Online Sales Attribution with Adwords – Conversion Window

Over recent weeks Google has taken significant steps in allowing online marketers to better attribute performance. With their introduction of cross account conversion tracking for those who manage at MCC levels, as well as the incredibly useful (offline) conversion import tool  – which we covered in an article you can read here – gaining more insight and understanding about your customer behaviour and what works for your business is easier than ever

However just today Google posted an update that while a little more understated, could prove to be the most significant of the three.

I’m talking about the introduction of the customisable conversion window. So how does the customisable conversion window work and what’s it all about?

What this window does is allow online marketers the ability to customise the length of time you associate a conversion to adwords, from any period of 7 days up to 90 days. Historically Google Adwords only allowed you view conversions occurring within 30 days of a click.

So what does this mean?

Let me paint you a few scenarios:

Scenario 1 – the conversion window

A customer is looking to buy a family member a present; they browse the web and click on an Adwords ad of yours. They then make a purchase from your ecommerce site 20 days from the first PPC click on your site and they then hand it over. What do you know the recipient loves the gift! The buyer, then comes back to buy another gift for Christmas 70 days later, however this time they go direct to your site. This customer’s value is worth more than originally thought and thanks to the new conversion window you can track at keyword level, how much more.

Scenario 2 – How all these new features can interact.

You own a holiday booking site, as well as a separate sister site for travel insurance. Initially a family is shopping for annual holiday insurance.  They visit your site several times following an initial click on a PPC advert for a keyword that doesn’t normally perform at your target CPA. Maybe this is a keyword you would pause due to spending budget without any 30 day conversions attributed to it.

This family then go to your holiday site – through your separate holiday site pay per click campaigns -, they find a deal and then email you an enquiry, but do not buy on this interaction. You reply, answer their questions to the point they are happy to buy. The family call you up and buy a holiday package. You import this phone conversion back into your adwords account.

Two months after the initial PPC click he family then go back to your travel insurance site directly and purchase a policy that protect them all.

With these new features you will be able to see what keyword it was at the top of the conversion funnel that started this relationship, how the customer interacted between the new accounts, attribute the phone sale to the customer and track the whole conversion path over a three month period.

Summary of how this benefits you

• You will capture those longer lead in conversions. Those customers who do thorough research before purchasing months down the line.

• Measure repeat business with slightly more clarity

• Improve the size of your conversion funnel, so you can better understand what keywords play an important early role in the purchasing life cycle of your products.

How to customise your conversion window?

Go to conversions in your adwords.

Click ‘edit conversion window’

Select a length of time to track conversions over (I would recommend the full 90 days for those not sure). Although you can also use the data from the search funnels time lag report to help

Hey presto you have better visibility of your account and what drives performance.

For more on PPC Management please feel free to get in touch.