Measurement
Cost per Click Measurement: Actual CPC, Average CPC and Fair Comparisons
Average CPC blends many separate auction prices. See what sets each price, why the blend shifts even when prices don't, and how to judge CPC against results.
Topic · 5 guides
Measurement & Analytics
Most bad decisions about ad traffic start with a number that was read the wrong way: an average that hides a mix change, a click count compared with sessions, or a conversion total taken from a different attribution model. This topic is about getting the numbers right before drawing conclusions from them.
The guides explain how clicks are tracked from the ad to the landing page, how cost per click is calculated and compared, how to review traffic quality by segment, and where attribution helps and where it can mislead.
Start with these
Measurement
Ad Traffic Analysis: How to Judge the Quality of Paid Traffic by Segment
Traffic quality is not the same as conversion rate. Here is a segment-by-segment routine for reviewing paid traffic every week, with a simple scorecard and a worked example.
More measurement guides
Measurement
Advertising Reporting Mistakes: 10 Common Errors and How to Fix Them
Most misleading ad reports come from a handful of predictable errors. Learn why clicks and sessions differ, how Google Ads dates conversions and how to stop double counting.
Measurement
Ad Attribution: How Conversion Credit Is Assigned and Where It Falls Short
Attribution divides credit for a conversion among ad interactions, but it does not prove the ads caused the sale. This guide covers what current models do and how to read them.
Measurement
Ad Click Tracking: Following a Click from the Ad to Your Analytics
Follow one ad click from the auction to your analytics report, see where identifiers are added or lost along the way, and use a checklist to keep tracking healthy.