Understanding your customer’s journey across different networks, campaigns, and ads has never been more vital, especially following the ecommerce boom of 2020. 80% of people say they switch between online search and video when researching products to buy. This means that a last-click attribution model alone does not accurately reflect customers’ cross-network paths to conversion.
YouTube, which has proven to be a channel that allows businesses to reach new customers on digital has always been a tricky segment to fully understand its impact. That is why Google has developed Cross-Network Reports, which allow advertisers to more accurately measure YouTube’s role in the customer journey within the attribution reports in Google Ads.
The report type, which was recently released as an open beta, allows users to visualize how Search and YouTube campaigns most frequently work together to drive conversions using the Top Paths Report. The benefits allow advertisers the ability to evaluate which campaigns or creative lead to driving conversions using the Assisted Conversions Report.
Leaning into both of these reports provides the benefit to businesses and advertisers of knowing that although top-of-funnel YouTube efforts may not always lead to direct conversions, they are playing a larger role among all paid efforts.
Dive deeper into all the possibilities YouTube has to offer in our report, YouTube Advertising: Success on the World’s Second Largest Search Engine. You’ll uncover Expert insights to maximize brand awareness and scale customer acquisition, game-changing strategies to enhance your brand’s authority and trustworthiness, and more!
Lastly, the Path Metrics Report sheds light on how many interactions it takes for users to convert, which can lead to better optimizations and changes in adjusting budgets and creative based on how different networks play a role in the conversion path.
We’ve been using this report as an agency over the past few months to have deeper strategic discussions with our clients about the impact YouTube has on our paid search marketing efforts and to develop new creative strategies for 2021 that will grow their business.
Eager to opt-in or think this sounds great? If your account has active YouTube campaigns and tracks conversions, you can easily opt into the Cross-Network Reports Beta via a banner at the top of the Overview Report in the Measurement section of Google Ads, under Attribution.
In order to see cross-network activity, ensure your YouTube and Search campaigns run within the same Google Ads account using the same conversion action.
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