Google’s offering free versions of the programs designed to power Analytics 360.
Below, I’ll go into detail about six new Google programs you should be using.
Google’s had a big year.
With the recent rollout of Google Analytics 360 and its subsequent programs, marketers have access to more analytics and detailed reports than ever.
But of course, 360 comes with a hefty price tag.
That’s why Google’s offering free versions of the programs designed to power Analytics 360.
Below, I’ll go into detail about six new Google programs you should be using.
Google AdWords New Dashboards
Back in September, Google announced it was rolling out its new dashboards, “ a single place in AdWords where you can bring together your most important reports and unearth insights about your business.”
What is it?
The new dashboards will give advertisers a consolidated, comprehensive overview of their account and how it’s performing.
While something similar has been available on the home tab of AdWords, this new dashboard is unique in that it’s fully customizable – you choose (or even build) the KPI stats you want readily displayed.
How Does it Work
The original AdWords Home tab was just fine.
It allowed users to customize different tables and charts into reports. It let them track important data in their Campaigns tab.
But with new dashboards, Google’s outdone themselves.
Now, there’s no need to compile and pull reports to find the exact data you need. Simply decide which metrics matter most to you, and customize your dashboard to reflect them.
It’s a one-stop shop for all your ad tracking and performance measurements.
And there’s no pre-determined list of metrics you choose from to display – with these dashboards advertisers can build their own charts or tables to include.
How Will it Help You
The biggest benefit here is that your AdWords screen is no longer one size fits all.
Beyond that, the new dashboards advertisers to:
- Create customized views of their data. Users will have the flexibility to arrange data using their own discretion. What used to live in specific reports can now be seen front and center every time you open your overview tab, and you have the freedom to select date ranges that enable you to compare past performance
- Monitor performance in one place. All key metrics can be compiled on one screen. Not only does it this save you time and hassle, it will allow you to more easily performance across the board
- Collaborate and share with your team. This is another giant perk of the new system. All dashboards in the same account are located in the Reports tab, enabling all members of the team to review and make changes
How to Get Started
Log into your AdWords account, and you’ll see that Google’s already provided a starter dashboard. You can choose to keep it, modify as needed or build a new one from scratch.
To create a new one, click Reports, select the Dashboards tab, and +Dashboard.
For help, take a guided tour here.
Quick Tips
- Spend some time getting familiar sample dashboard provided, and look over the guided tour to uncover more features
- The dashboards allow you to add notes – use these to provide context when sharing with other members of the team
- For more on how to build and use different dashboard functions, click here.
Google Optimize
Google’s answer to A/B (or split) testing arrived last year in beta form and is now readily available to marketers.
What is it?
Google Optimize is a tool that tests variations of your website. It allows users to quickly test page designs and content, and is fully integrated with Google Analytics.
Due to this pairing with Analytics, you can more easily identify the best segments of users for testing. Optimize will automatically appear in your Google Analytics, and vice versa.
While Optimize is free, Google does offer a paid version called Optimize 360, which adds on features like full multivariate testing and implementation services.
How Does it Work
To install Google Optimize to your site, you add a line of code to the Universal Analytics snippet installed on your site.
In order to set it up, you’ll need:
- Google Analytics account
- Google Chrome browser
- Google Optimize Chrome extension (download here)
Once installed, Optimize works with other Analytics functions to power more advanced targeting and reporting.
How Does it Help You
It’s safe to say the majority of marketers are already using Google Analytics.
It’s a great compilation of tools designed to cover everything from keyword research to website performance, and with the introduction of Optimize, it’s now extended to website testing.
- For marketers, that means access to more advanced targeting, conversion tracking, reporting, etc.
- It also allows you to test different experiment types such as A/B and redirect tests based on your site testing needs.
- And, using Analytics it allows you to choose which segment of your website visitors you would like to include in your experiment.
How to Get Started
First step: Go to the Google Optimize site and hit “set up for free.”
Then, choose your account name and opt-in services. These include Improve Google products, Benchmarking, and in-depth analysis (Google recommends all of them).
Add a container to your account, and you’re ready to go.
Quick Tips
Use Google Optimize to help you test the following:
- Testing old page designs vs. new ones
- Different calls-to-action (CTAs)
- Using images vs. videos
- Content performance: long form or short blocks on separate pages?
Google Data Studio
Google Data Studio is a new way to turn often complicated analytics reports into understandable, easy-to-read reports.
What is it?
In a nutshell, it’s a way to deliver data to your clients in a way that they’ll understand.
Generally, marketers are charged with deciphering Google analytics reports and then presenting – and explaining – their findings to clients.
As any marketer knows, this is easier said than done.
Data Studio shines in its ability to visually present complex metrics and themes.
It’s fully customizable, and you select how the data is presented – whether it be bar graphs, line graphs, charts, etc.
How Does it Work?
Data Studio works by giving you the ability to pull all relevant data together into one report or dashboard.
Combine data from Google Analytics, Google AdWords, YouTube, etc. The new platform even allows you to pull data from other sources – Facebook insights, etc. – into the same report for one comprehensive overview of all marketing activities.
To pull information, all you have to do is import it into a Google Sheet. That means anything that can go in a Sheet – analytics from almost all marketing platforms – can go into your Data Studio reports.
How Will it Help You
Overall, the new Studio will help you funnel down and deliver the most important metrics.
It’s:
- Fully dynamic. Any updates to included data sources will automatically show up in the report
- Shareable. You can give anyone permission to look at or edit the report (much like Google Docs)
- Customizable. Start with a blank canvas, and drag and drop items where you want them. Choose how you want them to appear – bar or line graphs, scatterplots, geographic maps, etc.
- Unlimited. Add as many graphs, charts, and widgets as you’d like, from a variety of sources
How to Get Started
First, visit the Google Analytics Data Studio and click Sign up for Free.
