It seems as though Google has been hearing our collective cries for a report on tracking conversions to a deeper level.
They have just launched a new reporting feature called “AdWords Search Funnels” and what it does is show you ALL of the keywords that were in the conversion path in the 30 days before conversion, not just the keyword that was last clicked on.
Take this scenario:
- Someone clicked on your ad and went through to your website.
- They had a look around and left.
- They came back again on a different ad and keyword and then converted.
That word which was first clicked on will now be reported on as well as impressions served leading to a conversion.
The conversions will be tracked using AdWords Conversion Tracking or can be imported from Analytics if your Google Analytics and AdWords accounts are linked.
It is important to note that it only tracks the keywords you already have in your account - so there are no magically generated keywords.
What does “search funnel” mean?
If you imagine how a funnel is shaped, like a cone narrowing down to a thin point, the cone would be the collection of clicks and impressions that point towards the narrow point – the conversion. Basically, it is the conversion path.
Google explains it as: “Search Funnels are a set of new reports describing the Google.com search ad click and impression behaviour leading up to a conversion.”
What does this new report actually report on?
There are eight reports within this report hub:
- Top conversions/paths - shows the ads that were displayed or clicked on and resulted in conversions.
- Assisted conversions - shows how many conversions were assisted by each keyword, ad group, or campaign.
- Assisted clicks - any search ad click that happened prior to the 'last click' before a conversion. This report shows how many assisting keywords there were in the campaign per keyword and ad.
- Assisted impressions - any search ad impression that was not clicked and happened prior to a conversion. This report shows how many assisting impressions there were in the campaign per keyword and ad.
- First click analysis - shows the number of conversions with a first click from each campaign, ad group, or keyword.
- Last click analysis - shows the number of conversions with a last click from each campaign, ad group, or keyword.
- Path length - indicates whether or not users interact a little or a lot before converting.
- Time lag - indicates how long it takes customers to convert.
There is a nice glossary for this report that helps you to understand what each metric and term means on Google’s help section.
How will this help you? I think the better question is how can this NOT help you?
Previously, Google used to track its conversions down to the keyword and ad that was last clicked on. This means that data for users who research and come back to buy later on was not included. It excludes the data from all of those keywords and ads that help the conversion to occur.
We can now understand how our users search for our products or services.
You will be able to see which keywords and ads helped to bring in the conversions and you can optimise to a much deeper degree. You will be able to find out which assisting keywords to try different bids on – and you probably didn’t even know that those keywords were involved in the conversion process at all. You will be able to see which keywords originally brought users to your site, and if they then used your brand keyword to make the conversion as well.
There’s a whole new glorious data world opening up here, and we can all see it!
The best part is that the search funnel data doesn’t affect your quality score. Even the keywords that are not converting but are assisting don’t get penalised.
A few notes
It’s going to take a while for everyone to get these reports, but everyone should have them in the new few weeks. You will need to have AdWords conversion tracking or you will be able to import goals/transactions from Analytics into your AdWords account.
Search funnels are only going to be available in AdWords accounts and will only show data for keywords that show up in at least one conversion path. The data is currently limited to search ads showing on Google.com, for ad impressions and clicks within 30 days of the conversion.
I don’t know about you, but there are a few of us here at Quirk who are practically foaming at the mouth in excitement about this report. I, for one, am going to sacrifice a few pieces of fruit to the Google gods in thanks.
Happy reporting!
Image Credit: AAAMalta
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