Google Ads and Google Analytics are two powerful tools that help marketers track and measure the success of their campaigns. While they both provide valuable insights into the performance of your campaigns, there are some key differences between them that can affect how you use them. One such difference is the search audience size in Google Ads versus Google Analytics.
In this blog post, we’ll explain why the search audience size in Google Ads is different than what you see in Google Analytics, as well as how to make sure you’re getting accurate data from both platforms.
What Is Search Audience Size?
Search audience size is a metric used to measure how many people have seen your ads or visited your website after searching for a keyword or phrase related to your business. It’s an important metric because it gives you an idea of how effective your ad campaigns are at reaching potential customers.
Why Is The Search Audience Size Different In Google Ads And Google Analytics?
The search audience size reported by each platform is based on different criteria and algorithms, which can lead to discrepancies between what you see in each platform. Here are some of the main reasons why:
- Different Data Sources: While both platforms use data from searches conducted on Google, they use different sources for their data collection methods. For example, while Google Ads collects data from its own AdWords platform, it also collects data from other sources such as YouTube and Gmail ads. On the other hand, while Google Analytics uses AdWords data for its reporting purposes, it also pulls information from organic searches (non-paid) conducted on various websites across the web including social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. This means that even if someone searches for a keyword related to your business on Facebook or Twitter but doesn’t click through to your website or view any ads associated with that keyword, this won’t be reflected in either platform’s search audience size report since neither one collects organic search data from these sites.
- Different Algorithms: Each platform uses its own algorithm when calculating its search audience size report which can lead to discrepancies between what you see in each one’s report even if they’re collecting similar types of data (i.e., AdWords). For example, while both platforms may collect information about who searched for a certain keyword related to your business and then clicked through to visit your website or view an ad associated with that keyword; they may not agree on exactly who those people were due to differences in their algorithms (i.e., one may count someone who visited once while another may count multiple visits).
- Time Differences: The time period used by each platform when calculating its search audience size report can also cause discrepancies between what you see in each one’s report even if they’re collecting similar types of data (i.e., AdWords). For example, if someone searched for a certain keyword related to your business last week but didn’t click through until today; this would be counted differently depending on which time period was used by each platform when calculating its respective report (i..e., last week vs today).
- Other Factors: There are other factors such as geographic location and device type that can also cause discrepancies between what you see in each platform’s search audience size reports even if they’re collecting similar types of data (i..e., AdWords). For example; someone searching for a certain keyword related to your business might be counted differently depending on whether they were using a desktop computer or mobile device when conducting their searches since these two devices have different capabilities when it comes displaying ads associated with keywords being searched for online (i..e., desktop computers tend to show more ads than mobile devices do).
How To Make Sure You Get Accurate Data From Both Platforms?
To ensure accurate reporting across both platforms there are several steps you should take including:
- Use Similar Time Periods: When setting up reports within either platform make sure that all time periods being used match up so that any discrepancies due solely due timing issues will be eliminated right away; this includes making sure any dates entered into either system match up exactly with those being used by the other system as well as making sure any date ranges specified within either system don’t overlap with those specified within the other system so no double counting occurs due overlapping dates being included within both systems’ reports simultaneously .
- Utilize Conversion Tracking Tags & UTM Parameters: By adding conversion tracking tags & UTM parameters into all links associated with any campaigns running across either system; this will help ensure more accurate tracking & reporting since it will allow both systems access more detailed information about who clicked through & interacted with any content linked back from either system .
- Double Check Settings & Parameters Within Each System Regularly: It’s important regularly double check settings & parameters within each system since changes made over time could potentially lead inaccurate reporting due incorrect configurations . This includes ensuring all filters set up within either system still accurately reflect what should/shouldn’t be included/excluded from reports generated by either one .
- Monitor Performance Of Both Platforms Side By Side: Lastly, monitoring performance side-by-side helps identify potential issues early before too much damage has been done; this allows marketers quickly adjust strategies accordingly based off real-time feedback rather than relying solely off historical results which could already outdated at times.
Conclusion
The main reason why there is often discrepancy between what is seen in terms of search audience sizes reported by each platform lies mainly down differences between them regarding their sources, algorithms, time periods, geographic locations & device types; however, taking steps such as utilizing conversion tracking tags & UTM parameters along double checking settings regularly can help ensure more accurate results come out when comparing performance metrics side-by-side.