Strategic Fusion: Link Google Ads account with GA4

Are you a business owner, marketer, or someone who wants to understand how your website is performing? Well, you’re in the right place! Today, we’re going to talk about something really cool and useful: link Google Ads account with GA4, which stands for Google Analytics 4.

Now, you might be wondering, what does this mean and why is it important? Don’t worry; it’s not as complicated as it sounds!

So, let’s dive in and discover the world of meaningful data that awaits you when you link Google Ads account with GA4!

Table Of Content

1. Benefits
2. Prior to Starting
3. Steps to Link Google Ads account with GA4
4. User access from Google Ads
5. Conclusion

Benefits

When you link Google Ads account with GA4, several benefits come your way:

1. Visibility into Google Ads Campaigns: By linking your Google Analytics 4 property with your Google Ads account, you can seamlessly view your Google Ads campaigns within the Google Ads campaigns report. This means you get a clear overview of how your ads are performing directly within your GA4 dashboard.

2. Access to New Dimensions: You gain access to new Google Ads dimensions in the User Acquisition report. These dimensions provide detailed insights into user behavior and acquisition patterns, allowing you to refine your marketing strategies based on real data.

3. Comprehensive Advertising Insights: Your Google Ads campaigns become visible in the Advertising section of GA4, including the Attribution reports. This comprehensive view enables you to analyze the effectiveness of your ads across various channels and understand how different touchpoints contribute to conversions.

4. Seamless Conversion Import: Linking your accounts enables you to import Analytics conversions directly into your Google Ads account. This integration simplifies the process of tracking conversions, helping you measure the impact of your advertising efforts accurately.

5. Enhanced Remarketing Capabilities: One of the significant advantages is the ability to enhance your Google Ads remarketing initiatives with Analytics audience data. By leveraging the insights from GA4, you can create highly targeted and personalized remarketing campaigns, ensuring that you reach the right audience with the right message.

Prior to starting

Here’s what you need to know before you start:

1. Check Your Permissions: To link a property to Google Ads, you must use a Google account that holds the Editor role for the specific property you want to link within Google Analytics. This means you should have editing privileges for the property you intend to integrate.

2. Administrative Access in Google Ads: In addition to the Editor role in Analytics, the same Google account you’re using for Analytics needs to have administrative access in Google Ads. Administrative access grants you the necessary rights to configure settings and establish connections between platforms.

3. Coordination with Analytics or Google Ads Administrator: If your Google account lacks these permissions, it’s essential to seek assistance from your Analytics or Google Ads administrator. They can help grant the required access levels, ensuring you have the necessary permissions to link the accounts successfully.

4. Integration with Google Ads Manager Account: If you’re linking to a Google Ads manager account, it’s crucial to note that any data imported from Analytics will be accessible to all your client accounts under the manager account. This centralized access ensures that data-driven insights are available uniformly across all client accounts connected to the manager account.

Steps to Link Google Ads account with GA4

Certainly! Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to link your Google Ads account with GA4:

1. Access Google Analytics:

• Go to Google Analytics and click on “Admin.”

2. Select the Correct Account and Property:

• Ensure you are working within the right Google Analytics account and property where you want to set up the link.

3. Access Google Ads Links:

• Under the “PRODUCT LINKS” section, click on “Google Ads Links.”

4. Initiate the Linking Process:

• Click on “Link” to begin the linking process.

5. Choose Google Ads Accounts:

• Click on “Choose Google Ads accounts” and select the specific Google Ads accounts you want to link with your GA4 property.
• If you can’t find the Google Ads account you want to link, it’s possible you don’t have the necessary permissions. In this case, you’ll need to address the permissions issue first.

6. Confirm Your Selection:

• Click “Confirm” to confirm your selection of the Google Ads accounts.

7. Proceed to the Next Step:

• Click “Next” to proceed to the next step of the linking process.

8. Configure Auto-Tagging Settings:

• The option for “Enable Personalized Advertising” is enabled by default.
• Expand the “Enable Auto-Tagging” option. Here, you can choose to enable auto-tagging or maintain your current auto-tagging settings.
• Note: If you enable auto-tagging while linking to a manager account, it will be activated for all Google Ads accounts directly linked to the manager account.

9. Review Your Settings:

• Review all the settings you’ve configured to ensure they are correct.

10. Submit Your Linking Request:

• After confirming your settings, click “Submit” to finalize the linking process. Your Google Ads account is now linked with your GA4 property based on the settings you provided.

Following these steps ensures a successful integration between your Google Ads account and GA4, allowing seamless data flow and in-depth insights for your digital marketing efforts.

User access from Google Ads

Google Ads users are automatically granted Analytics roles when you link Google Ads account with GA4.  You can manage access to allow Google Ads users to use Analytics features from within Google Ads, such as creating Analytics audiences from Google Ads.

• In a Google Ads account, users are categorized into five different access levels, each with specific permissions:

Google Ads Account Administrator: This user has full control over the Google Ads account.
Google Ads Account Standard: Users with standard access have regular privileges within the account.
Google Ads Account Read-Only: Read-only users can view but not modify account settings.
Google Ads Account Billing: Billing users manage financial aspects of the account.
Google Ads Account Email-Only: These users have limited access, primarily for receiving notifications and communications.

• These Google Ads linked users are then assigned roles within the linked Analytics property by the Analytics Administrator. To create Analytics audiences from within Google Ads, these linked users must have Administrator, Editor, or Marketer privileges on the connected property.

As an Analytics Administrator, you have the authority to manage Google Ads linked users’ access and permissions. Follow these steps to assign recommended Analytics roles for a linked Google Ads account:

1. Go to Google Analytics and click on “Admin.”

2. Make sure you’re in the right account and property where the Google Ads account is linked.

3. Under the Property column, find “PRODUCT LINKS” and click on “Google Ads Links.”

4. From the list of linked accounts, click the arrow at the end of the row corresponding to the account you want to edit.

5. Click “See default roles” under User access to view existing roles.

6. Click “Apply” to assign the recommended Analytics roles to the linked Google Ads account.

Conclusion

In summary, the linking of Google Ads account with GA4 is pivotal for unlocking advanced insights and optimizing digital marketing strategies. This connection offers a holistic perspective on advertising endeavors, facilitating well-informed decisions and precise targeting. By linking Google Ads with GA4, businesses can streamline collaboration and enhance their online presence, ensuring a data-driven and efficient approach to digital marketing campaigns.