Until recently, conversion tracking on Google display ads was only available if the searcher clicked on your ad. However, Google have taken this tracking one step further.

Called View-through conversion, the new feature tracks those conversions that are made not from the first time an ad was seen by the searcher but a few days or perhaps a month after.

Confused? Don’t worry I was also the first time I heard about it. To help you get your head around it here is an example:

Let’s say you run an online printing center and use AdSense to promote your business. I then visit a blog that shows your ad promoting your printing services. Although I see the ad, I decide not to click on it.
A week later when looking to purchase a new canvas print, I remember your site and go to it to buy the new print. Google will now show you that I saw your ad, didn’t click on it, but still bought from your site within 30 days after seeing your ad.

So basically, it remembers who “looked” at your ad even though they didn’t click through, but did make a purchase at a later date.

Amanda Kelly from the Inside AdWords crew explains why this new reporting will be so useful:

By using View-through conversion reporting, you can more easily compare the performance of your Google Content Network campaign with the performance of your other display advertising campaigns. This feature can also help you determine the best ways and places to advertise, how best to optimize your display ad campaigns, and, ultimately, how to spend your advertising dollars more effectively.

There are some limitations to the reporting. If a user deletes a cookie after viewing a display ad but before they convert, Google won’t be able to capture that conversion. Also, view-through conversions are only available for display ad campaigns and you must have AdWords Conversion Tracking installed for it to work.

I think this new reporting will be great for AdWords advertisers who wish to get a better measure of their ads effectiveness. If you would like to learn more, just head over to the AdWords Help Center.

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