How to identify which Ad drives Google search traffic

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As a new brand relying primarily on paid advertising, it can be perplexing to see orders coming from Google searches. When someone sees your Facebook ad, they might not click on it immediately. Instead, they could search for your brand on Google later, leading to a purchase. This scenario would show up as Google search traffic in your analytics, even though your Facebook ad initiated the process. So how to determine which of your ads are driving these conversions? This article will help.

How to identify the source?

We have 5 options for you.

UTM parameters for brand searches

Shopify owners have to create unique UTM parameters for each ad campaign that include your brand name.

Create unique UTM parameters for each ad campaign that include your brand name.

How to do it:

  • Go to Google’s Campaign URL Builder (https://ga-dev-tools.web.app/campaign-url-builder/)
  • Enter your website URL
  • Fill in the campaign source (e.g., facebook, instagram)
  • Add the medium (e.g., cpc)
  • Include a campaign name (e.g., brand_awareness_june)
  • Use this URL in your ads

Example:

www.yourbrand.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand_awareness_june

When someone searches for your brand on Google after seeing this ad, you can trace it back to the original source in your Google Analytics.

Google Analytics brand campaigns creation

Set up a specific campaign in Google Analytics to track brand name searches.

  • In Google Analytics, go to Acquisition > Campaigns > All Campaigns
  • Click on ‘+ New Campaign’
  • Name it ‘Brand Search Campaign’
  • Set up a filter to include only traffic from Google that includes your brand name
  • Monitor this campaign to see spikes in brand searches and correlate them with your ad campaigns

Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics Integration

How to do it:

  • In Facebook Ads Manager, go to Events Manager
  • Click on ‘Connect Data Sources’ and select ‘Web’
  • Choose ‘Facebook Pixel’ and set it up on your website
  • In Google Analytics, go to Admin > Property Settings
  • Scroll down to ‘Advertising Features’ and turn on ‘Enable Demographics and Interest Reports’
  • In your Google Analytics reports, go to Acquisition > Social > Network Referrals to see Facebook traffic data

View-Through Conversions

On Facebook Ads Manager, look at view-through conversions. These show purchases made by people who saw your ad but didn’t click on it immediately.

  • In Facebook Ads Manager, go to your ad set
  • Click on ‘Columns’ and select ‘Customize Columns’
  • Add ‘View-Through Conversions’ to your selected columns
  • Analyse these conversions alongside your Google Analytics data to see correlations

Time Decay Attribution Model

Implement a time decay attribution model in Google Analytics. This gives more credit to touchpoints closer to the conversion, helping you see which recent ads might have prompted a Google search.

  • In Google Analytics, go to Conversions > Multi-Channel Funnels > Model Comparison Tool
  • Select ‘Time Decay’ as one of your models
  • Compare this with other models to see how credit is distributed among your channels
  • Look for channels (like Facebook) that receive more credit in the Time Decay model, as these are likely prompting later searches

Conclusion

While it’s challenging to pinpoint exactly which ad drove a Google search for a new brand, these strategies can provide valuable insights. By implementing these methods, you’ll be better equipped to identify your most effective ad campaigns and make informed decisions about scaling your advertising efforts.

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