Why don't the conversions reported in client account, Google Analytics and Floodlight columns match?
All of these systems count conversions slightly differently and have visibility into different sets of events leading up to conversions, which can cause them to not align.
If you’re using both Google Analytics and Floodlight to track activity on a site, it’s unlikely that the conversion and goal metrics will match. This is regardless of the attribution model that you select in Search Ads 360 or in the Google Analytics Modelling Tool.
Floodlight, designed for Google Marketing Platform, offers precise control with custom tags and attribution models. It focuses on specific actions like purchases, but excludes non-ad traffic. Google Analytics, known for its broad user behaviour data, tracks over all user behaviour and conversions defined as goals including non-ad visits. Each system tracks things differently, like counting conversions at different times or using different methods.
Learn how to understand client account conversion data in Search Ads 360.Do attribution models in Search Ads 360 account for natural search?
Yes, if Search Ads 360 Natural Search is enabled in your sub-manager account.
For example, consider this funnel:
- A customer searches for cars, clicks on a search ad, does some research and leaves.
- Later, the customer searches for family cars and clicks a natural search result, but isn’t ready to buy.
- Finally, the customer searches for minivans and clicks on a search ad, which results in a conversion.
If Search Ads 360 Natural Search is enabled in your sub-manager account, the linear attribution model would attribute 33% of the conversion to the cars keyword and 33% to minivans. The remaining 33% of the conversion is attributed to the natural search result, and is therefore not reported in Search Ads 360. The conversion may be counted in the natural search report depending on the attribution model that you selected for Search Ads 360 Natural Search.
If Search Ads 360 Natural Search is not enabled, the linear attribution model would ignore the natural search interaction and attribute 50% of the conversion to the cars keyword and 50% to minivans.
Are attribution models applied to offline conversions?
Conversions for some sub-manager accounts start online and finish in a call centre, local shop or some other offline venue. If you want to attribute credit for offline conversions to your ads, keywords or specific clicks or visits to your site, you can upload data about offline conversions.
Learn more about conversions that support attribution models.