Comparison · How the ad account counts
Take conversions from Google Analytics or count them directly in the ad account? With serious ad budget: count directly. Google Analytics stays for the analysis.
Both routes bring purchases and enquiries into the ad account. They differ in who attributes them to the campaign, how fast the report arrives, which amount comes along and what is possible with additional customer data. This comparison shows when which route gives the better basis for bidding.
The tracking check shows within two working days which route fits you. Credited if you commission within 30 days.
The two routes
- Import from Google Analytics: The conversion is taken over from the analysis
- Direct counting in the ad account: The conversion is measured in the ad account itself
How we compare
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Both routes can be right
After the check we pick the simplest route that meets your need, not the most expensive one.
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No percentage promises
How much a route brings back depends on your visitors. Anyone promising a fixed number does not know your data.
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The foundation first
No route repairs wrong numbers. If amount or reference are wrong in the shop, they arrive wrong everywhere.
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Technical, not legal
Whether a setup is permissible is for you and your privacy advisers. We build the technology.
In short
The import from Google Analytics is convenient and shows the same numbers as the analysis. But it brings along the attribution rules and processing time of Google Analytics. Direct counting measures in the ad account itself, reacts faster and is the basis for Google using customer data to match better. In most accounts with serious ad budget direct counting is the better basis for bids and Google Analytics stays for the analysis.
In detail
The differences in detail
| Point | Import from Google Analytics | Direct counting in the ad account |
|---|---|---|
| Where the number comes from | Google Analytics processes the conversion and then passes it to the ad account. | The conversion reaches the ad account directly. |
| Who attributes the campaign | Google Analytics by its rules. | Google Ads by its rules. |
| Speed | Additional processing and transfer time. | Considerably faster, which helps bidding. |
| Additional customer data | Not the intended route. | The intended route to pass on unreadable customer data for matching. |
| Amount and currency | Taken over from Google Analytics. | Set directly from the shop and verifiable on its own. |
| Order number | Depends on what Google Analytics received. | Set explicitly and usable against double counting. |
| Counting method | Dictated by Google Analytics. | Freely selectable: every conversion or one per click. |
| Troubleshooting | Two systems in which the fault can sit. | One system, the report is directly verifiable. |
| Analysis | Matches the reports in Google Analytics. | Can deviate from Google Analytics. That is explainable and gets documented. |
| Risk when switching | Low, but the weaknesses remain. | Present: a new goal needs comparison data before it becomes the primary goal. |
The decision
What speaks for which route.
Direct counting pays off when
- automated bidding depends on fast and complete reports
- customer data should be used for better matching
- amount, currency and order number come reliably from the shop
- the counting method should be a deliberate choice
- the campaign optimises for revenue rather than count
The import can stay when
- · there is little or no ad budget
- · the analysis in Google Analytics matters more than bidding
- · additional customer data is not planned
- · there is no access to the shop’s reports
- · the measurement is being rebuilt anyway and calm comes first
Google Analytics and the ad account will still show different numbers after the switch. That is not a fault but the consequence of different attribution rules. What matters is that the difference is explainable and documented.
Where it goes wrong
What to watch during the switch
- Import and direct counting both run as primary goals and count twice.
- The new goal becomes primary immediately, before comparison data exists.
- The amount arrives without tax or shipping although the shop calculates differently.
- The counting method stays on the default although the business calls for something else.
- Old, unused goals stay in the account and confuse the analysis.
- The day of the switch is read as a drop although only the measurement basis changed.
Common questions
Do I have to switch off the import?
Not immediately. Direct counting can run as a secondary goal until there is enough comparison data. Only then does it become primary and the import gets demoted.
Why do Google Analytics and the ad account deviate from each other?
Both attribute conversions by different rules and time windows. A residual difference is normal. It only becomes notable when the difference cannot be explained or changes abruptly.
Do I lose the old numbers?
No. The existing conversions stay in the account. What changes is only what the campaigns optimise against from the cutover date.
Does this apply to enquiries too?
Yes. The same logic applies to enquiries, with a unique reference instead of an order number. The feedback from the CRM on whether an enquiry became something builds on that.
Read on
Where to go next.
Start the tracking check
Four required answers, the rest is optional. You get a reply by email within one business day, no phone call.
Next step
Are your campaigns optimising on the right basis?
The tracking check reviews goals, counting method, amounts and imports and shows which switch is worth making.
The tracking check shows within two working days which route fits you. Credited if you commission within 30 days.