Google Announces Display Network Impression Reporting

June 19, 2013

Google Analytics announced something pretty cool today – actually something AMAZINGLY cool. We can now get Display Network Impression Reporting in Analytics, including some nifty new features in the Multi-Channel Funnel Reports that allow advertisers to see the true effects of different ad types on users and their eventual conversions. If you’ve ever wondered about how display ads (and different ad types to boot) have concretely played a role in a conversion at the impression level, you’ll now know. Attribution never gets old.

Read the full blog announcement here:

For implementation, check out the GA support article here: Implementing Display Network Impression Reporting

So what are some of the gains for marketers with this new roll-out?

  • You can now see Impression Assisted Conversions and Rich Media Conversion in the MCF Overview Report.
  • You’ll be able to choose Interaction Types, including Impressions, Clicks, Direct or Rich Media (though the caveat is that Impressions for display text ads will not be shown).
  • In your Top Conversion Paths report, you’ll be able to differentiate between static Display ad impressions and Rich Media display ad impressions.
  • New AdWords dimensions you can now apply: Above the Fold, True View (user must view 30 seconds of ad), and Video Played Percent (25%, 50%, 75% and 100% values).

*cue the slow clap*

So for those of you who are running Display ads on Google, whether on AdWords or AdWords for Video, this is great news and will immensely help you determine the viability of GDN campaigns (and show the true value to your client in concrete ways). It can also help you determine the most effective ad type and help you make decisions on leveraging in other search or display campaigns.

With this new announcement in mind, what can you start doing now that you weren’t able to do before? Glad you asked.

  • Tie search campaign efforts to display campaigns. For example, you can pinpoint the amount spent, the targeting or the ads in a display campaign impression report to the volume of subsequent brand or product searches during or after your campaign. I know this will be perfect for showing the value of targeted display campaign to a client – even if you can’t tie tons of last click conversions to one, those funds opened the doors for conversions later on.
  • See how effective True View ads, and other rich media like expandable ads, actually are across channels. Because who doesn’t want that?
  • Use the new dimensions to understand how Above the Fold, True View and Video Played Percent plays a role in a conversion. Take this info and change up your bid strategy, create new ads and change your strategy as far as where CTA’s and other messaging in a video could be more effective.
  • See the correlation between an impression from an ad or campaign to the number of Direct visits afterwards.

This is just a few top-of-my-mind ideas, but I’m sure there could be many more uses. How will you use this new report option?