Configuring Google Adwords

If you are not seeing google (cpc) show up as a line item in All Traffic Sources in Analytics and you have an Adwords program running, then read on. And remember, Analytics and Adwords (at the time of writing) are two separate products.

1. Login to www.google.com/analytics. Write down the Google email you are using to login. Log out.
2. Login to www.google.com/adwords. Click the Analytics Tab at the top. If you have not connected the two together, you will be prompted to either create a new Google account or “already have a Google Analytics account. Please link it to this AdWords account.“



3. Click the “link it to this Adwords Account“. Google will then do a bit of querying. It will figure out if the email that you logged into Adwords with is the same as the one you login to Analytics with. This must be a Google account. It can not be another account (i.e. @yahoo). If it is, then you will see the below page:



4. If you see the page, then you must start from the beginning. Logging into Analytics with 123@gmail.com and login to Adwords with 123@yahoo.com will not work (at this time). You will see this screen over and over again.

Caveat: This becomes a bigger headache when you consult for many clients and want to have a centralized dashboard. You must then create multiple Google accounts. Ugh.

Conversion tracking

The creation is super basic. Simply follow the directions and a tracking code will be generated for you. Copy it and embed it in the conversion page of your site. Remember, Adwords and Analytics are different products. You must embed Analytics into your site as well but it goes into every page. With dynamic sites, usually in the template bottom or footer.

Embedding Adwords differs from site to site. Some users measure the ROI from forms, sign-ups, purchases, etc. Go to your developer or reference the e-commerce documentation on how best to do this. You can also contact me and I will try to help you.

Once this is done, you will be able to track conversions in Adwords and you will start seeing an e-commerce value associated with the google (cpc) line item in All Traffic Sources.

Transaction Tracking

Last part, yes! Now you have the two products talking together and you can record the value of the Adwords from all sorts of dimensions. Now you just need some granular information on “each” transaction. I wrote up a whole article which explains how to build filters (regex) in Analytics.

Enjoy yourself.