New AdWords Integration For Analytics Changes Campaign Name Reporting

Google has announced a new AdWords integration for Google Analytics that starts rolling out today.

The biggest immediate change is that campaign names in Analytics will reflect the lastest naming in AdWords. Currently, if you rename a campaign, the data shows up in Google Analytics separately under each name. Now, campaign data will be reported in aggregate under the latest name in AdWords.

This is handy if all you’re doing is changing naming conventions — you’ll no longer have to keep tabs on campaign name changes and add up stats from each iteration. However, if your new campaign name reflects a new organizational makeup, say if you’ve segmented your original campaign into several new ones, then you’ll want to be careful to note that all the historical data from the original campaign will be included under the new name. In the example above, for instance, if  Car Accessories was a subset within the original Big Deals campaign, then the new reporting will give a false picture of the historical performance of the car accessories segment.

With the new integration platform, enhanced campaigns targeting settings will soon show in Google Analytics and new AdWords dimensions like “Ads” will be available.