Google To Roll Out Parallel Tracking In AdWords

26-10-2017Tags: PPC

Google is to roll out a new URL tracking method to help prospects visit your website quicker via AdWords.

As technology advances, prospects' expectations regarding user experience are ever increasing. According to Google, a one second delay when loading a webpage on a mobile device could decrease conversions by up to 20%.

The current URL tracking technology can potentially cause a delay that prevents users from reaching a website for "hundreds of milliseconds". Whilst this doesn't seem a significant delay, this lost time could impact the campaign performance of your PPC advertising.

Invisible Redirects

Currently, users visit several invisible redirects after clicking a PPC advert before reaching your landing page. Potentially causing the impression that your landing page takes longer to load. Here's the current URL tracking journey:

1. Prospect clicks your PPC advert
2. AdWords click tracker loads
3. Tracking URL loads
4. Possible additional tracking URL loads
5. Prospect sees your landing page

Parallel Tracking

To avoid these delays and provide improved user experiences, Google is to roll out a new URL tracking method later this year. Parallel tracking, as titled by Google, will send prospects directly from your PPC advert to your landing page, whilst the URL tracking loads in the background. Here's the parallel tracking journey:

1. Prospect clicks your PPC advert
2. Prospect sees your landing page

Whilst in the background...

3. AdWords click tracker loads
4. Tracking URL loads
5. Possible redirects load

New AdWords Experience Only

Once rolled out, parallel tracking will become the default URL tracking technology for all PPC accounts. So far, parallel tracking is optional for Search and Shopping PPC campaigns and is only available in the new AdWords experience. Should a prospect click your PPC adverts within a browser that doesn't yet support parallel tracking, AdWords will utilise standard tracking to their clicks.

Default in 2018

Parallel tracking will be rolled out in late 2017 and will be an optional feature that will require opt-in. In 2018, it will become the default tracking technology for all AdWords accounts.

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