Today’s customers are deeply curious, searching high and low for information about a product before making a purchase. And this curiosity applies to purchases big and small—just consider the fact that mobile searches for “best earbuds” have grown by over 130 percent over the last two years. (Google Data, US, Oct 2015 – Sep 2016 vs. Oct 2017 – Sep 2018. ) To keep up with this curious customer, marketers are putting insights at the center of the strategy so that they can understand customers’ intentions and deliver a helpful, timely experience.
In our new guide about linking Google Analytics and Google Ads, we explore the broad range of reports available in Analytics. These reports give you crucial insights about the customer journey that can then be used to inform your campaigns in Google Ads. Here’s what you should know about the A-B-Cs of reporting.
Acquisition reports
How did your customers end up on your site in the first place? Acquisition reports answer this question, offering insights about how effectively your ads drive users to your site, which keywords and search queries are bringing new users to your site, and much more. This video gives you a quick overview of how Acquisition reports work.
Behavior reports
How do you users engage with your site once they visit? Behavior reports give you valuable insights about how users respond to the content on your site. You can learn how each page is performing, what actions users are taking on your site, and much more about the site experience. Learn more about behavior reporting here.
Conversion reports
What path are users taking towards conversion? Conversion reporting in Analytics gathers valuable insights about those actions that are important to the success of your business—such as a purchase or completed sign-up for your email newsletter. Goal Flow reports help you see how a user engages as they move toward a conversion while Ecommerce reports are specifically designed to deliver insights for sites centered around purchases.
Reports open up a world of actionable insights that help you deeply understand and then quickly enhance a customer journey that is more complex than ever.
Missed the other posts in this series? Catch up now to read how creating effective campaigns for the modern customer journey can be achieved by bringing Google Analytics and Google Ads together.
And, download our new guide and learn how getting started with these reports is easy as A-B-C.
Today’s customer journey doesn’t follow a standard path—it’s diverse, non-linear, and always evolving. Consumers conduct research about products across a variety of devices—and marketers are looking for ways to deliver experiences that meet consumers’ rising expectations. For many marketers, the solution lies in gaining a deeper understanding of the customer journey. The integration between Google Analytics and Google Ads helps you accomplish this. Once linked together, Google Analytics and Google Ads form a powerful partnership—and our new guide explores the ways this integrated solution can help you unlock deeper insights, create smarter marketing, and drive better business outcomes.
Insights-driven marketing
Linking Google Analytics and Google Ads put your insights and ad creation side by side, helping you better understand how effectively your ads are leading to conversions. You can then adjust ad creative based on these insights, delivering informed marketing that leads to more conversions.
Optimized bidding
Once you link Google Analytics and Google Ads, you can access a new set of reports about your Google Ads campaigns right in your Analytics account, helping you better understand what happens after a customer clicks an ad. For instance, you might find that certain keywords are leading to more conversions—and now you can focus your bidding on those high-performing keywords.
Customized messaging
When Google Analytics and Google Ads are working together, you can share Analytics audiences with Google Ads to deliver messaging tailored to different groups of customers. For instance, you can make an audience of users who filled a cart on your website but abandoned their cart before completing a purchase. You can then create a campaign in Google Ads and focus it on these cart abandoners—driving more conversions in the process.
Advanced machine learning
Machine learning-powered capabilities in Analytics answer important questions about your audience. For instance, you can ask Analytics questions in a plain language such as “How much time on average are mobile users spending on my site’s homepage?” and get an answer back quickly. You can also use machine learning to find a list of your most valuable customers with Smart Lists—then dynamically adjust your Google Ads campaigns to reach these customers.
The AdWords Community exists to help advertisers like you improve performance and share best practices. If you haven’t visited the AdWords Community in a while, you might be surprised by what you find. Over the last six months, we’ve made a number of exciting changes. From a new design to expanded content areas, the Google Advertiser Community continues to evolve and help you connect with our experts and improve your performance.
Ask an Expert
One of the most valuable resources you’ll find on the Community is the experts who frequent the forum on a daily (or even hourly) basis. These experts, part of Google’s Top Contributor program, have years of professional experience with AdWords and a passion for helping fellow Community members succeed.
