Are You Leveraging Google Ads for Omnichannel Success?
The digital landscape has transformed how consumers interact with brands, creating fragmented customer journeys that span multiple devices and channels. Accounting for 82% of purchases according to Momentum Works' 2024 report. The region's e-commerafce gross merchandise value is projected to skyrocket from $159 billion to $370 billion by 2030, creating both immense opportunities and fierce competition for retailers. With increasing privacy regulations like GDPR and the phasing out of third-party cookies, marketers face significant challenges in tracking performance across these omnichannel experiences. However, privacy-compliant tools such as Google Ads Consent Mode and Enhanced Conversions are proving to be game-changers, enabling businesses to measure impact accurately while respecting user preferences.
Take Blackroll, a leading health and fitness brand, as an example. By implementing Google Ads Consent Mode, they increased tracked sessions by 41%, demonstrating that privacy and performance don’t have to be mutually exclusive. This article explores how businesses can leverage these tools to bridge data gaps, optimize Google Advertising campaigns, and drive both online and offline conversions.
I. Privacy-First Solutions for Omnichannel Measurement
1. Google Ads Consent Mode: Respecting Privacy While Closing Data Gaps
Google Ads Consent Mode addresses one of the biggest challenges in digital marketing: maintaining measurement accuracy without violating user privacy. Consent Mode solves this by using AI to model missing data based on aggregated user behavior, ensuring marketers still gain insights while complying with regulations.
Blackroll’s implementation of Google Ads’Consent Mode, combined with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and server-side tagging, led to a 31% increase in desktop transactions and a 16% uplift in mobile conversions. This success highlights how businesses can future-proof their Google Advertising strategies against evolving privacy laws. In contrast to traditional tracking approaches, Consent Mode does not depend on intrusive data gathering, rendering it a viable solution for long - term development.
2. Enhanced Conversions: Leveraging First-Party Data for Cross-Device Tracking
Enhanced Conversions takes privacy-compliant measurement a step further by hashing first-party data (such as email addresses) to track user actions across devices. This is particularly valuable for businesses with logged-in users, as it allows them to attribute conversions accurately even when customers switch between devices.
Decathlon Switzerland saw a 3.12% increase in search ad conversions and a 50% uplift in video ad performance after adopting Enhanced Conversions. The improved measurement accuracy justified a 42% budget increase for Google Ads, proving that better data leads to smarter investments. Unlike last-click attribution, which oversimplifies the customer journey, Enhanced Conversions provides a holistic view of how ads influence purchases.
3. Unified Tracking Infrastructure: Combining GA4, Tag Manager, and Server-Side Tagging
A robust tracking setup is essential for omnichannel success. By integrating GA4 with Google Tag Manager (GTM) and server-side tagging, businesses can streamline data collection and reduce reliance on client-side scripts, which are vulnerable to ad blockers and browser restrictions.
Butlers, a home goods retailer, implemented a dual tracking system using both gtag.js and GTM, resulting in a 28% improvement in conversion rates. The setup allowed them to update tracking configurations three times faster than before, demonstrating the agility needed in today’s dynamic marketing environment. Server-side tagging further enhances data accuracy by processing information before it reaches the browser, minimizing discrepancies caused by technical limitations.
II. Leveraging AI and First-Party Data for Smarter Campaigns
1. Performance Max Campaigns: Automating Omnichannel Bidding
Performance Max (PMax) campaigns leverage AI to adjust bids optimally across Google's comprehensive inventory, which encompasses Search, Display, YouTube, and Discover. By feeding the algorithm first-party data signals, businesses can ensure their ads reach high-intent users at the right moment.
Address Jabal Omar Makkah, a luxury hotel in Saudi Arabia, leveraged Google Ads’PMax to boost occupancy rates from 10% to 57% during Ramadan. The campaign’s AI-driven targeting, combined with Customer Match audiences, helped the hotel achieve a 4X revenue increase. Unlike manual bidding, PMax continuously adjusts strategies based on real-time performance, making it ideal for businesses with complex conversion paths.
