Measurement and Optimization
Measurement and optimization
Conversions are the currency of optimization. Create conversion actions in Google Ads or import them from analytics, mark the ones you optimize toward as primary (secondary actions are observed only), and confirm count settings (one versus every) match your business. Attribution models assign credit across touchpoints: data-driven, last click, first click, linear, time decay, and position-based. Watch the conversion window - 30 days after a click by default - plus separate view-through windows for Display and Video. Changing models or windows changes reported numbers, not actual performance.
Diagnostics
- The search terms report reveals irrelevant queries; add negatives.
- Quality Score breaks into expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience.
- Change history explains sudden shifts in cost or volume.
Traps
- Comparing periods across an attribution-model or conversion-window change.
- Confusing the Conversions column with All conversions.
- Assuming a rising CPA means bidding is broken when tracking actually broke.
- Optimizing to a metric that does not reflect revenue.
Rule of thumb: audit tracking before touching bids - fire a test conversion, check primary/secondary settings, and confirm values are recorded.
Worked example: conversions fall 20% while clicks and the analytics conversion rate stay flat. That pattern usually indicates a tag, counting, or attribution change rather than a bidding problem, so verify tracking first.