Among many other useful tools, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) introduces a handy feature known as Cross-Network Attribution. It provides tons of information and valuable insights that can help you analyze and optimize all of your online marketing campaigns. In this article, we share what Cross-Network is in Google Analytics 4 and how it helps you with your marketing endeavors.
What is Cross-Network in Google Analytics 4
Cross-Network provides marketers with information about the performance of paid campaigns in different networks. In Google’s own words, “Cross-network is the channel by which users arrive at your site/app via ads that appear on a variety of networks (e.g, Search and Display).”
To get an understanding, we first need to know what “Networks” mean. For Google, a network is any place on the Web where Google Ads can appear. This makes Google’s network incomprehensively large – it includes millions of websites and mobile apps.
The campaign types that are included in the Cross-network are:
- Performance Max, designed to improve search campaigns and convert users across any Google channel, including Display, YouTube, Search, Gmail, and others.
- Demand Gen campaigns that are designed to engage users across YouTube, the Discover feed, and Gmail.
In short, the Cross-network gives details about the performance of these campaigns and helps you find out which campaigns perform well and which – not.
Why is Cross-Network Important
Cross-network in Google Analytics 4 is important because it grants you numerous benefits, such as:
1. Accurate Campaign Attribution
The Cross-network helps you classify multichannel ads easily. This feature groups traffic in different categories and thus making it easier to track, analyze, and draw conclusions about the ad’s performance.
2. Performance Insights
Via the Cross-network, you can have a deeper insight when analyzing all your ad campaigns and get a cohesive insight about the overall performance, rather than artificially separating them in different channels such as Search and Display.
3. Improved Budgeting
Cross-network campaigns can help you track the overall ROI and also help you make better financial decisions.
Conclusion
Cross-network in Google Analytics 4 is very important for each marketing department, as it provides a unified view of user interactions on many platforms and grants valuable insights for each ongoing campaign.
