Google Ads
Separate brand demand from new customer discovery
Name searches already carry awareness. Combining them with acquisition can conceal the difficulty of generating new demand.
Put it into practice
- Report brand intent distinctly where useful.
- Consider returning customers.
- Interpret attribution in context.
Before acting on account data, confirm that tracking works and that the reporting period allows for your sales cycle. Interface labels and available controls can change, so check current Google Ads documentation when implementing settings. Recommendations here are decision frameworks, not promises of a particular return.
A practical example
An offline campaign may create searches later captured by paid ads.
What to measure
Compare new customer outcomes and business totals.
Neither universal incrementality nor universal uselessness of brand ads should be assumed.
Your next step
Choose one action from the checklist and assign a person to complete it. Record the current situation, the change you intend to make and the evidence you will review. Set a review date that gives the change enough time to produce useful observations. Keep what works, adjust what does not and note anything the data cannot yet explain.