How to Test Attribution Models in Google Ads (Adwords)
Introduction to attribution metrics in Google Ads
Google Ads provide several attribution metrics in its reports which you must get familiar with:
- Conversions (current model) – Conversion volume under your current attribution model.
- Cost/conv. (current model) – Cost Per Conversion under your current attribution model.
- Conv. rate (current model) – Conversion rate under your current attribution model.
- Conv. value (current model) – Conversion value under your current attribution model.
- Value/conv. (current model) – value per conversion under your current attribution model.
- Conv. value/click (current model) – Conversion Value per click under your current attribution model.
- Conv. value/cost (current model) – Conversion value per cost under your current attribution model.
Use these metrics, if you want to test a new attribution model for a conversion action:
When you change the attribution model associated with a conversion action, it changes the way your conversions are counted in your ‘Conversions’ and ‘All conversions’ columns going forward.
In order to test a new attribution model, you may need to wait for a couple of weeks so that you have accumulated enough conversion data to measure the impact of your new attribution model.
However, by adding the attribution metrics to your reports, you can get a good idea of, how your historical conversion data would look like with the new attribution model.
This can help you in deciding, whether or not you should continue with the new attribution model.
This is the advantage of adding attribution metrics to your reports.
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
In order to test an attribution model in Google Ads, follow the steps below:
Step-1: Login to your Google Ads account with admin/full access.
Step-2: Click on the ‘Tools’ tab and then click on the ‘Conversions’ link under the ‘Measurement’ section:
Step-3: Click on the name of the conversion action whose attribution model you want to change:
You should now be able to see the attribution model currently being used by the conversion action:
Step-4: Click on the ‘Edit Settings’ link and then click on the drop-down menu in the ‘attribution modelling’ row:
Step-5: Select the attribution model you want to use from the drop-down menu and then click on the ‘Save’ button:
Let us suppose you changed your attribution model from ‘Last click’ to ‘Data-Driven’.
You want to test the ‘Data-Driven’ attribution model.
You want to see, how using this model will affect the conversion data.
Step-6: Navigate back to your reports and then click on the ‘Campaigns’ tab:
Step-7: Click on the ‘Columns’ button and then select ‘Modify Columns’ from the drop-down menu:
Step-8: Click on the ‘Conversions’ link:
Step-9: Select the conversion metrics as shown below:
Step-10: Click on the ‘Attribution’ link:
Step-11: Select all the attribution metrics and then click on the ‘Apply’ button:
Step-12: Compare the regular ‘conversion’ metrics with the ‘attribution’ metrics, to see how your data would have changed if you had been using the attribution model you’ve now selected.
For example, compare ‘conversions’ column with ‘conversions (current model)’:
Similarly, compare ‘cost/conv.’ column with ‘Cost / Conv. (current model)’.
Note: All the ‘Attribution’ metrics columns do not include any conversion actions that you have chosen not to include in conversions. However, they do include ‘cross-device conversions’ and all the data (like data from the Google Display Network) that is independent of the attribution model being used.
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
Other Articles Related to Attribution Modelling in Google Ads
- Which Attribution Model to use in Google Ads (Adwords)?
- Cross-device attribution reports in Google Ads (AdWords)
- How to change Attribution Model in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Data-Driven Attribution Model in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Setting up Data-Driven Attribution Model in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Store visit conversion tracking in Google Ads (AdWords)
- Understanding the Analytics behind Google Ads (Adwords)
- Cross Account Conversion Tracking in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Understanding View-Through conversions In Google Ads (Adwords)
- Assisted Conversions Report in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Understanding Conversion Paths in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Understanding Search Attribution Reports in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Guide to Attribution Modelling in Google Ads (Adwords)
Register for the FREE TRAINING...
"How to use Digital Analytics to generate floods of new Sales and Customers without spending years figuring everything out on your own."
Here’s what we’re going to cover in this training…
#1 Why digital analytics is the key to online business success.
#2 The number 1 reason why most marketers are not able to scale their advertising and maximize sales.
#3 Why Google and Facebook ads don’t work for most businesses & how to make them work.
#4 Why you won’t get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing Google Analytics.
#5 The number 1 reason why conversion optimization is not working for your business.
#6 How to advertise on any marketing platform for FREE with an unlimited budget.
#7 How to learn and master digital analytics and conversion optimization in record time.
My best selling books on Digital Analytics and Conversion Optimization
Maths and Stats for Web Analytics and Conversion Optimization
This expert guide will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of maths and statistics in order to accurately interpret data and take actions, which can quickly improve the bottom-line of your online business.
Master the Essentials of Email Marketing Analytics
This book focuses solely on the ‘analytics’ that power your email marketing optimization program and will help you dramatically reduce your cost per acquisition and increase marketing ROI by tracking the performance of the various KPIs and metrics used for email marketing.
Attribution Modelling in Google Analytics and Beyond
Attribution modelling is the process of determining the most effective marketing channels for investment. This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling. It will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to allocate marketing budget and understand buying behaviour.
Attribution Modelling in Google Ads and Facebook
This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling in Google Ads (Google AdWords) and Facebook. It will teach you, how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to understand the customer purchasing journey and determine the most effective marketing channels for investment.
