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Google’s Adding a New Way to Track Video Ad Conversions if the User Doesn’t Initially Click Through
Tracking definitive video ad performance, or indeed any digital ad exposure, can often be complicated by the fact that users might not necessarily click though on the ad straight away, but may still be influenced towards conversion by that exposure.
There are various ways to estimate this, including overall exposure relative to conversion, but this week, Google has announced that it’s adding a new way to better correlate conversions with video ads, even if the viewer doesn’t initially click.
By the end of the year, Google says that it will make engaged-view conversions (EVCs) a standard way of measuring conversions for TrueView skippable in-stream ads, Local campaigns and App campaigns.
As explained by Google:
“EVCs measure the conversions that take place after someone views 10 seconds or more of your skippable ad, but doesn’t click, and then converts within a set amount of days. EVCs are a more robust way to measure conversions than view-through conversions (VTCs), an industry standard that measures the conversions that take place after a person views an impression of your ad, but doesn’t click.”
Essentially, EVC will keep tabs on those who’ve vieweed your video ads, based on their IP or device tracking into, and provide you with insight as to whether they’ve actually gone on to make a purchase after seeing your promotion. That will provide more accountability within your campaigns, as well as new insight into what the impacts of your video ad efforts actually are, and how long it typically takes to see results.
That could lead to all new considerations in your process. In testing, for example, Google found that “most incremental conversions come from engaged users who are given the option to skip, but choose to watch your ad”.
“In fact, over 60% of all skips on YouTube direct response in-stream video ads happen before 10 seconds. Therefore, the decision to watch 10 seconds of a skippable ad is a user choice that signals an ‘engaged-view’. When these engaged-views result in conversions within a set amount of days, engaged-view conversions are included in the conversion report.”
The expanded scope will bring new perspective to your video campaigns, and could prove critical in planning out the most effective approaches.
You can read more about Google’s new EVC measurement here.