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Paid Search Advertising
Search Funnels: Conversion Attribution for Google AdWords Search Campaigns
Google Adwords has recently launched Search Funnels, a new campaign attribution feature that puts the "last-click method" to rest and relies on finding the exact value contributed by each keyword in a Google Adwords search campaign. Through a series of reports Search Funnels show "assist clicks", ads web users click on before the last click that converts to a sale or lead, thereby providing advertisers with a complete picture of the value of the set of keywords in a search campaign.
Search Funnels also shows the value of "assist" impressions, views of an ad on Google.com, where the ad wasn't clicked, but viewed. When web users are going through a typical buying cycle they see a lot of "upper funnel" keywords at the beginning. While many of these keywords don't lead to a conversion, they educate users and move them closer to purchasing a product or submitting a lead. Although they do not directly generate revenue there is value in having these keywords in a search campaign. Prior to the availability of Search Funnels Google only reported on the last keyword clicked that resulted in a lead or sale conversion.
Search Funnels Reports
Adwords Search Funnels is comprised of a set of reports that show the ad click and ad view behavior of web users prior to visiting a web site. In order to have access to Search Funnels reports, Google Adwords advertisers must have Google Conversion Tracking enabled in their AdWords account. This requires adding a snippet of code to the web site confirmation pages or any other page that signifies that a conversion has occurred on the web site. Once the tracking is enabled and conversion data starts coming in, the Search Funnels reports are automatically built. There are several Search Funnel reports that will be generated, each with specific information to identify Assisted Clicks and Assisted Impressions. The Search Funnel reports include: Top Conversions Report, Assisted Conversions, First and Last Click Analysis, Time Lag and Path Length.
"Assisted" Clicks and Impressions
In the past, tracking conversions with Google tools only reported on the last keyword clicked, resulting in a lead or sale conversion. For instance, if a user clicked on an ad that was previously served as a result of the keyword search query "ppc search marketing", and that action led to a conversion, the conversion would be attributed to the keyword "ppc search marketing". But what if this same visitor had visited the site earlier and searched for "online marketing" and clicked on the ad? With Search Funnels reports, advertisers can now identify Assisted Clicks, which means that those keywords now get some credit for leading a user down the path to conversion.
Search Funnels tracking goes even further by tracking Assisted Impressions as well. For example, a site user may have first arrived at the web site by clicking through to an ad after searching for the keyword phrase "online marketing." However, before performing the search query "online marketing" the user may have searched for "marketing tips online" and just viewed the associated ad that was served. The keyword "marketing tips online" will now be credited with an Assisted Impression, because the ad associated with this keyword was seen along the users' path to a conversion.
Using the Search Funnels reports Google Adwords advertisers can analyze Assists in different ways. They can zero in on the first clicks in a conversion path using the First Click Analysis report. This will help them understand where users are finding their web sites at the beginning of the buying cycle. Conversely, the Last Click Analysis report will help them with identifying which keywords are driving them to the site at the point where they are converting. They can even compare these numbers as well, within the reports, with the Assisted Conversions/Last Click Conversions ratio. The higher the number, the more often a keyword serves the role of Assist Click. These clicks have been completely ignored in the past.
It is important to note that only clicks and impressions from Google AdWords campaigns on Google.com will be tracked by Search Funnels reports. Clicks or impressions from Google's organic results or other touch points along the conversion path will not be credited.
Search Funnel Reports Overview
The Top Paths report will break down the most frequent conversion paths. The path will be clearly broken down, showing advertisers the order of searches, impressions and clicks that lead them to the advertisers' web site and to a conversion. This can be extremely helpful in evaluating what clicks are most valuable in driving conversions. Advertisers can also get good insight in how users reached the point of conversion by looking at the keyword phrases they used. By looking at those keyword phrases advertisers can also determine which pages users have landed on and to what areas of the site they have been exposed.
The Time Lag report will show advertisers how much time has passed between the first click or impression and when a conversion actually occurred. The time elapse can even be broken down by hour for the first 24 hours after the initial click or impression.
The Path Length report indicates how many impressions and clicks it took before users converted to a sale or lead. This information is broken down into number of conversions per click/impression, or the value of the total conversions per click/impression. The Path Length report can aid advertisers with determining the value of those users who acted quickly versus those who take a longer time to convert.
Search Funnels reports give advertisers the ability to track different clicks and impressions along the conversion path and adds a complete new dimension to Google Adwords campaign management. Access to the Search Funnels reports is free of charge, but advertisers need to make an investment in terms of set-up time. From the information provided in the Search Funnels reports, advertisers can learn more about the campaign conversion paths and better determine the true value of all keyword phrases used in Google Adwords search campaigns.
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Past Presentation
CBS Scene
May 2010, Foxboro, Massachusetts
"Deep Understanding of Search"
Presenter: Louise Rijk
Vice-President Marketing and Sales
Advanced Media Productions
Click here to play the video.
128 Business Expo 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009 - 12:00 noon
Westin-Waltham Hotel
Waltham, Massachusetts
"Twitter and Blogging for Business"
Presenter: Louise Rijk
Click here to play the video
Middlesex Savings Bank Business Success Seminars
Thursday, June 18, 2009 - 7:30AM
Crowne Plaza Hotel,
1360 Worcester Street, (Rt 9), Natick, MA
"Using Internet Marketing to Build Your Business"
Presenter: Louise Rijk
Click here to play the video
Clark University
Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 8:45-12 noon
Grace Conference Room
Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts
“Search and Digital Asset Optimization”
Presenter: Louise Rijk
Click here to play the video.
WebmasterWorld PubCon 2008
Las Vegas
“Integrating Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) into the Advertising Mix”
Presenter: Louise Rijk, Vice President of Marketing and Sales
Click here to play the presentation
128 Business Expo 2008
The Westin Waltham-Boston Hotel
“Using Social Media to Connect with Prospects and Customers”
Presenter: Louise Rijk, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales
Click here to play the video.
495/MetroWest Business Expo
Sheraton Framingham Hotel
Pre-Expo Keynote Presentation
“A Strategic Approach to Integrated Marketing”
Presenter: Louise Rijk, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales
Click here to play the video.
Bentley College, 2008
Waltham, MA
“Planning and Integrating a Targeted Internet Marketing Campaign”
Click here to play the video.
WebmasterWorld Pubcon 2007
Las Vegas, NV
“Planning and Integrating a Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) Campaign”
Click here to play the video.
BizAction 2007
Washington DC
"Email, Social Media and Search in the Overall Marketing Mix"
Click here to play the audio.
128 Business Expo 2007
September 2007
"Blogging and Podcasting For Business"
Click here to play the video.
495/Metrowest Business Expo
Pre-Expo Keynote
"The Rise of the Internet as a Mass Advertising Medium"
Click here to play the video.
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If you would like more information on Internet Marketing, Consulting, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Email Marketing, please
click here.
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Copyright © 1996-2010. Advanced Media Productions, Inc.
Advanced Media Productions, Inc.
251 West Central St., Suite 28, Natick, Massachusetts 01760, USA
Tel: 508-647-5151 Fax: 508-647-5150
E-mail: info@advmediaproductions.com
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