AdWords reports get more powerful: measure the value of ad interactions

Ever wonder how customers interact with your ads before they click through to your website? How often do they open a product extension plusbox or get directions to your store directly from the ad? For video and display ads, how long are they sticking around, to watch your video or interact with your ad’s content?

Wonder no more! Today, we’re launching a new report in AdWords to help you measure interactions that take place before a click-through for video ads, display ads built with the Display Ad Builder, product extensions and location extensions. If you’re not yet using these ad products, now is a great time to give them a try given the expanded reporting now available.

To access the new report, select the “Free clicks” view within the Dimensions tab of your AdWords account. If you don't see the Dimensions tab, you can enable it by clicking the arrow button next to your existing tabs above your performance table.

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Here, you’ll find stats on actions your customers take without having to click through to your website. To distinguish them from clicks that you pay for, we’ve labeled them “Free clicks” and kept them separate from the paid clicks listed in other tabs.

Campaigns or ad groups with a high number of free clicks may mean that your ads are performing better than they appear to be elsewhere in your account. A high free click rate may indicate ads that your customers find useful without needing to visit your website. For example, getting directions to your store (via a location extension ad) may be all your customer needs to instigate an in-store purchase. Conversely, video ads that have low play rates may indicate a creative change that needs to take place to keep customers engaged.

Knowing how customers interact with your ads will help give insight into how they research and buy online and what content captures their attention and prompts action. Ads are likely to continue to be more and more interactive, so take advantage of this new report to create ads that are more engaging and useful, all with the ultimate goal of increasing sales for your business.

Posted by Dan Friedman, Inside AdWords crew