Today’s online world isn’t what it was 10 years ago, with most of us using more than one device to access internet on a daily basis. Statista have data from 2014 shows that the average number of connected devices ranged from country to country, but there were 3.6 devices per person in the Netherlands and 3.1 in the UK and Australia. With so many devices it stands to reason that people use multiple devices throughout the day, from a laptop or PC at work to a mobile while sat in traffic or perhaps a tablet whilst watching TV.
In addition – Google’s data shows that nearly 40% of online shoppers start their research on a smartphone and complete their purchase on a computer or tablet.
To reflect the importance of understanding this consumer behaviour the Google Ads team has been working on tracking cross-device conversions for a number of years. Google says that the cross-device conversions across Search, Display and Shopping have helped advertisers capture the full value of their Google Ads campaigns measuring up to 16% more conversions, with Cost per Acquisition for many businesses also reducing.
As of yesterday (27 October), Google Ads began rolling out cross-device conversions at keyword-level which can be included alongside website sales, phone calls and app downloads under the main ‘Conversions’ column. Now all conversions will be in one place allowing deeper insight making it easier for advertisers to take action on campaigns.
For more information on cross-device conversions watch the short video below.
Tracking cross-device conversions allow advertisers to get a better understanding of how Google Ads campaigns influence not only conversions across devices, browsers and in mobile apps but also phone calls to businesses and in-store visits. Read here how a number of businesses used cross-device conversions to understand their customers’ behaviour.
