How come Google tells you conversion %, but not the # of sales?

[bostonseo]

Google will tell you the conversion percentage by keyword, but does not tell you the actual number of sales/conversion. Why is that? Is it just another case of not being transparent? THEY know the sales/conversions numbers or else they could not calculate a conversion percentage.

Does anyone else think this is odd/unconvenient that the sales number is not a column in their interface?

[eWhisper]

You can get this information by running reports.

[jbgilbert]

as a convenience, it would be nice and I (for one) has mentioned it to Google. Maybe...... someday they will provide it.

Until then, you will have to run reports or calculate it from the provided fields.

[bostonseo]

It should be provided in the area of Adwords where you make bid changes - not just the reports area. If there is not enough room to fit it (in the bidding area) you should have a choice to hide another colume on information.

[venrooy]

Actually if you go down to the keyword level, and hold your mouse over the conversion percentage, it will show you the number of conversions.

[eWhisper]

Actually if you go down to the keyword level, and hold your mouse over the conversion percentage, it will show you the number of conversions.

Also works on the ad copy page as well.

[bostonseo]

venrooy,

Good to know - interesting 'work around' to accessing this info.

[RhinoFish]

if you enable conversion tracking, the right hand columns for conversion data appear. they show cost per conversion by default and it can't be changed in that view. if you've set up tracking to "read" the order's value (not just counting sales, but counting revenue), sure would be nice if that column was configurable, allowing us to select cost per revenue or another metric that allows us to see roi. it's seems too cumbersome to go run reports when the conversion stats are right there (and just reflecting # of sales and not amount).

if you sell products of varying prices (who doesn't?), the default cost per conversion isn't the metric you'd use to adjust things.

making this an option wouldn't make life harder (or confuse people) for those that don't use conversion tracking... the conversion data that is shown by default need only be a setting for people who have enabled conversion tracking.

[arran]

Why on earth would you want google to know your conversion rates anyway?

[RhinoFish]

Your question is off topic, but I'll answer anyhow.

Because we don't believe G will use this information to hurt us, and yes, it's just a belief. We trade that tiny risk for the great ROI control the conversion tracking (on a very granulated basis) gives us.

It's a completely optional feature, so each person / account is free to make their own choices.

We also work with other people, services and software that are sometimes privy to information that we safeguard from public release, mainly for competitive reasons. So G is among a group of partners that we trust to collect and assimilate some data for us that helps us be more competitive.

We wish they'd make it even better than it is by allowing us to configure which conversion metrics are displayed by default (as the present choice ignores those using sales "amounts" (not just counting sales, but tallying revenue) tracked via conversion (which is the same group of people that have a variety of product prices / orders levels).

G, c'mon, make it even better partner. Give us conversion tracking users the opportunity to see "ad cost / revenue" metrics versus the less informative "cost / conv" (that's currently not configurable).

[bostonseo]

I would never use their conversion tracking for a business I ran, one of my clients thinks it is worth the risk.