Most of our Top Contributors have an area of expertise. If you ask a question on the AdWords Community about account automation, you will probably meet Jon Gritton. Jon hails from the UK and runs his own AdWords agency. He is also one of our most tenured AdWords Top Contributors (he’s been answering questions on the forum since 2006!) and our resident AdWords Scripts expert. He has solved well over 800 questions in his time on the AdWords Community.
An Improved Look and Feel
We also wanted to improve the look and feel of the Community.
Using Material Design, the Community now offers the same modern and intuitive experience that’s at the core of our favorite Google apps like Maps, Search, and Gmail.
Managing your advertising isn’t something you only do at your desk, which is why we’re re-designing AdWords for marketing in a mobile-first world. The redesigned Community is also responsive and mobile-friendly—perfect for browsing and resolving questions on the go.
The shift to mobile is no longer a change on the horizon. It’s here.
Every year, there are trillions of searches on Google and over half of those searches happen on mobile. And across the millions of websites using Google Analytics today, we’re seeing more than half of all web traffic now coming from smartphones and tablets.
When we asked people to describe the role smartphones play in their lives, they used phrases like “attached to my hip”, “butler” and “lifeline.” Smartphones have become the companion that people turn to in I-want-to-know, I-want-to-go, I-want-to-do and I want-to-buy moments throughout the day.
To help marketers succeed in this mobile-first world, we have redesigned AdWords — from the ground-up — and re-thought everything from creatives and bidding, to workflow and measurement.
We’re also making it easier for marketers to bridge the digital and physical worlds. With location-related mobile searches growing 50% faster than all mobile searches, it’s clear that consumers are moving seamlessly between online and offline experiences. So it’s important to help marketers think this way too.
It was incredibly exciting to share new innovations with advertisers this morning at the Google Performance Summit. Below are highlights from today’s announcements. You can watch a replay of the full program here.
AdWords re-imagined for the mobile-first world
Over the last several years, we’ve discovered that accounting for mobile and designing for mobile-first are two very different things. That’s why we’ve completely transformed how we think about and build AdWords.
In order to enable advertisers and developers to drive more downloads of mobile apps — across Google properties — we built Universal App Campaigns. To date, Universal App Campaigns has delivered more than 2 billion downloads for advertisers, across Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, and the Google Display Network. And last week at Google I/O, we announced this campaign type is now available on iOS.
Today, we are announcing even broader changes to advertising with Google, from how text and display ads work, to the way advertisers optimize campaigns.
What do text ads look like in the mobile-first world? Mobile has revolutionized the canvas where ads live. Earlier this year, we removed right-hand side ads on desktop to improve the search experience and make it more consistent across devices. This paved the way for us to introduce the biggest changes to our text ads since AdWords launched fifteen years ago.
Optimized for screen sizes of the most popular smartphones, new expanded text ads in AdWords provide more ad space so you can showcase more information about your products and services before the click. Here are the key changes:
These upgrades help your ads work harder across screens, especially for the on-the-go mobile consumer that wants to know exactly what you offer before tapping into your website.
Based on early testing, some advertisers have reported increases in clickthrough rates of up to 20% compared to current text ads. We encourage you to start planning for this upgrade before it rolls out later this year. How do display ads look in a mobile-first world? From sites to apps to videos, mobile has unlocked a universe of new spaces to reach consumers. Responsive ads for display adapt to the diverse content across the more than two million publisher sites and apps on the Google Display Network (GDN). They also unlock new native inventory so you can engage consumers with ads that match the look and feel of the content they’re browsing. Simply provide headlines, a description, an image, and a URL — and Google will automatically design these beautiful responsive ads.
We’re also extending the reach of GDN remarketing campaigns by giving you access to cross-exchange inventory, which includes more websites and apps around the world. With this inventory, European airline SAS drove about 20% more conversions at a similar CPA for its remarketing campaigns. Learn more
What does bidding look like in a mobile-first world? Marketers need more control and flexibility to optimize bids on specific devices. In the next few months, you’ll be able to set individual bid adjustments for each device type — mobile, desktop and tablet. This lets you anchor your base keyword bid to the device most valuable to your business and then set bid adjustments for each of the other devices. You will also have a wider range to adjust bids, up to +900%. With more controls, you can now optimize with greater precision while keeping things simple with a single campaign that reaches consumers across devices.
