Why do my clicks in AdWords not match up to my visits in Analytics?

The way AdWords and Analytics record data varies slightly and although your clicks are brought through to the Analytics report, there is usually a small discrepancy between the number of clicks and the number of visits. If someone clicks on an advert that advert will result in a click. However, if a user comes back to visit the site again at a later date then your one click could result in two or more visits.  However there are times when your account records more clicks than visits. This is usual and is down to one of three reasons.

  1. If it’s a low number then the chances are that the visitor has their java script disabled or is not allowing any cookies to be left, so no visit is recorded despite a click and visit taking place.
  2. Auto tagging has been switched off and not every campaign/ad group/keyword has the correct tagging attached.
  3. The landing page has a 301 direct on it or no longer exists.

Why do the details of my conversions in Analytics not match up in Adwords?

This is because the two programs have slightly different ways of recording conversions.

AdWords registers a conversion to the time and day when the visitor originally clicked on the advert that led them to the website. So, if that visitor lands on the website on a Monday, but doesn't actually make a purchase until the Wednesday, AdWords will attribute the conversion to the Monday. 

Analytics, in contrast, records the conversion when it is actually made. In this scenario, that would be when the visitor buys the product on the Wednesday.

What is Google Quality Score?

Quality Score is the metric used by Google to determine the cost-per-click (CPC) and position of your ad text every time someone searches for your keyword even if you are not shown.  The higher your quality score, the cheaper your CPC will be and the higher your Ad Text will potentially be placed.  

Google Quality Score is based on a series of metrics such as account history, click through rate history, your maximum bid and current budget levels, the relevance of  the keyword searched against your keyword list and the quality of your landing page to name a few.

This is all designed to give the searcher the best set of results for their query by placing better results nearer the top whilst allowing advertisers wishing to appear for the same term an opportunity in a lower position and higher cost. 

Why is number one in Google not always best?

The number one spot in Google is often seen as the best place to be in the search engine results pages (SERPs) and, although a lot can be gained from being here - such as branding and high numbers of visitors - these may not be the best your marketing plan. Through many websites we have found that the top spot in Google has a lower conversion rate than, say, the 3rd, 4th or 5th position. If you have a highly competitive product with very small marketing margins, the top spot will drive lots of visits but only a small percentage will convert, making your CPS and ROI lower than having fewer clicks at a higher conversion rate in a lower position.

What is Google impression share?

This is the percentage of times your advert was shown for the keywords you bid on, compared to the number of searches in any given time frame. To increase an impressions share, most accounts will need to increase the daily budget of each affected campaign. In some cases there will be a need to increase your maximum bid at keyword level depending on the competition. Finally, you may also need to work on the keyword quality score through improved Ad Text and landing pages.

Does running a PPC account help with my natural listings in Google?

No, running a PPC account does not affect organic rankings. However, running a PPC campaign can provide a valuable insight into the keywords you should be targeting in the SEO campaign. It also supports the SEO campaign in the time it takes to get to the first page of the search engines and gives your website more real estate once the natural listing is achieved. In addition, it has the added benefit of having your pages on your site crawled more quickly if you have adverts pointing to all the relevant pages.

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