 and “cotizar seguro automotriz” (car insurance quote) US$6.90, 15 times more.
What do you measure in a sales funnel?+
Visits and brand searches at the top, leads and conversion rate in the middle, close rate and cost per customer at the bottom, and repeat purchase and lifetime value after the sale.
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