Mobile is local, bridging digital and physical worlds for marketers
Nearly one third of all mobile searches are related to location. People’s online and offline worlds are colliding — whether you’re researching restaurant ideas for dinner on Friday night or looking for a store that sells rain boots in your size.
To help advertisers reach consumers searching for physical business locations, we’re introducing new local search ads across Google.com and Google Maps. Advertisers using location extensions will be able to prominently showcase their business locations when consumers search for things like “shoe store” or “car repair near me.” Learn more
We’re also investing in more branded, customized experiences for businesses on Google Maps — geared towards helping you increase store visits. We’re currently developing and experimenting with a variety of ad formats on Maps that make it easier for users to find businesses as they navigate the world around them. For example, Maps users may start to see promoted pins for nearby coffee shops, gas stations, or lunch spots along their driving route. Local business pages are also getting a brand new look — to encourage consumers to explore your store before they even arrive, we’re adding new features like special offers and the ability to browse product inventory.
With online ads bringing more people to your storefronts, how do you measure the impact?
AdWords is the largest online-to-offline ad measurement solution in the world. In fact, since AdWords store visits were introduced two years ago, advertisers have measured over 1 billion store visits globally.
Businesses across a variety of industries around the world are using insights from AdWords store visits to measure the impact of online ads on offline activity. Nissan UK discovered that 6% of mobile ad clicks result in a trip to a dealership, delivering an estimated 25x return on investment. See the full story here.
Succeeding in a mobile-first world
As consumers live their lives online and blur the lines between online and offline, it’s more important than ever to build your business for mobile. Google’s building for this mobile-first world as well and we’re excited to go on this journey with you.
To see the full range of ads and analytics innovations announced this morning, watch the Google Performance Summit keynote here. Also, check out the new AdWords Marketing Goals site to learn how to use ad solutions to meet your business objectives.
If you want your website to get as much traction as possible, you need to know what interests your visitors.
If you fail to acquire this knowledge, you may end up putting too much effort into areas that do not interest your audience, while failing to properly develop the more interesting content that is popular on your website.
You don’t have to have a website very long before you encounter options for tracking certain statistics for your page.
Even if you don’t actively search for any type of tracking tools, it’s likely that you’ll get bombarded with a variety of offers to try free services and programs.
The problem is that there are disparities between these services, which could mean the difference between success and failure when it comes to learning more about your site.
With so many options to choose from, we’ve narrowed down our choices to three of the best in the industry:
Here is a further look into what each of these services offers. As you read through this, be sure to keep in mind your specific needs for your website. You’ll likely come across something that will be sure to fit all your requirements.
CLICKY.COM
Features
If you have a small- to medium-sized website, Clicky.com might be your perfect choice. This application is ideal for blogs, websites and even e-commerce platforms that utilize HTML-based development.
Clicky.com
Clicky offers a variety of different tiers, but the one that seems to be the best deal is Clicky Super Pro. With this service, you’ll be able to get feedback on up to 100,000 pageviews per day. You can also cover up to 10 different websites with one Clicky account.
With recent updates, Clicky has even gone on to handle analytical information fromTwitter, which is ideal for those who have a large online following to track. One of our favorite features of Clicky is the ability to set and monitor goals, which is perfect for those who need a bit of added motivation as they try to dominate their online market. You’ll be able to track a variety of different statistics, as well as look back to see which campaigns worked and which didn’t.
Clicky reports also are easier to read than others we’ve reviewed. The reports have an eye-candy look and feel that helps busy executives save time by speeding up the decision-making process.
Support
Because of the number of users who rely on Clicky.com, you’ll also be able to find multiple outlets for support. If you need to contact customer service, you can do so through an email to the support team. There is also a user-moderated online forum and FAQ center, which is very helpful. You can use this area for requesting input for your ideas and getting feedback from others who are in the same boat.
