How does this work & what are the benefits?
Passing Cometly's high quality data back to the Google ads platform has many benefits.
Video below sourced from: Cometly 101: How it works
For Google, Cometly’s Conversion API sends event data to Google for your tracked events to Google's offline conversion actions. This connection is pivotal for allowing Google's AI to leverage your data for improved ad targeting and performance.
Once you track an event in Cometly, the corresponding data is sent to the mapped Google Conversion action, ensuring your Google Ads AI is informed with the most accurate data for optimization.
How to configure the Cometly Google conversion API
The information below outlines the setup steps for configuring the Cometly Google Conversion API.
Step 1: Create secondary offline conversion actions in your Google Ads account
Login to your Google Ads account and click Goals > Conversions > Summary
Click +New Conversion Action
Click Import
Choose Manual import using API or uploads and then select Track conversions from clicks and click Continue
In the Goal and action optimization section, select the Goal category for this action. Ensure that you choose secondary conversion as secondary conversions are not used for bidding optimization.
You can choose primary conversion IF you are not using Account Goals for your campaigns. If you are using Account Goals for your Campaign Goal, then adding a primary conversion action will mess with your existing campaigns.
How to check if you are using Account Goals or Campaign Specific Goals
Important: If your campaigns are set to account goals and you choose primary conversion, the conversion action will be included in your account goals. You must choose secondary conversion for this offline event. If you choose primary action it may impact your current ad performance if you are using account goals for your campaign goal.
If the goal category does not let you select secondary conversion, you can choose another goal category that will allow you to select secondary conversion. You will not have the option to add a secondary conversion to goal categories that are included in the account goals.
In the example below, we chose Qualified Lead and set it as a secondary action not used for bidding optimization. You can name the conversion name anything you want.
If your conversion action does not have a value that is getting sent from Cometly, choose Don't use a value for this conversion action, select One as the count, and click Create and continue.
Optional: If you have a specific value you would like to assign for these conversions, select Use the same value for each conversion.
If your conversion action does have a value that is getting sent from Cometly, choose Use different values for each conversion, select 'Every' as the count, and click Create and continue.
You are required to set a default value when you make this value selection. Though Cometly will be sending a value, this will cover cases where for any reason the conversion value was not received by Google. We recommend using your 'average' value for these types of conversions you're configuring.
Step 2: Create custom goals in your Google Ads account
After you have created your offline conversion action, you are ready to create a custom goal. Conversion goals in Google Ads enable you to set specific conversion actions to target for different campaigns. This means you can have various campaigns with unique goals, ensuring more tailored and efficient ad targeting.
To set a custom conversion goal, you add a custom goal in Google Ads, enter its name and title, and choose the conversion actions you want to target with that goal. After saving, you add this custom conversion goal to the campaign settings.
By strategically using custom goals, you can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your Google Ads campaigns, ensuring that they are optimized for the specific actions and conversions that are most relevant to your business objectives.
Scroll down to the bottom of the Conversions Summary in your Google Ads account to 'Custom Goals' and then click 'Add custom goal'
Name your custom goal and select the secondary offline conversion action you want to associate to the custom goal and then click Save.
Step 3: Map tracked Cometly Events to Google offline conversion actions
When an event is tracked in Cometly, the accurate attribution event data will be sent to the mapped Google Conversion action.
In Cometly, navigate to the 'Conversion API' page.
Click 'Google' and then Toggle 'On' Manage Data Sharing to show the next steps for configuration.
Acknowledge the listed items to go to next step.
Map your offline conversion events to your Cometly tracked events and click Save
Cometly will now start sending tracked events to the mapped Google conversion actions.
Step 4: Accumulate between 35-50 conversions and launch new campaign with the custom goal
1. Accumulate Conversions: Begin by accumulating between 35-50 conversions in Google through your offline conversion action. This data is crucial for the following steps.
2. Duplicate or Create Campaigns: Once you have the necessary data, you have two options:
If you have an existing successful campaign, duplicate it.
If you do not have any campaigns, create a new one.
3. Set Campaign Goals: For the duplicated or new campaign, set the campaign goal to align with your offline conversion action. This custom goal will be the focal point of your campaign.
Go to your campaign settings, click Edit in settings:
Select Use campaign-specific goal settings, and choose your custom goal
4. Caution with Existing Campaigns: Avoid changing the campaign goals of your existing Google ad campaigns. Altering these goals can negatively affect their performance.
5. Monitor New Campaign: After setting up the new campaign with the custom goal, closely monitor its performance. Ensure it works effectively and starts accumulating significant data.
6. Transitioning Other Campaigns: Once the new campaign has gathered ample data and shown positive results, you can consider switching other campaigns to the custom goal. However, this should be done cautiously to maintain overall campaign efficacy.
This step-by-step approach will guide you through leveraging offline conversion actions to enhance your Google Ads strategy while maintaining the integrity of your existing campaigns.