Google recently posted a notice saying it fixed a problem that caused its attribution models in GA4 to not always credit an accurate conversion rate to paid search campaigns.
Google’s notice:
- “Currently, the ‘gclid’ parameter that identifies a paid search click doesn’t always persist across page views.”
- “We’re updating our attribution models in GA4 over the next two weeks to improve the accuracy of conversion credit for paid search campaigns.”
Why the update?
The update fixes an issue where models in GA4 attributed conversions from paid search clicks as organic searches.
Google’s adjustment aims to provide advertisers with data that enables them to make accurate decisions and optimize their campaigns based on their actual paid search results.
Google wrote:
- “Currently, conversions that should be attributed to paid search are sometimes incorrectly attributed to organic search, most commonly for single-page applications. This happens when the ‘gclid’ parameter (identifying the paid search click) doesn’t persist across page views.”
- With this update, we’re adjusting how we attribute conversions to ensure campaign information is accurately captured on the first event of each page. If a user leaves your site and returns through a different channel, the attribution will update accordingly.
Quick GA4 attribution model recap
GA4 attribution analyzes your marketing channel’s performance to show where your traffic and conversions come from, removing the guesswork by accrediting the correct sources.
Here’s Google’s explanation on its “Get Started with Attribution” analytics help page:
- Attribution is the act of assigning credit for important user actions to different ads, clicks, and factors along the user’s path to complete an action.
- An attribution model can be a rule, a set of rules, or a data-driven algorithm that determines how credit is assigned to touchpoints along a user’s path to completing important actions.
What people are saying
Users on X highlighted the update, where Pritesh Patel made what could be a valid observation.
Discussion on X:
What the update means
The update will improve how Google’s GA4 attribution models capture your paid campaign data on the first event of each page, meaning if a visitor leaves and returns via a different channel, GA4 will attribute it to the correct paid search campaign.
Google advised advertisers to review and adjust their budget caps before the update is completed in the coming weeks, as it could affect their Ads campaign spending and budget caps.
When he is not writing content, Terry can be found on his boat in Italy or chilling in his villa in Spain.
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