Situation
A mid-sized e-commerce client struggled to understand which marketing channels contributed most to conversions. They relied on multiple channels, including Google Ads, Paid Social, Organic Search, HighLevel, Email, and Organic Social. Still, they lacked visibility into how these channels worked together to drive sales. Their marketing strategy was fragmented, and budget allocation decisions were based on gut feelings rather than data.
Task
To implement cross-channel attribution in Google Analytics, providing a clear view of the customer journey and enabling the client to make informed decisions about marketing spend and strategy.
Action
The implementation of cross-channel attribution was done in the following manner:
Cross-Channel Attribution
GA4 offers enhanced attribution modeling and multi-touch analysis capabilities. We ensured the tracking codes were correctly implemented across the website and integrated platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager, and HighLevel CRM.
Conversions and Goals
We identified their primary conversions, such as purchases, sign-ups, and lead submissions. Next, we configured custom events and goals in GA4, like “Purchase Completed” and “Email Sign-Up,” to ensure we captured every key interaction.
Marketing Channels
We directly linked the client’s Google Ads and Paid Social accounts (Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn) to GA4. We also imported campaign data from HighLevel CRM to track automated follow-up sequences and SMS campaign performance. We added UTM parameters to all campaigns and posts on other platforms for consistent tracking.
Attribution Models
Using GA4, we tested various attribution models, including linear, position-based, and data-driven, to compare channel performance. We adopted the data-driven model as the default because it accurately reflected the unique interaction patterns of the client’s audience.
Multi-Channel Funnels
We dove into the Multi-Channel Funnels report to uncover common customer paths, such as “Organic Search → Paid Social → Purchase” and “Google Ads → HighLevel → Purchase.” This analysis helped us highlight the contribution of each channel, particularly for assisted conversions that were previously undervalued.
Custom Dashboards and Alerts
We created custom dashboards in GA4 and Google Looker Studio to make the data actionable. These dashboards presented channel performance, customer journeys, and ROI metrics clearly and concisely. Additionally, we set up automated alerts to notify the client of significant performance changes.
Campaign Optimization
We reallocated the client’s budget from underperforming channels to high-performing ones like Google Ads and Paid Social retargeting campaigns. We also enhanced Organic Social and Email efforts to nurture top-of-funnel prospects and guide them down the funnel. By aligning messaging across all channels, we ensured a consistent and effective customer journey.
Results
+25%
Within three months, we helped the client achieve a 25% increase in conversion rate by optimizing channel spending and messaging strategies. Google Ads generated a 15% higher ROI, while Paid Social campaigns drove 20% more assisted conversions through refined retargeting efforts. Email campaigns experienced a 30% boost in click-to-conversion rates due to better integration with CRM data. Organic Social, previously undervalued, contributed to a 12% increase in assisted conversions, leading to a more balanced marketing effort. The client now uses a clear, data-driven approach to allocate their monthly budget effectively across all channels.
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