Google has introduced new Platform Comparable Conversion Columns for Demand Gen campaigns. This will help advertisers measure performance more accurately against social media platforms.
These updates provide 100% attribution to the last Demand Gen touchpoint, are available at campaign and ad group levels, and offer view-through conversion tracking.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What’s Changing?
With these new conversion tracking columns, advertisers can now access Platform Comparable Conversion Columns that offer a more nuanced approach to measuring conversions.
By isolating Demand Gen interactions, advertisers can make more informed comparisons between Google Ads and social media campaigns. This update underscores Google’s effort to enhance Demand Gen’s competitiveness and improve advertisers’ benchmarking capabilities.
Key Features of the New Conversion Columns
- 100% Attribution to the Last Demand Gen Touchpoint: Ensures advertisers get a clear picture of the final interaction that led to a conversion.
- Available at Campaign and Ad Group Levels: Provides granular visibility and flexibility for optimisation.
- Designed for Platform-to-Platform Comparisons: Allows advertisers to assess the performance of Demand Gen campaigns relative to paid social channels.
Why This Matters for Advertisers
This update is crucial for marketers who rely on cross-platform data to gauge performance. By offering more precise view-through conversion tracking, advertisers gain:
- A more comprehensive attribution model reflects how users interact with Demand Gen ads before converting.
- Better benchmarking capabilities make it easier to compare performance against social media campaigns.
- Improved optimisation potential helps advertisers fine-tune strategies based on clearer data.
The Bigger Picture: How This Differs from Standard Conversion Columns
The new Platform Comparable Conversion Columns differ from traditional conversion tracking methods in several ways:
- They isolate Demand Gen interactions and prevent data from being mixed with other Google Ads campaign types.
- They provide view-through conversion tracking and capture conversions after users see an ad but do not immediately click.
- They use a distinct measurement approach so that data remains relevant for social-style campaign comparisons.
What This Means for Demand Gen Campaigns
Google’s move to introduce these conversion tracking columns signals a broader effort to enhance Demand Gen campaigns’ competitiveness against traditional social advertising. By providing more granular insights, Google enables advertisers to make more data-driven decisions and refine their ad strategies.
What’s Next? How Advertisers Should Adapt
- Implement the New Columns Strategically: Ensure these columns are enabled for all Demand Gen campaigns to use their full potential.
- Use the Data for Benchmarking: Compare performance with social ad campaigns rather than search or Performance Max campaigns, as they follow different attribution models.
- Monitor Performance Shifts: Keep an eye on how conversions are being reported and adjust strategies accordingly.
With Google’s continued push to refine Demand Gen campaigns, advertisers now have a more powerful toolset to measure and optimise performance effectively. By embracing the Platform Comparable Conversion Columns, marketers can ensure their campaigns align more closely with the evolving digital advertising landscape and gain a competitive edge in cross-platform performance analysis.
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