Google AdWords With Upgraded URLs For Better Tracking

[engine]

Google has announced improved url tracking for your AdWords.

we are introducing Upgraded URLs to provide an easier and faster way to manage and track important information about each click on your AdWords ads*.

Upgraded URLs offer several benefits for advertisers, including:

less time spent managing URL tracking updates
reduced crawl and load times on your website
new ValueTrack parameters that help you gain additional insights about your ads.Google AdWords With Upgraded URLs For Better Tracking [adwords.blogspot.com]

Upgraded URLs let you enter the landing page portion of your URL and your tracking information separately in AdWords. Now you have the option to update your tracking information at your account, campaign or ad group without having to re-set your ad stats.

[DenRein]

I love the spin. This saves G time and expense reviewing changes to tracking URLs. They frame it in terms of advantages to advertisers but could it be that a significant motivation is the savings this offers them? It looks to be a win-win so why not just say so rather than say this is for advertisers benefit.

In all this, I fail to see where search phrase is a parameter. it sure looks like we are kept in the dark what the search was for.

[RhinoFish]

As an Agency, this is a huge time saver for us! Love it! It's like when CSS created a split between code and content, it's that big (to us). We track everything, and are paid via tracking, love it. Now, if Bing will import it properly...

DenRein, for PPC, you turn on Auto-tagging, one lil radio button, and as long as you're using Google Analytics, the data flows - you can view it in either AdWords or Analytics. Eazey peazey lemon squeezey.

[smallcompany]

Certainly great feature. And all sounds like it's already available to everyone, but I cannot manage to find an option for using it. After calling Google, it sounds like still in beta. I had to pinpoint it to a support person.

Anyone using it via interface? Editor does not look like offering it yet.

[smallcompany]

An update...

Shortly after my query to Google this started showing in an account I wanted it for at first.
I was bit confused at the beginning, but once I picked the concept, I could confirm that the feature worked well.

I started with switching all URLs from landing page to final (removed all tracking variables).

Then, I entered the main URL on the account level:

{lpurl}?variable1=something&variable2={device}&variable3={_adgroupvariable}

{lpurl} picks whatever is in the ad's final URL field.

The rest after questionmark is what gets added to all URLs in the account.

Then I continued adding custom parameters for variable3 on ad group levels. This can also be done on the campaign, ad, and keyword levels.


Missing:

- AdWords Editor does not support this - This will be resolved obviously. I can't wait for an option of listing i.e. ad groups or ads, and entering custom parameters.

- Interface is missing Custom Parameters column for ads and campaigns (attributes group). This is available for ad groups and keywords. This helps a lot as there's no other way to see if something has already been entered. For example, You go to enter custom parameter for an ad, and save it. Later you come back via Edit, and nothing is listed there. The only way is if you hit edit icon and the parameter is listed there.

Anyway, I'm sure, and hope, this will improve over the time. The feature is excellent.


I hope this helps a bit.

Cheers!