Categories
To enjoy genuine success with paid advertising, it’s vital that we analyze ad performance. By assessing key metrics, we can get the information needed to make smarter marketing decisions.
Until recently, many advertisers were dealing with a confusing problem that hindered their analysis:
This metric has gained notoriety for misleading many marketers – just because you had an average position of #1 didn’t actually mean that you were at the top.
Thankfully, Google has taken action to make life a little easier for marketers with the release of four new specialist metrics that offer clarity on this situation.
It’s time to clear up the confusion.
The average position metric has been pretty fuzzy for some time, which has led to some widely-perpetuated myths about average position in Google.
Google stopped displayed right rail ads a while ago, and the number of ads displayed in search results can vary. Sometimes the first ad appears at the bottom, essentially rendering the coveted #1 spot as a hollow victory.
Before now, many people thought this metric told you where your ad appears on the page, however, this is not true. Average position refers to the order that ads appear compared to other competing ads in the auction.
Ultimately, this murky reality left a lot of unanswered questions, such as:
With confusion and frustration rife among advertisers, Google Ads has stepped up to put everything straight.
So, as of November 2018, you can find four new metrics in your Ads dashboard. Let’s take a look at them before finding out how they can help.
Two of the new metrics relate to ad position in SERPs:
The other two metrics relate to the impression share received when displayed above the organic search results.
As well as these four metrics, Google also added some others to the Google Ads interface. These are tightly related to the new metrics for ad position.
So, why does this matter? What can marketers gain from these updates?
These metrics are opening the door to a flux of spending from advertisers who want the top spot – moreover, they want to stay above the organic results.
As this battle intensifies, auctions will get more competitive, which will drive the cost-per-click up. That means more money for Google and more expenses for advertisers.
It depends on its success, but a time may come when Google simply remove ad position from their metrics. People may be forced to work with the new metrics, operating with less transparency.
For now, however, we can still use ad position alongside the new metrics to guide our campaign decisions. There’s no doubt that the importance of average position is ailing, and you should focus more on analyzing signals to get a better understanding of user intent.
These metrics allow PPC managers to gather a better understanding of ad performance when their ads are shown above the organic listings. To take your analysis to the next level, you can use PPCexpo Visualizations to get instant insights from your data.
The average position for both mobile and desktop is #2 here, however, we can clearly see desktop dominated the “top” impressions here compared to other devices. This added insight allows us to see that desktop is a better device to bid on, as you’re sure to get more impressions at the top with it.
For now, the changes offer more to marketers. If you want to know where your ads are displayed on the search results page, use Impression (Absolute Top) % and Impression (Top) %.
If you want to use average position to bid to a page location, it’s better to use Search (Abs Top) IS and Search (Top) IS.
Once these metrics are available in Google Ads API, the team here at PPCexpo will compile a detailed report. You can check our other reports out now to enhance your PPC management.
How much did you enjoy this article?
We will help your ad reach the right person, at the right time
Actionable insights discovered for you. Now you can do more in less time.
PPCexpo Keyword Planner will help you align your keywords with the customers’ intent.
Frequent audits will help you optimize your PPC campaign for success.
Visualizations give you the ability to instantly grasp the insights hidden in your numbers.
Experience the new revolution in reporting … click your way to insights, don’t scroll.
Calculate the number of combinations in your PPC campaign. It may surprise you.
Related articles
A landing page is a web page designed to drive specific actions. Learn the essentials of creating high-converting landing pages in our guide.
ROAS calculation can help you evaluate every PPC campaign's performance so that you know which of your campaigns are converting the best.
Discover the marketing lifecycle stages and how they shape customer relationships. You’ll understand their role in driving customer engagement and retention.
