Last Updated: February 28, 2022

What are Cross-Device Conversions?

The cross-device conversions are the conversions that start as a user interaction on one device and then end up as goal conversion or as an ecommerce transaction on another device.

In the context of Google Ads, cross-device conversions are those conversion actions in which a user interacts with your ads on one device/browser but completes a conversion on another device/browser.

The device through which a user interacts with your ads is called the ‘Ad Interaction Device’.

The device through which a user completes a conversion on your website is called the ‘Conversion Device’

Any mobile, tablet, or desktop can be reported as ‘Ad Interaction device’ or ‘conversion device’ by Google ads.

When you set up cross-device tracking, you can track cross-device conversions.

Note: Cross-device conversions are recorded for ads on Google Search Network, Google Display Network, and YouTube. They are not recorded for: mobile app installs conversion actions, goals imported from Google Analytics, goals imported via Google Ads Conversion Import.

Advantages of using cross-device attribution reports in Google Ads

By using cross-device attribution reports in Google Ads you can determine:

#1 How your customers who interacted with your search network ads (somewhere in their shopping journey) used different devices to convert on your website

#2 What role these devices play in their conversion paths.

For example, there is a possibility that some devices (mobile, tablet, desktop) could be assisting conversions rather than directly completing conversions on your website.

This is generally the case with high priced items such as jewellery.

Often people do not feel comfortable carrying out high-value transactions (like purchasing jewellery) on mobile devices. 

They may use their mobile devices for jewellery research and then may return to your website later via desktop, to complete their purchase.

So if you are advertising on mobile devices and people are clicking on your jewellery ads but not making a purchase then it does not always mean that your mobile ads are not working.

It could be that people are using their mobile devices just for researching your product and then later returning to your website directly, via desktop computer, to complete their purchase.

Through ‘cross-device activity’ reports in Google Ads, you can measure such cross-device behaviour of your website users.

Without the insight from cross-device reports, you may never understand the role your mobile ads played in the conversion path.

You may then label your mobile ads ineffective and may even stop bidding on them.

If you are getting cross-device conversions in Google Ads then you can benefit from cross-device activity reports.

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• Understand the customer purchase journey across devices
• Determine the most effective marketing channels for investment

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Introduction to Cross-Device Activity Reports in Google Ads

As the name suggests the cross-device activity reports provide insight into the cross-device activities of the users who interacted with your ads.

Through cross-device activity reports you can determine, how the people who interacted with your ads used different devices (mobile, tablet, desktop) on their path to conversion.

Google Ads provides the following three cross-device activity reports:

1. Devices report
2. Assisting devices report
3. Device paths report

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How to Access Cross-Device Activity Reports in Google Ads?

To access cross-device activity reports in Google Ads, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Sign in to your Google Ads account.

Step-2: Click on the ‘Tools’ tab and then click on the ‘Search Attribution‘ link under the ‘Measurement’ section:

Step-3: Click on the ‘Cross-Device Activity‘ link on the left-hand side navigation menu:

You will then see the various cross-device activity reports:

The ‘Devices’ Report

Through the devices report, you can determine the total number of cross-device conversions generated by each ad interaction device (Mobile, Tablet, Desktop).

You can see these cross-device conversions based on ad clicks and ad impressions:

Conversions with Cross-Device Activity – It includes only those conversions which were assisted by more than 1 device.

Conversions – It includes all conversions whether or not they were assisted by more than 1 device.

% of Conversions with Cross-Device Activity = Conversions with Cross-Device Activity / Conversions

Ad Interaction Device – The device through which a user interacted with your ads.

Conversion Device – The device through which a user completed a conversion on your website.

The ‘Assisting Devices’ Report

Through this report you can determine the following for each device:

• Last Click Conversions
• Last Click Conversion Value
• Click-Assisted Conversions
• Click-Assisted Conversion Value
• Click-Assisted Conversions / Last Click Conversions
• Impression-Assisted Conversions
• Impression-Assisted Conversion Value
• Impression-Assisted Conversions / Last Click Conversions

To learn about the various metrics mentioned in this report, read this article: Understanding Assisted Conversions Report in Google Ads (Google Adwords)

The ‘Assisting Devices’ report also reports on the following three metrics:

1. Mobile Assist Ratio
2. Tablet Assist Ratio
3. Desktop Assist Ratio

Mobile Assist Ratio

This metric tells you how often your mobile ads assisted conversions that were completed on other devices.

For example, a mobile assist ratio of 2 means that for every conversion completed on a mobile device, 2 conversions on other devices were assisted by a mobile device.

Google ads calculate and report on the ‘mobile assist ratio’ based on ad clicks and ad impressions.

Mobile Assist Ratio (based on ad clicks) = Click-Assisted Conversions / Last Click Conversions

Mobile Assist Ratio (based on ad impressions) = Impression-Assisted Conversions / Last Click Conversions

Tablet Assist Ratio

This metric tells you how often your tablet ads (ads on tablet devices) assisted conversions that were completed on other devices.

For example, a tablet assist ratio of 2 means that for every conversion completed on a tablet device, 2 conversions on other devices were assisted by a tablet device.

Google ads calculate and report on the ‘tablet assist ratio’ based on ad clicks and ad impressions.

Tablet Assist Ratio (based on ad clicks) = Click-Assisted Conversions / Last Click Conversions

Tablet Assist Ratio (based on ad impressions) = Impression-Assisted Conversions / Last Click Conversions

Desktop Assist Ratio

This metric tells you how often your desktop ads (ads on desktop devices) assisted conversions that were completed on other devices.

For example, a desktop assist ratio of 2 means that for every conversion completed on a desktop device, 2 conversions on other devices were assisted by a desktop device.

Google ads calculate and report on the ‘desktop assist ratio’ based on ad clicks and ad impressions.

Desktop Assist Ratio (based on ad clicks) = Click-Assisted Conversions / Last Click Conversions

Desktop Assist Ratio (based on ad impressions) = Impression-Assisted Conversions / Last Click Conversions

The ‘Device Paths’ Report

This report shows the top cross-device conversion paths and allows you to determine the order in which customers used different devices before they converted on your website.

As such, a traditional MMM model is not suitable for carrying out digital marketing mix modelling aka attribution modelling.

Get my best selling books on Attribution Modelling

• Learn to implement attribution modelling in your organisation
• Understand the customer purchase journey across devices
• Determine the most effective marketing channels for investment

 Click book covers to find out more

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