Understanding User Acquisition Through Google Ads Campaigns
Tracking users by their first Google Ads Campaign ID is crucial for understanding which paid advertising efforts are most effective at acquiring new users. This analysis helps determine the true long-term value of your Google Ads campaigns by showing which campaigns are bringing in users who become long-term customers, not just one-time visitors. We'll show you how to create this insightful report in Google Analytics 4.Basic Report Structure
- Report Type: Free Form Exploration
- Visualization: Table
- Primary Dimension: First User Google Ads Campaign ID
- Secondary Dimensions: First User Campaign Name, First User Source/Medium
- Metrics: Users, Engaged Sessions, Average Engagement Time, Conversions
Steps to Create the Report
- Open GA4 and navigate to Explore section
- Click the Blank template to start a new exploration
- Under the Dimensions tab, click the + button and search for First User Google Ads Campaign ID, First User Campaign Name, and First User Source/Medium, check the checkboxes beside them and click Import
- Under the Metrics tab, click the + button and search for Users, Engaged sessions, Average engagement time, and Conversions, check the checkboxes beside them and click Import
- Drag First User Google Ads Campaign ID to the Rows section
- Drag Users, Engaged sessions, Average engagement time, and Conversions to the Values section
- Add First User Campaign Name and First User Source/Medium as secondary dimensions by dragging them below the first dimension in the Rows section
- Set your date range to at least the last 30 days
- Apply any relevant filters using the Filters section if needed
Important Dimensions and Metrics
- First User Google Ads Campaign ID: Unique identifier for each Google Ads campaign that first brought users to your site
- First User Campaign Name: The actual name of the campaign for easier recognition
- First User Source/Medium: Shows the original traffic source and medium combination
- Users: Total number of users acquired through each campaign
- Engaged Sessions: Sessions where users showed meaningful engagement
- Average Engagement Time: How long users from each campaign typically engage with your site
- Conversions: Total conversion events from users acquired through each campaign
Actionable Insights
- Identify campaigns with high user acquisition but low engagement time to optimize ad targeting and landing pages
- Focus budget on campaigns that bring in users with higher conversion rates and engagement metrics
- Compare campaign performance across different time periods to identify seasonal trends and adjust bidding strategies
- Use the insights to refine your Google Ads targeting and campaign structure
- Create audience segments based on high-performing campaigns for remarketing purposes
Answers Similar Questions
- How to see which Google Ads campaigns bring new users GA4
- Track user acquisition by Google Ads campaign GA4
- GA4 first user source campaign reporting
- Google Analytics 4 user attribution by campaign ID
- View Google Ads campaign performance by first user GA4