2. Customer Match and Value-Based Bidding: Personalization at Scale
First-party data isn’t just for measurement—it’s also a powerful tool for audience targeting. Redcare Pharmacy used Google Advertising’Customer Match to retarget logged-in users, reducing acquisition costs by 11% and improving return on ad spend (ROAS) by 35%. By segmenting audiences based on past interactions, they delivered personalized ads that resonated with high-value customers.
Google Ads’Value-based bidding takes this further by allowing businesses to assign different values to conversions based on customer lifetime value (CLV). For example, a luxury retailer might prioritize high-spending repeat customers over one-time buyers. This strategy ensures ad spend aligns with business goals, maximizing profitability across channels.
3. Keyword Strategy: Balancing Generic and Branded Terms
A well-rounded keyword strategy is critical for visibility. Address Jabal Omar Makkah started with generic terms like "hotel near Haram" to capture early-stage researchers, then incorporated branded keywords as awareness grew. This approach ensured they reached users at every stage of the funnel, from discovery to booking.
Ads were triggered for related searches by broad match keywords, thus expanding their reach. Meanwhile, terms specific to Ramadan took advantage of seasonal demand. Branded searches eventually drove most conversions, proving that a phased keyword strategy can yield significant returns.
Topkee’s keyword research tools enhance this approach by analyzing competitor gaps and identifying high-intent terms through AI-driven semantic analysis. For instance, our system evaluates keyword relevance, search volume, and conversion potential, enabling marketers to prioritize terms that align with business goals. Meanwhile, branded keywords benefit from Topkee’s TMID tracking, which attributes conversions to specific campaigns, creatives, or audience segments. This granularity allows businesses to refine bids based on performance, ensuring branded terms—which often drive the highest conversion rates—receive optimal budget allocation.
III. Measuring Offline Impact: Overcoming the Divide Between Digital and Physical
1. Local Inventory Ads: Driving Foot Traffic with Real-Time Stock Visibility
For retailers, online ads can directly influence in-store sales. Local Inventory Ads (LIAs) display real-time product availability, encouraging nearby shoppers to visit physical locations. Pandora used Google Ads’LIAs to drive a 17% uplift in store revenue, demonstrating how digital campaigns can enhance offline performance.
These advertisements are especially potent for "near me" queries, as such searches frequently signify a strong inclination to make a purchase. By syncing inventory data with Google Merchant Center, businesses ensure ads only promote products in stock, reducing frustration and increasing conversion likelihood.
2. Omnichannel KPIs: Moving Beyond Last-Click Attribution
Traditional metrics like last-click attribution fail to capture the full impact of digital touchpoints on offline sales. In Australia, 88% of retail transactions occur in-store, but 70% of shoppers use their phones for research while browsing. This means brands must adopt KPIs that reflect cross-channel influence, such as:
Store visit conversions: Track how many users visited a physical location after clicking an Google Advertising.
Omnichannel ROAS: Measure revenue generated across both online and offline channels.
Google’s store visit reporting provides these insights, helping businesses allocate budgets more effectively. For example, a retailer might discover that YouTube ads drive more foot traffic than Search, prompting a reallocation of spend to maximize offline impact.
Topkee’s expertise enhances this framework through advanced attribution modeling and TTO-powered tracking. Our tools enable granular analysis of how each digital interactioncontributes to in-store purchases, we help clients trace the customer journey from ad click to point-of-sale, ensuring every marketing dollar is accountable.
Conclusion
The future of marketing lies in unifying online and offline experiences through privacy-compliant measurement, AI-driven automation, and first-party data. Tools like Consent Mode and Enhanced Conversions close data gaps, while PMax campaigns and Local Inventory Ads ensure ads reach users at every touchpoint. By adopting omnichannel KPIs, businesses can finally quantify the true impact of their Google Ads efforts—from clicks to store visits. Ready to transform your strategy? Partner with experts to implement these solutions and stay ahead in an evolving digital landscape.
