Can you use Google Ads without Analytics?

I used to be strongly opposed to using Google Analytics and Google Ads together, but I used to be skinny and muscular too. Things change.

My single issue with using Analytics was that it wasn’t as free as it appeared. You paid for the use of Google’s software by supplying them with your data.

If you’re aware of this, and decide that the price you’re paying is worthwhile, then everyone’s happy.

But as is often the case with Google, most users of Analytics aren’t aware of what they’re paying – or even that they’re paying at all.

That said, let’s not overlook the main point. That Google Analytics today is useful and powerful enough to be worth paying for.

So back to the question: can you use Google Ads without Analytics?

It’s critical that you use something to analyse what your visitors are doing, as the information that Google give you within your Google Ads account isn’t enough.

Imagine you have a daily budget of $500, and are consistently producing a 15% CTR to use all of your budget each day. Good.

Now imagine that 98% of the people clicking your ads leave your website within three seconds of clicking your ad. Not so good.

You need something to show you what’s happening on the other side of your Google Ads data. And unfortunately, there aren’t that many options out there.

ClickTracks was our tool of choice for many years, but their support and product development…. let’s say could be improved.

Before our company made the transition from ClickTracks to Analytics, we looked at all the options. Incredibly I wasn’t able to find a single viable contender.

Perhaps not surprising when you consider trying to compete with an ostensibly free server-based enterprise-quality application.

Ultimately you’re stuck with Google Analytics whether you like it or not. But we can at least take some consolation in that it’s a very fine piece of software; even if it’s not free.

Further reading:

How Does Auto-Tagging Work in Google Ads and Google Analytics? (mcgaw.io)

The new Google Analytics 4 property provides a more complete cross-channel view of the customer lifecycle and puts that information to use with predictive marketing features, providing marketers with more information and efficient ways to act on those insights. (searchengineland.com)

What about Google Analytics and other privacy laws? (adzerk.com)

By linking your Google Analytics and AdWords account, you get access to the full picture of customer behavior.  (medium.com)

Using analytics to find out if your marketing is really making a difference – ITBusiness.ca (itbusiness.ca)

Summary:

• It’s easy to get excited about an appealing billboard campaign or a popular TV ad and to credit them with higher sales and greater brand recognition.
• “I’m a big fan of being able to confidently tell what’s working and what’s not,” said Weinstein, addressing the approximately 5,000 virtual attendees at the Strategic Marketing USA, a recent Reuters event that assembled some of the world’s most influential CMOs to discuss the impact of brands on society and map a new future for marketing.
• Weinstein’s talk focused on two concepts that he sees as extremely important in ascertaining whether a marketing initiative is really going to make a difference: incrementality and alignment of incentive.
• Pick two markets that are similar in both their demographics and their competitive situation.

Top analytics tips: Why ecommerce retailers need to embrace GA4, the future of online measurement – Netimperative (netimperative.com)

Summary:

• • While it was possible to view website and app data on the same screen with Universal Analytics, it was far more complicated to get a clear read without expert support.
  • Google’s new system provides a proper framework, so people don’t have to hack their way around the product.
  • Essentially, in the world of Analytics, “Product Analytics” and “Web Analytics” used to be very different things.
  • If you imagine your view of your customer behaviour across web and app is like a ground level view of two mazes.
  • : The new system creates a joint and approved and well documented way of having analytics across both mobile app and websites.