You’ll be taken a screen with dashboard examples and a “Welcome to Data Studio! (Start Here)” link, which will take you through a detailed tutorial.
Quick Tips
- Spend some time looking through the tutorial and sample templates; it’s full of tips and techniques to make the most of your reports
- When designing, use Data Studio’s customization tools to match the colors and branding of you or your client’s business
- Add date range filters to see how your channels have performed over time
- Add multiple pages. It doesn’t all have to fit on one, so space it out and organize it in way that will make the most sense to your clients and viewers
Google Attribution
Just this year, Google released its free version of Attribution 360.
What is it?
Google Attribution is a tool that helps marketers identify each channel that played a part in a sale, and how much those channels contribute to overall ROI.
The word attribution refers to customer’s interactions with different channels or events (touchpoints) that lead to the sale.
How Does it Work?
Google Attribution uses machine-learning to measure the impact of each customer touchpoint.
It pulls data already stored in Google Analytics, AdWords, and DoubleClick Search and integrated it so marketers can better understand their customer’s journeys, and where they stopped along the way.
How Will it Help You?
One of the tool’s biggest aims is to do away with last-click attribution – a strategy in which marketers only take the last customer touchpoint into consideration when attributing a sale.
Instead, Google Attribution hopes to help marketers understand the impact of each channel – and how to strategize (and spend) accordingly.
In a nutshell, Google Attribution will:
- Help you see upper and mid-funnel interactions: This goes back to the last-click attribution. Not only will it help identify the channels that your customer interacted with, but it aims to uncover how big of an impact that channel had in the conversion process
- Help inform bidding and spending decisions: Correct attribution will help you focus on where you should be spending the majority of your marketing dollars
How to Get Started
Enter in the Google Attribution homepage, and click the “Sign up for Free” button.
(Note: There is a paid version – Google Attribution 360 that offers more comprehensive analysis; make sure you’re signing up for the version you want.)
Quick Tips
- Before using, make sure your Google Analytics is cleaned up. You want all ad reporting features enabled and all integrations (AdWords, etc.) working.
- Yes, it goes above and beyond Google Analytics 360. The former only included the last four touch points, while the new model includes all
Google Audience Center
Google Audience Center is a data management tool that collects key insights to help you better understand your customers.
What is it?
Basically, the new Audience Center gives companies and marketers a way to more strategically use customer data to target their ideal audiences.
The new platform collects and organizes information from all data sources – analytics, email, CRM, etc., allowing you to make better optimize future efforts.
Using those sources, you should ultimately be able to reach new, valuable audiences with the right messages at the right time, across all different channels.
How Does it Work?
Like the others mentioned above, the platform ties in with Google DoubleClick and Adwords.
This time, the data collected relates directly to your audience: when they use certain channels, what kind of content they’re reading, which ads they’re clicking on, etc.
By putting all the needed numbers and stats in one place, marketers connect with customers on relevant channels.
How Will it Help You
Google’s Audience Center aids marketers by:
- Compiling your audience-related data in one spot, which will help you better understand how it all works together
- Native integration with AdWords and DoubleClick, which means you can apply what you’ve learned fast
- Real-time reporting on key metrics and analytics
How to Get Started
Google Audience has its own homepage where you can sign up or talk to someone in sales.
Remember, for the Audience Center to work effectively you should first have any data cleaned up ready to go – from Google Analytics, DoubleClick, etc.
Quick Tips
- Use Audience Center to effectively measure the following:
- Ad frequency
- Audience Composition
- Audience Location
- Audience Performance
- You can also use it to run tests:
- A/B test – you can split your audiences into up to 10 groups for cross-channel tests
Google Offline Conversion Tracking
With Offline Conversion Tracking, Google keeps tabs on all sales activity – whether it happens on or offline.
What is it?
Google’s Offline Conversion Tracking keeps a record of sales activity that takes place after an ad interaction.
For example, if a customer saw and clicked on your AdWords ad, but later made the sale over the phone or in your office, Google would include that information as part of the conversion process.
How it Works
There are two kinds of offline conversion tracking:
- AdWords Conversion Import – this lets you import conversions that you track in other systems into AdWords
- AdWords Conversion Import for Salesforce – lets you see when sales events that you track in Salesforce started with an AdWords click
Offline tracking measures both conversions from clicks and conversions from calls.
For clicks, AdWords will provide you with an ID for every click to your website that comes from an AdWords ad.
When a customer later converts offline, you give the ID (GCLID) to AdWords, where it will keep a record.
With calls, you keep track of which ads resulted in a sales call. Then, you import the information to Google, and it pairs the call with the affiliated ad.
How it Helps You
Google’s new offline tracking will:
- Help give you a broader, more accurate view of the entire sales process.
- Give you a fuller view of which keywords and targeting criteria are driving the most conversions
- Help you more effectively optimize your campaigns by showing you which ads drive the most clicks, regardless of when the sale is made
How to Get Started
Before beginning, make sure have:
- Enabled auto-tagging
- Changes can be made to all your web pages
- You can store each GCLID code with the corresponding prospect’s information
- Your click-to-conversion cycle is less than 90 days
Then, you’ll follow a two-part setup process: creating a conversion action in your AdWords, and configuring your site.
For step-by-step directions, click here.
Quick Tips
Google recommends recording a conversion in the following cases:
- When a sale is closed offline
- 30 days after an online sale (to exclude transactions that ended in a return)
- Only if the sale was made to a new customer
- Only if it’s the customer’s second purchase
- When a sale is closed online and not recorded in Google’s standard Javascript conversion tracking system
Concluding New Google Programs
All of the platforms above are designed to better track your analytics and ultimately improve your conversions.
And at this price (free!) they’re certainly worth a try.
