Make sure Google Ads has enough conversion data
The more data Google Ads has to identify the common characteristics among your desired users, the more consistently it can find new users who fit a similar profile.
You can expect App campaigns’s performance to stabilize once Google Ads has collected enough data to confidently identify valuable new users. For example, your cost per conversion metric (CPI or CPA) could vary from day to day but average out to a monthly number that meets your target. It’s ideal to wait for at least 100 conversions before evaluating your cost per conversion.
Account for conversion delay when you evaluate performance
Don’t forget to account for the time it takes someone to convert after they click on an ad. This is called the conversion delay.
Because Google Ads attributes a conversion to the day of the ad click, your more recent data is likely incomplete since you’re missing conversions that are going to come later.
Tip
Once you have enough conversion data, see what proportion of your app conversions happens over different periods of time. For example, see what percentage of conversions happen in the first 7, 14 and 30 days after someone clicks on an ad. Identify when the majority of app conversions happen to understand your typical conversion delay. Then check to see if the conversion window you’ve set is long enough to account for this conversion delay.
It’s important to analyze performance by setting a time range that is at least equal to your conversion delay. Then remove the more recent click data, which is likely missing conversions.
Evaluate your target cost per conversion
- First, see if App campaigns is meeting your target cost per conversion over a time range that accounts for the typical conversion delay of your ads.
- Then, decide if you’d like more volume or return on investment (ROI). If you’d like to find more conversions, increase your target bid and budget. If you’d like to make more money from what you spend, decrease your target bid.
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