The Market Place

 
Google Ads Implements Data-Driven Conversions

Customers don’t always click on your Google ads and make a purchase immediately. They typically begin their purchase journey by performing multiple searches using generic terms. Afterward, they refine their search queries to better understand what they’re looking for.

During their purchase journey, they may click several of your Google ads across different sessions using different browsers/devices. This is to say that a customer’s purchase journey isn’t as simple as clicking on ads and then making a purchase.

Several factors such as different ads, different search terms, and users’ experiences on different devices can play a key role in shaping your customer’s purchasing decisions.

However, all credit for the conversion is usually given to the last ad that a customer interacted with. This can’t be any further from the truth. As long as you continue using the last ad click attribution model on your campaigns, you’ll continue losing money.

So what is the solution? Enter Data-driven attributions.

Data-Driven Attribution Definition

Data-driven attribution is a machine-learning model that attributes credit for your conversions depending on how internet users search for your business and interact with your ads. It leverages data from your various accounts to find out which ads, keywords, and campaigns have the biggest impact on your bottom line.

Benefits of Data-Driven Model

The benefits of using the data-driven attribution model include:

  • It allows you to learn which ads, keywords, and campaigns play a big part in helping your business attain its goals
  • It enables you to optimize your bidding based on your account’s performance data
  • With data-driven attribution, you can choose the right attribution model for your business.

How It Works
Data-driven attribution differs from other attribution models since it uses your conversion data to determine how each of your ads interactions have performed across the conversion path. Every data-driven attribution is specific to each advertiser.

Unlike other attribution models, the data-driven model factors all interactions –including video engagements and clicks on your Search, YouTube, and display ads in Google ads. This model identifies patterns in ad interactions that result in leads by looking at the paths of customers who convert and those who don’t. There may be steps along the purchasing journey that may lead a customer to complete a conversion. The data-driven model then gives credit to the more valuable interactions along the customers’ path.

As such, when you are assessing the conversion data, you’ll determine which ads have the greatest impact on your business bottom line. And suppose you utilize an automated bid strategy to generate more conversions; your bidding will use vital information to help you get more conversions.

That said, there are certain situations where the last click and data-driven attribution models can have the same results. This will also depend on data availability.

Data Requirements for Data-Driven Attribution in Google Ads
Unfortunately, not everyone can access data-driven attribution, given that it relies on large volumes of data to accurately forecast trends. Generally, in order to access data-driven attribution, you need to have:

3000 ad interactions across Google ad networks

A conversion action with not less than 300 conversions in 30 days

Once you start using data-driven attributions for a given conversion action, you won’t be able to continue using it if your data drops below 2000 ad interaction in supported networks or lower than 200 conversions for the conversion action within 30 days. You’ll receive an alert whenever your data drops below this level. When 30 days elapse when your data level is still below the required level, your conversion action will be switched to the last click attribution model.

Wrapping Up
Compared with the last click attribution model, data-driven attribution factors in the entire journey that leads a user to convert and allocates credit to each step in the journey. Learn more about how data-driven attribution can benefit your marketing performance.