Price
Clicky.com is $19.99 a month, which is standard for analytics programs. However, if you are willing to pay upfront, you can do so at $119.99 annually. That equals about six months free if you pay up front, which is well worth it in the long run. In addition, there are updated services, such as Clicky Pro and Clicky Enterprise, that account for even more detailed online profiles.
GOOGLE ANALYTICS
Features
As one of the more well-known programs out there, Google Analytics is often the choice that many users make when setting up their first website or online presence. There are plenty of good reasons why Google Analytics is an excellent option for first-time users.
Google Analytics is quite easy to use, and it gives you plenty of feedback that will be beneficial as you start to tweak and alter your websites and social media profiles. One of our favorite features is the ability to track audience characteristics, which is an analysis of behavior patterns of your users. For example, you can see where traffic is going on your website, which can help as you formulate new objectives.
Support
The good news with this program is that it’s from Google, so there is going to be plenty of community-driven support available. When it comes to getting feedback from Google itself, however, you’ll likely come up a bit short in comparison to other programs. But because there is so much input from other users out there, it’s likely that you’ll find assistance with any issues that you come across with your Analytics program.
Price
One of the biggest reasons that people go for Google Analytics is because it’s free. Couple that with how easy it is to use and the number of tracking options, it’s obviously worth implementing if you are new to analytics software.
BIT.LY
Features
You might be familiar with Bit.ly as the incredibly popular platform that shortens links and makes it easier for you to post websites into Twitter and other social media outlets. Since 2012, Bit.ly has offered its own analytical tracking data software.
The biggest feature with Bit.ly is that it easily takes your shortened links and tracks data to determine what is working best for you. And since Bit.ly already has a strong emphasis on maximizing social media, the program will further assist you with making the most with your Twitter, Facebook and other platforms.
One of the biggest reasons to use Bit.ly is that it ranks among the top options for user interface and ease of use. Although there is a bit of a learning curve, you will get tons of feedback and information that is easy to understand right on your dashboard. You can then use this information moving forward while branding new social media approaches.
Support
Bit.ly has a growing community of users who are active in forums and other user-driven networks. In addition, Bit.ly offers direct client support, which is completely different from their original Bit.ly applications. Bit.ly is growing, which is why it’s certainly worth considering now for your online presence.
Price
Bit.ly might be best used for enterprise customers with large numbers of viewers and followers. With that in mind, there are different price tiers for each customer and the type of support they need. To find more about Bit.ly and how much it may cost for you to run, you’ll have to inquire. The good news is that this inquiry comes with feedback from a Bit.ly rep, which is something you’ll no doubt find of value.
Before launching your Internet marketing campaign to build your online presence, be sure to implement one of these powerful analytical data tracking systems. Instead of wasting your time sifting through other options out there, shorten your list of choices to Clicky.com, Google Analytics and Bit.ly.
A quick list side by side comparison between Omniture and Google, 2 popular website visitor analytics software: (keep bias in mind this was sent by Omniture sales rep)
SiteCatalyst
Google
20 Custom events linked to conversion
Conversion event – purchase
100 Additional Segmentation variables
I’m not aware of any custom variable availability
22 different Pathing reports filterable by conversion events and customizable on the fly for what-if type analysis
A few limited pathing reports
Merchandising Categories
Not available
Advanced Data Warehouse for granular visitor segment extraction
Not available
Reports available at site, category, product, and page level for day, week, month, quarter and year
Only daily uniques at site level
Open Data Sources architecture for importing offline metrics
Not available
Integrated with 3rd party marketing partners for streamlined metric import
Not available
Unlimited Campaign Classifications to understand your marketing ROI across all levels of visitor conversion
Not available
Purchase conversion down to product level with cross-sell, sales cycle, and customer loyalty metrics out of the box
Commerce funnel tracked at site level, product only viewed by purchase event
Track all of your marketing efforts – paid search, email, banners, affiliates – all in one interface
Only paid search
Intuitive, highly flexible and customizable interface.
Rigid reporting, not easily customizable
Enhanced dashboard reporting – customizable down to each user with just the appropriate level of detail and sophistication
Dashboard cannot be customized
Bookmarked reports and Scheduled distribution
Not available
Customizable Alerts allowing you to manage site by exception
Not available
Dedicated account manager, live support, online tutorials, Omniture University
