Conversions

Google Ads uses these metrics to power your smart bidding:

▪ Conversions
▪ Conv. value
▪ Cost / conv.
▪ Conv. value / cost

The values of these metrics are dispersed across your campaigns based on 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐝

Smart Bidding uses your Primary Conversion Action’s Attribution Model (for instance, Data Driven) to determine 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 campaigns, ad groups, ads, etc get conversion credit

These metrics are critical for optimizing performance as you will choose to increase/decrease spend over time based primarily on these numbers

Conversions (𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯. 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞)

These metrics are not used to power your smart bidding, but they are powerful for reporting and analysis:

▪ Conversions (by conv. time)
▪ Conv. value (by conv. time)

The values of these metrics are dispersed across your campaigns based on 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝

So, they provide you with recent conversion data (like last 7 days, for example) that you won’t see with standard Conversions metrics

This is useful when you’re assessing recent performance to understand a Cash In/Cash Out-type analysis

And to get insight to how performance is trending most recently

If you choose a date range that goes far enough back in time (like last full month, for example), Conversions and Conversions (by conv. time) will closely match, assuming your conversion window is 30 days

This is because there aren’t more or less conversions occurring for each metric

The difference between them is 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 each metric is reported in the dashboard

Which also changes 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 campaigns get credit

Cost / conv. (𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯. 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞) and Conv. value / cost (𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯. 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞)

To unlock these metrics, you need to create custom columns:

In Google Ads Campaigns view Click “Columns” > “Modify Columns”

Scroll to the bottom and click “Custom columns” and click the blue “+ Custom column” button

▪ For Cost / conv. (𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯. 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞)

Name it something like “Cost / conv. (𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯. 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞)” (or CPA (𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯. 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞) and select “Money ($)” as the Data format

In the main input area, type “Cost” (without quotes) > then type this symbol “/” to divide > Finally type “Conversions (by conv. time)” and select that metric

 Your final equation will look like this:

Cost / Conversions (by conv. time)

▪ For Conv. value / cost (𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯. 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞)

Name it something like “Conv. value / cost (𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯. 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞)” (or ROAS (𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯. 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞) and select “Per cent (%)” as the Data format

 In the main input area, type “Conv. value (by conv. time)” (without quotes) > then type this symbol “/” to divide > Finally type “Cost”

 Your final equation will look like this:

Conv. value (by conv. time) / Cost