What are the benefits and challenges of using view-through conversions for display ads in Google Analytics?

1 What are view-through conversions?

View-through conversions are a type of conversion that occurs when a user sees your display ad but does not click on it, and then visits your website or completes a goal within 30 days (or a custom window that you set). For example, if a user sees your ad for a new product on a website, and then visits your website and buys the product a week later, that would be a view-through conversion. View-through conversions are different from click-through conversions, which occur when a user clicks on your ad and then visits your website or completes a goal.

2 Why are view-through conversions important?

View-through conversions are important because they can help you measure the effectiveness of your display ads beyond clicks and impressions. They can show you how your display ads build awareness, interest, and trust among your audience, and how they influence their purchase decisions. They can also help you optimize your display ad strategy, by showing you which ads, placements, audiences, and creatives generate the most view-through conversions. By using view-through conversions, you can get a more holistic and accurate picture of your display ad performance and ROI.

3 How to set up view-through conversions in Google Analytics?

To set up view-through conversions in Google Analytics, you need to link your Google Ads account to your Google Analytics account, and enable auto-tagging in Google Ads. This will allow Google Analytics to track and attribute the view-through conversions to your display ads. You also need to define the conversion goals that you want to measure, such as page views, sign-ups, purchases, or custom events. You can do this in the Admin section of Google Analytics, under Goals. Once you have set up your goals, you can view the view-through conversions in the Conversions > Multi-Channel Funnels > Top Conversion Paths report in Google Analytics. You can also use the Model Comparison Tool to compare how different attribution models assign credit to your view-through conversions.

4 What are the benefits of using view-through conversions?

Using view-through conversions can provide you with several advantages, such as being able to measure the full effect of your display ads on website traffic and conversions, rather than just direct clicks and impressions. It can also help you comprehend how your display ads influence your audience's awareness, consideration, and decision stages, as well as how they interact with other marketing channels and touchpoints. Furthermore, you can optimize your display ad campaigns by identifying the most effective ads, placements, audiences, and creatives for generating view-through conversions. Lastly, view-through conversions can help improve your display ad ROI by allocating budget and resources more efficiently and accurately.

5 What are the challenges of using view-through conversions?

Using view-through conversions can also present certain challenges and limitations. It is difficult to attribute the view-through conversions to your display ads with certainty, as other factors may have influenced the user's behavior, such as organic search or word-of-mouth. Additionally, you may overestimate the value of your display ads, as some users may have visited your website or completed a goal without seeing your ad. Furthermore, data discrepancies and inaccuracies may arise due to different platforms and tools using different methods and criteria for tracking and reporting view-through conversions. Finally, you may need to adjust your attribution model and conversion window as the default settings in Google Analytics may not reflect your business goals and customer journey.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?