Introduction
In the world of online marketing, data, measurement and detailed reporting play a vital role. These form the basis for the development and implementation of a successful strategy. As an experienced online marketing agency, we take special care to send our clients detailed reports each month. These summarise the previous month’s performance and include not only the metrics but also the conclusions drawn from them. So we use these reports to refine and optimise our strategy for the coming period.
So it’s no coincidence that our guest on the 22nd edition of the Marketing MSc Podcast was one of the most knowledgeable and respected experts on the Hungarian marketing scene. During the podcast, Áron Bay, PPC expert and head of Exact Match analytics and PPC agency, shared with us the importance of measurement and reporting in online marketing. He also talked about the impact of GA4 in analytics and why Facebook stats and Google Analytics data can be different.
The importance of measurement in online marketing
Understanding what works in practice and what doesn’t is the basis for making strategic decisions in online marketing. Marketing without data to show results is not a sustainable long-term solution. Without metrics, a professional can only rely on intuition and luck. This, apart from reflecting an unprofessional approach, is also an unethical marketing tool.
With data-driven decision making, you can continuously optimise and fine-tune campaigns. This allows you to achieve the best results, helping your customers to increase conversions and profits.
But let’s take a look at which metrics are most important in PPC (pay-per-click), and how, why and which tools you can use to measure them.
Which PPC metrics are important?
Áron Bay, head and expert at PPC agency Exact Match, stresses that it is critical for every online marketing agency, as well as every marketer and business, to work on the right PPC metrics. These include, for example, the number of website visitors, conversion rates, customer feedback and ROI of campaigns. With Google Analytics and other analytics tools, this data is easily accessible, ready to analysable. So you don’t even need to learn coding to make sense of large data sets.
Importantly, however, it is not only the quantity of data that is of paramount importance, but also its quality.
What constitutes quality data for an online marketing agency?
Data must be accurate and relevant to inform decisions and avoid misleading conclusions. So only collect and analyse information that is really useful for evaluating and optimising campaign performance!
Quality data in an easy-to-understand format helps marketers quickly identify trends and take the necessary actions for more effective results. Data collection should also take into account GDPR regulations. These affect what type of data you can collect and how you can collect and store it. Every day PPC experts and PPC agencies are faced with new changes, so you need to pay special attention to them.
Practical tips for online marketing measurement
How to start measuring?
When starting to measure, it is important to be aware of what each system measures and how. Different platforms (e.g. Facebook, Google Ads, Pinterest) provide different data. Of course these need to be reconciled in a report that provides a comprehensive picture. The first step is to determine which metrics are most important to your business and set up your analytics tools based on these.
Define the KPIs
Next, define your key performance indicators (KPIs). Take into account your company’s specific business objectives and the market environment in which it operates. For example, for an e-commerce website, the number of purchases and average order value may be essential indicators.
Once KPIs have been defined, they should then be regularly monitored and evaluated.
Data analysis and evaluation
It is not enough to just collect data; it is important to analyse and interpret it properly. When analysing, look out for anomalies and trends! For example, if you notice a sudden increase or decrease in a particular indicator, investigate the causes. Dive into the data and try to find where there may be slippage in the system.
An anomaly might be, for example, if only 1 000 sessions out of 10 000 visitors. In this case, it is worth investigating and talking to the customer and/or support to see where the stall might be.
Such situations make it a requirement for a marketer to have a basic understanding of the figures. This is essential, so that they know what to look for and where to look in case of a problem.
The present and future of analytics in the online marketing agency
Data protection changes
The GDPR and other data protection regulations are getting stricter, affecting how you collect and handle data. Earlier this year, all websites had to migrate to the new third-party cookie rollout and set up a so-called consent mode, the essence and function of which is to transmit data and consents in Google Analytics.
Under the new data protection rules, from now on, the user has the possibility to opt-out of the marketing contribution of a given site, so that his presence and session cannot be measured.
The new tools and AI
The introduction of new technologies and tools such as GA4 and the increasing adoption of AI are transforming the field of analytics. These developments will enable more accurate and personalised measurements, no question. However, the use of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) in PPC campaigns raises some concerns.
While AI tools in this area of marketing are not nearly as accurate, they can already compose and optimise basic campaigns with basic features. However, the strategic insight that an online marketer or PPC expert possesses is not something that they can embrace. Thus, for larger spending budgets and more precise set-ups, it is essential to seek expert or agency help. At Chiro, we provide full online marketing consultancy and strategy development, so your business is sure to be in professional hands when you choose us as your next online marketing agency!
Summary
Measuring and analysing data is essential to the success of online marketing. At Chiro online marketing and PPC agency, we are always ready to help our clients with the latest techniques and tools. If you want to optimize your marketing strategy and get better results, don’t hesitate to contact us! Ask our experts for help and take your business’s online presence to the next level!
In the 22nd episode of the Marketing MSc Podcast, Noémi Matykó, CEO of Chiro Marketing and Áron Bay, co-founder of Exact Match PPC and analytics agency, talk more about measurement, so if you want to dive deeper into the topic, listen to the show on Spotify, YouTube.
