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What You Need to Know about Google AdWords’ New Conversion Tracking MetricsPosted by Joe on June 9, 2009 in Google AdWords |
One of the newly visible metrics within the updated Google AdWords interface pertains to conversion tracking. Today, we will explore the difference between the “Conversions (many-per-click)” data and the “Conversions (1-per-click)” data.
If you have migrated to the new AdWords interface, you have probably noticed these additional conversion tracking columns within your stats. Here are the columns in question:
In regards to “Conversions (many-per-click)” and “Conversions (1-per-click)” there is a whole range of stats including the raw number conversions, conversion rate and cost-per-conversion. In order to discern the difference between the two, we’ll need to give them context.
First, here are the textbook definitions for each set of information, as pronounced by Google:
Conversions (1-per-click): Conversions (1-per-click) count a conversion for every AdWords ad click resulting in a conversion within 30 days. This means if more than one conversion happens following a single ad click, conversions after the first will not count.
Another way to say this is that conversions (1-per-click) will count at most one conversion per click. These metrics are useful for measuring conversions approximating unique customer acquisitions (e.g. leads).
Conversions (many-per-click): Conversions (many-per-click) count a conversion every time a conversion is made within 30 days following an AdWords ad click. Conversions (many-per-click) will count multiple conversions per click. Essentially, the many-per-click stats will be most useful to ecommerce advertisers who need visibility into the number of times a single user converts on a single click.
Scenario: Jane runs a website about hiking. On this website she offers a free newsletter with hiking tips/info and she also offers a selection of hiking products/gifts. Currently, she has the AdWords conversion tracking code on her newsletter sign-up “Thank you” page as well as the order confirmation page.
If a user comes to Jane’s website, signs up for the newsletter without making a purchase, they will show in AdWords as:
- Conversions (1-per-click): 1
The user came to the site, converted once, and that’s all there is to know. This is how the old AdWords interface works; tracking only one conversion per ad click (even if they convert multiple times in 30 days).
If another user comes to Jane’s website, and they sign up for the newsletter and they make a purchase within her online store, this user will display in AdWords as:
- Conversions (1-per-click): 1
- Conversions (many-per-click): 2
This user will still be counted only once for the 1-per-click metric, but this where the many-per-click metric comes in. This stat will show you how many times a user takes an action on your site within that 30 day cookie (and this user took 2 actions from one click).
And let’s take this one step further and say that this same user came back to Jane’s site and made another purchase. This user would appear in AdWords as such:
- Conversions (1-per-click): 1
- Conversions (many-per-click): 3
And this is the difference between these conversion tracking metrics.
Also, keep in mind that any time this user returns to the website and converts, their conversion will be attributed to the day of the original click/visit.
To go another step further, let’s say Jane needs to know which conversions are newsletter sign-ups and which are purchases. Within AdWords she can set up tracking for multiple conversion actions. If Jane wanted to this (and she should) she could learn about setting up multiple conversion actions here.
These new conversion tracking metrics can shed a lot of light on how users are interacting with your site. They let you know how many actual actions are taken on a per-click basis allowing you to attribute the proper value to each click (within the 30 day cookie).
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June 9th, 2009 at 8:56 am
I find a good way to think about it (and explain to clients) is to say that “Conversions (1-per-click)” is the number of clicks that convert and that “Conversions (many-per-click)” is the number of sales etc.
June 10th, 2009 at 7:40 am
These tracking metrics will help us in getting to know how the landing page is working and to know whether the title and description is effective are not in converting the leads in to conversions. Any ways glad to know that Adwords team is making things more clear and transparent.
Thanks
Sankar
June 10th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
@Richard: That is a great way to sum up this post! Heck, I should have just written that!
Thanks!
@Sankar: Yes, this metrics do provide more visibility as to what elements of a landing page are working and which are not.
June 11th, 2009 at 12:22 am
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June 11th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Don’t overlook this kind of “conversion”:
* Visitor converts
* Visitor bookmarks the thankyou page
* Next time enters the site through the thankyou page
Conversions (1-per-click): 1
Conversions (many-per-click): 2
June 11th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
If you would like to only see one kind of conversion, there is an option to customize the columns. It is in the upper right hand corner of the new interface under “Filters and Views”
June 14th, 2009 at 5:32 am
I have the experience that conv 1 per click will ONLY record a conversion if performed on the first click visit.
for example if an ad click did not convert on same visit… and then returned later, not on same visit… would NOT register a conversion on later visit, only on the conv many per click, ie. 1 and 0 on 1 per click.
i feel this is a bug in the system?
June 14th, 2009 at 5:41 am
actually, my previous comment is probably inaccurate…
as Adwords convertsion tracking has the latency issue, ie. a latent conversion will only show if you check the metrics retroactively, ie. checking conversion for last month, 3 weeks later, will show more conversions than if you checked at the end of as compared to the last day of the month. This is a know issue, the latency issue.
This could explain what I found re: conv 1 per click, as the conversion must be linked to the original click in adwords conversion tracking, so the temporal issues can be very confusing indeed.
Google Analytics Goals on the other hand attribute goals, which can now be imported as conversions, to the most recent event. I’m thinking this would be a better method for tracking convversions? what do you think?
July 21st, 2009 at 5:12 pm
I have conversion tracing set on two pages: the viewing of my Pricing page and on the Signup page. Those are two different “Actions” and are always displayed separately in Google Ads. In the example above (Jane’s website), the numbers are:
* Conversions (1-per-click): 1
* Conversions (many-per-click): 2
In my case, there would be two different rows, one for signing up for the newsletter (or viewing the Pricing page) and one for the purchase (or the signup), and each of them will have two columns: “Conversions (1-per-click)” and “Conversions (many-per-click)”. Is my tracking set up incorrectly? If not, how do I interpret it?