• Search Engine Land
  • Sections
    • SEO
    • SEM
    • Mobile
    • Local
    • Retail
    • Google
    • Bing
    • Social
    • Home
  • Follow Us
    • Follow
  • Search Engine Land
  • SEO
  • SEM
  • Mobile
  • Local
  • Retail
  • Google
  • Bing
  • Social
  • More
  • Events
    • Follow
  • SUBSCRIBE

Search Engine Land

Search Engine Land

"Medic" update recovery

How one site did it

Shopping Ads 2019

What's in store for SMBs?

Events

Join us at SMX Advanced!

  • SEO
  • SEM
  • Mobile
  • Local
  • Retail
  • Google
  • Bing
  • Social
  • Newsletters
  • Home
SEM

Sign up for our daily recaps of the ever-changing search marketing landscape.

Note: By submitting this form, you agree to Third Door Media's terms. We respect your privacy.


Chat rate is the new CTR for AdWords message extensions

Google is rolling out message reporting metrics in the next few weeks for the US, the UK, Canada and other countries.

Greg Sterling on March 12, 2018 at 4:44 pm
  • More

Google rolled out its click-to-message AdWords extension in October 2016. Similar to call extensions, message extensions allow users to message a business directly from the ad.

Now the company is announcing formal reporting for messaging. It will be available in the next few weeks in the US, the UK, Canada, France, Brazil and Australia. Users of message extensions will need to turn on message reporting in account settings.

Three primary metrics will be captured:

  • Chat rate: This is analogous to CTR (impressions vs. actual messaging interactions).
  • Start time: When users tend to interact with you via messaging. Google says this metric will help with dayparting.
  • Number of messages exchanged within a single chat session: Google says to use this metric to evaluate which ad creatives are driving the most engagement.

google adwords message extension in search ads
Each session will be charged as a click.

The number displayed in the ad will be a Google call-forwarding number, which is how the company is able to track the above metrics. “Whenever possible, Google forwarding numbers will share the same area code or prefix number as your business,” Google says. If a local number isn’t available, however, an 800 number will be used. Call-tracking industry data shows that local numbers significantly outperform toll-free numbers in terms of user response rates.

It’s not clear whether or how bots can get hooked up to messaging extensions, but this will likely happen in the near term — especially for brands that field lots of volume or for basic scheduling requests.

Google offers a best practices guide for message extensions.



About The Author

Greg Sterling
Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog, Screenwerk, about connecting the dots between digital media and real-world consumer behavior. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+.

Popular Stories

Changing domain names in 2016: 10 easily overlooked steps that can save SEO
Say goodbye to low Quality Score with this Google Ads script
6 Interview Questions For Conversion Optimization Hires
How To Create A 301 Redirect Map

Related Topics

Channel: SEMGoogleGoogle: AdWordsGoogle: Maps & LocalGoogle: Mobile

Sign up for our daily recaps of the ever-changing search marketing landscape.

Note: By submitting this form, you agree to Third Door Media's terms. We respect your privacy.


We're listening.

Have something to say about this article? Share it with us on Facebook, Twitter or our LinkedIn Group.

Attend Our Conferences

April 2-3, 2019: SMX Munich

May 21-22, 2019: SMX London

June 3-5, 2019: SMX Advanced

June 12-13, 2019: SMX Paris

Sept 30 - Oct 1, 2019: SMX Advanced Europe

November 13-14, 2019: SMX East

×

Attend SMX - Click Here


Learn More About Our SMX Events

Gain new strategies and insights at the intersection of marketing, technology, and management. Our next conference will be held:

April 3-5, 2019: San Jose

September 16-18, 2019: Boston

×

Attend MarTech - Click Here


Learn More About Our MarTech Events

White Papers

  • The Ultimate Guide to Site Search User Experience
  • The Marketing Analytics Buyer’s Guide 2019
  • Mission Possible: Quality Content Marketing
  • 2019 Marketing Trends: Nine factors reshaping marketing and how you can stay ahead of them
  • The Dummies Guide to Enterprise Customer Data Platforms
See More Whitepapers

Webinars

  • 2019 Martech Trends You Need To Know
  • How to Prepare for a Successful Marketing Analytics Implementation
  • Get More From Your Customer Data With Open Marketing Cloud: A Demo of Mautic’s Marketing Automation Platform
See More Webinars

Research Reports

  • B2B Marketing Automation Platforms
  • Account-Based Marketing Tools
  • Enterprise SEO Platforms
  • Call Analytics Platforms
  • Paid Media Campaign Management Platforms
  • Local Marketing Automation Tools
See More Research
Sign up for our daily newsletter.
Search Engine Land
Download the Search Engine Land app on iTunes Download the Search Engine Land App on Google Play

Follow Us

© 2019 Third Door Media, Inc. All rights reserved.