Google Ads Search Decrease in Clicks, Adobe increase in Visits for CID processing rule

[skatofiabah]

Hi,

In our Google Ads Platform for Search, MoM I see that for clicks it decreases, but in Adobe for Visits for Search based on our marketing channel processing rules, it increases in visits MoM. How is this possible? Has anybody run into this issue before? Trying to understand how this could happen. We saw a decrease in both Google Ads and Adobe for Display, but the inverse pattern I just described for Search. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[Damonwhall]

Hello @skatofiabah, 

In my current org, we are using UTM parameters that are captured into eVars and props.  Something that I do to use as a validation tool is to capture incoming visitor URL queries to capture things like GCLID, and UTM parameters (or other network parameters).  

Using this method, you can do a search experience yourself and see if your personal information is coming through with the expected marketing channel.  If not, then you likely will need to talk a look at your processing rules to determine if something is not properly configured.  

1. use a paid search link in Google to be navigated to your site (use an incognito window and open your developer tools to ensure you can see your evar data.  Or is the Adobe Debugger extension) 
2. click and see what your assigned marketing channel definition is.  Check your utm parameters or related URL query to ensure it is defined as you expect.  
3. If they are as you expect, and you see for your own ECID in a report, that your marketing channel definition is incorrect, you need to address incorrectly se processing rules.  

Are you on the SDK? 

-D

[skatofiabah]

Hi @Damonwhall,

We already have the processing rules set up for the CID for the Google Search. How could visits be higher in Adobe than clicks in Google Ads?

[Damonwhall]

In theory, this should not be happening of course.  Something you can do to check your processing rules is if you are capturing a unique ID.  Not the ECID (although it would not hurt to use ECID either), but something like the Google Click ID (GCLID).  If you are capturing this, then you can create a distinct count metric for the ID dimension.  Then, check the same period of time (ex: 1 week) for that count in AA, agains. the clicks you see for your ad platform.  

This will show you the count of unique individuals an duplicates would be removed.  compare that to your ad platform count.  

One other thing.  Are you tracking "clickers" or "clicks" in the ad platform?  Example: Bob clicks an ad, navigates to the site, then in the same session or browser he clicks an add again and is again navigated.  This is the same person, but 2 clicks.  Just wondering if anything like that is happening here.  

[skatofiabah]

Hi @Damonwhall,

Not all of our Raw URLs landing and continuing contain the GCLID in the raw url. We don't store it in an eVar. We have cases where our CID is in the raw url but not the GCLID. It doesn't always have the GCLID and this would probably lead to aggregation issues. Curious as to your thoughts here. It sounds like we can get attribution to our search campaign and a GCLID doesn't necessarily have to be in the URL, etc. and we can say that user came via Google Search Campaign.

[Damonwhall]

@skatofiabah yes, 

We are using UTM parameters and capturing them.  These are the dimensions we are capturing in an evar that allows us to:

• get proper attribution by ID (so that we have a count of individuals) and 
• stitch to back end data (if you are B2B) so you can see lead, pipe, closed won, etc

We are capturing the following into eVars AND into first party cookies so that these definitions can persist and be present at all events and transactions: 

• ECID
• All UTM parameters in the query
• GCLID
• Additional items:
  • Marketo ID (munchkin)
  • Meta ID
  • other ad network ID's
  • Bizible ID

[skatofiabah]

Hi @Damonwhall,

Yes we do something similar. I just don't understand how we can have a CID exist in adobe for our known Google Search Campaigns for visits, etc.; Yet, there is no GCLID in the URL.