Himanshu Sharma
Digital Marketing Consultant and Founder of Optimizesmart.com
Introduction to attribution metrics in Google Ads
Google Ads provide several attribution metrics in its reports which you must get familiar with:
- Conversions (current model) – Conversion volume under your current attribution model.
- Cost/conv. (current model) – Cost Per Conversion under your current attribution model.
- Conv. rate (current model) – Conversion rate under your current attribution model.
- Conv. value (current model) – Conversion value under your current attribution model.
- Value/conv. (current model) – value per conversion under your current attribution model.
- Conv. value/click (current model) – Conversion Value per click under your current attribution model.
- Conv. value/cost (current model) – Conversion value per cost under your current attribution model.
Use these metrics, if you want to test a new attribution model for a conversion action:
When you change the attribution model associated with a conversion action, it changes the way your conversions are counted in your ‘Conversions’ and ‘All conversions’ columns going forward.
In order to test a new attribution model, you may need to wait for a couple of weeks so that you have accumulated enough conversion data to measure the impact of your new attribution model.
However, by adding the attribution metrics to your reports, you can get a good idea of, how your historical conversion data would look like with the new attribution model.
This can help you in deciding, whether or not you should continue with the new attribution model.
This is the advantage of adding attribution metrics to your reports.
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
In order to test an attribution model in Google Ads, follow the steps below:
Step-1: Login to your Google Ads account with admin/full access.
Step-2: Click on the ‘Tools’ tab and then click on the ‘Conversions’ link under the ‘Measurement’ section:
Step-3: Click on the name of the conversion action whose attribution model you want to change:
You should now be able to see the attribution model currently being used by the conversion action:
Step-4: Click on the ‘Edit Settings’ link and then click on the drop-down menu in the ‘attribution modelling’ row:
Step-5: Select the attribution model you want to use from the drop-down menu and then click on the ‘Save’ button:
Let us suppose you changed your attribution model from ‘Last click’ to ‘Data-Driven’.
You want to test the ‘Data-Driven’ attribution model.
You want to see, how using this model will affect the conversion data.
Step-6: Navigate back to your reports and then click on the ‘Campaigns’ tab:
Step-7: Click on the ‘Columns’ button and then select ‘Modify Columns’ from the drop-down menu:
Step-8: Click on the ‘Conversions’ link:
Step-9: Select the conversion metrics as shown below:
Step-10: Click on the ‘Attribution’ link:
Step-11: Select all the attribution metrics and then click on the ‘Apply’ button:
Step-12: Compare the regular ‘conversion’ metrics with the ‘attribution’ metrics, to see how your data would have changed if you had been using the attribution model you’ve now selected.
For example, compare ‘conversions’ column with ‘conversions (current model)’:
Similarly, compare ‘cost/conv.’ column with ‘Cost / Conv. (current model)’.
Note: All the ‘Attribution’ metrics columns do not include any conversion actions that you have chosen not to include in conversions. However, they do include ‘cross-device conversions’ and all the data (like data from the Google Display Network) that is independent of the attribution model being used.
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
Other Articles Related to Attribution Modelling in Google Ads
- Which Attribution Model to use in Google Ads (Adwords)?
- Cross-device attribution reports in Google Ads (AdWords)
- How to change Attribution Model in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Data-Driven Attribution Model in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Setting up Data-Driven Attribution Model in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Store visit conversion tracking in Google Ads (AdWords)
- Understanding the Analytics behind Google Ads (Adwords)
- Cross Account Conversion Tracking in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Understanding View-Through conversions In Google Ads (Adwords)
- Assisted Conversions Report in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Understanding Conversion Paths in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Understanding Search Attribution Reports in Google Ads (Adwords)
- Guide to Attribution Modelling in Google Ads (Adwords)
Register for the FREE TRAINING...
"How to use Digital Analytics to generate floods of new Sales and Customers without spending years figuring everything out on your own."
Here’s what we’re going to cover in this training…
#1 Why digital analytics is the key to online business success.
#2 The number 1 reason why most marketers are not able to scale their advertising and maximize sales.
#3 Why Google and Facebook ads don’t work for most businesses & how to make them work.
#4 Why you won’t get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing Google Analytics.
#5 The number 1 reason why conversion optimization is not working for your business.
#6 How to advertise on any marketing platform for FREE with an unlimited budget.
#7 How to learn and master digital analytics and conversion optimization in record time.
My best selling books on Digital Analytics and Conversion Optimization
Maths and Stats for Web Analytics and Conversion Optimization
This expert guide will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of maths and statistics in order to accurately interpret data and take actions, which can quickly improve the bottom-line of your online business.
Master the Essentials of Email Marketing Analytics
This book focuses solely on the ‘analytics’ that power your email marketing optimization program and will help you dramatically reduce your cost per acquisition and increase marketing ROI by tracking the performance of the various KPIs and metrics used for email marketing.
Attribution Modelling in Google Analytics and Beyond
Attribution modelling is the process of determining the most effective marketing channels for investment. This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling. It will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to allocate marketing budget and understand buying behaviour.
Attribution Modelling in Google Ads and Facebook
This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling in Google Ads (Google AdWords) and Facebook. It will teach you, how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to understand the customer purchasing journey and determine the most effective marketing channels for investment.
Himanshu Sharma
Digital Marketing Consultant and Founder of Optimizesmart.com
