Google Adwords will include conversions generated across devices by default from September 6th.

What does this mean?

If someone searches on their mobile device, clicks on your mobile ad and doesn’t convert, but then goes to your website on their desktop computer (without clicking on your desktop AdWords ad) they will be tracked as a conversion within AdWords.

This has been available as an option to be manually switched on for a while, whereas now it’s becoming a feature that will be permanently on, without the ability to switch it off.

What impact will it have?

If you are running ads on both mobile and desktop (which is typical of most campaigns) you are likely to see an increase in the number of conversions being reported for your account.

So, in short, Google will be now reporting (by default) on conversions that start on one device and are completed on another device, thus increasing the number of conversions reported. In the past, unless you turned this feature on, Google was only reporting on conversions from the same device.

Why is Google doing this?

Put simply, most of us use multiple devices throughout the day. The journey from research, to selection of possible suppliers, to purchase is often shared across multiple devices, hence Google is closing the loop here to report more accurately.

Do you need to do anything?

If you are a client of ours, we will be reporting on this change in your campaign reports, and discussing it with you. If not, you should keep this in mind from September 6th, and keep a close eye on how it impacts your AdWords performance and results.