Google Analytics activities are custom columns that you create in Search Ads 360 to report on specific Google Analytics ecommerce transactions or goals. Each column can report on the number of transactions, revenue, goal value, or completions recorded by one or more Google Analytics conversions.
By default, Search Ads 360 applies the last-click attribution model to Google Analytics activity columns regardless of any attribution model you've selected in Google Analytics. That is, the Search Ads 360 columns only report on conversions that occurred immediately after a customer clicked a paid search ad.
If you want to give some amount of credit to clicks on paid search ads higher up in the funnel, you can select an alternate attribution model for a Google Analytics activity column. For example, choosing an attribution model other than last click can give insight into the keywords that don’t directly drive performance but are part of the funnel that leads to a purchase. This type of reporting:
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Gives advertisers the justification to spend on high-funnel keywords that provide a valuable assist to conversions.
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Prevents you from accidentally pausing strong-assist keywords.
Default and custom models
Google Analytics provides a set of default attribution models that you can use in Search Ads 360. In addition, you can use the Google Analytics Model Comparison Tool to create your own custom position-based models, which you can also use Search Ads 360.
- Google Analytics Last Google Ads Click or the Last Non-Direct Click attribution model. See Google Analytics help for more information about Google Analytics attribution models.
- Custom Google Analytics models that are based on something other than position. (That is, Search Ads 360 only supports custom position-based models.)
For example, consider this funnel:
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A customer searches on cars, clicks on a search ad, does some research, and leaves.
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Later, the customer searches on family cars and clicks another search ad, but is not ready to buy.
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Finally, the customer searches for minivans and clicks on a search ad, which results in a conversion.
You're using a Google Analytics goal named Request a quote to track this conversion.
A last-click attribution model gives all credit for the conversion to the minivans keyword and ignores all of the preceding activity in the funnel. If you create a Google Analytics activity column to report on the Request a quote goal—and if you use the last-click attribution model for the column—you'll see something like this in a keyword report that includes the Request a quote Google Analytics activity column:
| Keyword | Clicks | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|
| cars | 1500 | 0 |
| family cars | 300 | 0 |
| minivans | 100 | 1 |
By comparison, a linear model gives equal credit for the conversion to each click on a paid search ad or display ad in the conversion path. If you use the linear model for the Request a quote Google Analytics activity column, you'll see something like this:
| Keyword | Clicks | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|
| cars | 1500 | .33 |
| family cars | 300 | .33 |
| minivans | 100 | .33 |
Each keyword receives equal credit because they were all in the conversion funnel (and because in this example, there were no clicks on display ads).
Ready to get started?
To select an alternate attribution model for Google Analytics data in Search Ads 360:
- A Search Ads 360 user with agency manager or advertiser manager permissions needs to add an alternate model from Google Analytics. The agency manager or advertiser manager can add up to 5 default or custom models (for a total of 5 Google Analytics models). If you change your mind about one of the models, an agency manager or advertiser manager can remove it from Search Ads 360 and add another one.
Agency managers and advertiser manager can also add attribution models from Campaign Manager 360 to apply to Floodlight activity columns or bid strategies. Attribution models added from Campaign Manager 360 can be used by Floodlight activity columns and bid strategies, while models from Google Analytics can be used by Google Analytics activity columns.
- When you create a new Google Analytics activity, specify an attribution model.
You can also edit an existing Google Analytics activity and change its attribution model
- Add the Google Analytics activity column to a Search Ads 360 report.
To compare alternate attribution models, create one Google Analytics activity for each attribution model, then add the Google Analytics activity columns to the same report.