Conversions with Cart Data (CwCD) – Revolution in Advertising Campaign Analysis

Each of us has likely experienced a situation where, after clicking on an ad for one product, we ended up purchasing something entirely different. This behavior is, of course, perfectly natural but simultaneously creates a discrepancy between the price of the clicked product that generated the conversion and the final order value.The question arises: is there a report that can fill this gap with data and uncover the connections between the products your customers choose?For some time now, the answer has been YES!

Google Ads has introduced a new beta feature – Conversions with Cart Data (CwCD) – which provides us with detailed insights into cross-selling data. By using CwCD, we now have new possibilities for analysis at the campaign, ad group, and product levels. This feature allows us to better understand customer behavior and, most importantly, to analyze the interplay between individual products.

What can you see in CwCD reports?

The recently launched Conversions with Cart Data (CwCD) tool in Google Ads offers new possibilities for analyzing advertising campaigns by providing access to much more precise data on both cross-selling and direct sales. CwCD reports not only allow you to track standard metrics, such as the number of conversions or revenue, but also reveal details about the products purchased, even if they were not directly advertised through the campaign.

CwCD reports include data on products promoted in the campaign that were sold (direct sales) and products that were purchased “incidentally” (cross-sales). Key metrics highlighted in these reports include:

• Average Cart Size – This metric displays the total number of sold products divided by the total number of generated orders.
• Potential Units Sold – Represents the sum of products sold directly as a result of the campaign.
• Potential Revenue – Shows the revenue generated by the campaign through specific products directly advertised (direct sales).
• Cross-Sold Units – Represents the sum of products sold beyond those directly clicked on through the ad.
• Revenue from Cross-Sales – Indicates the revenue generated by products customers purchased “additionally,” beyond the product clicked in the ad.

An additional functionality of CwCD is the ability to indicate deficiencies in the product file. The custom report allows us to see blank values ​​in fields for products that have been purchased. By regularly checking the report, we increase the chance that the entire product range is advertised by us.

All the above functionalities and metrics give us a more complete picture of what sales actually look like, which in turn allows us to manage advertising budgets more effectively and build a more effective marketing strategy.

CwCD in Practice

After configuring CwCD reports at the campaign level, you can quickly identify intriguing differences between direct and cross-sales (see graphic 1). This prompts immediate questions like “Why?” and encourages deeper analysis.

Key Questions:
What proportion of the campaign comprises cross-sales?
Is it at an appropriate level relative to goals?

Answers:

In this example, the campaign focusing on general keywords generated cross-sales revenue that was 51% higher than direct sales. This provides excellent material for deeper analysis, though it is not particularly surprising given the nature of general keyword campaigns…

The campaign focused on bestsellers showed minimal difference between direct and cross-selling. This type of campaign should generate mainly direct sales. So the question arises: what is the reason for such high cross-selling?

Finally, our attention may also be drawn to a roller-skating campaign that generates over 2.5 times more revenue from cross-selling than direct sales. This is certainly worth investigating further.

Question:
Why does a bestseller campaign generate relatively high cross-sell value?

Answer:

An analysis of the bestseller campaigns from August 24 to September 23 showed that two of the most expensive products in the scooter category generated mainly cross-sells.

This fact was surprising because bestsellers should sell directly through a dedicated campaign. After a deeper analysis, it turned out that a significant part of the cross-selling concerned cheaper scooter models (marked in red) and accessories, such as helmets or protectors, which were not included in the product feed.

Question:
Why is cross-selling so high in the roller skate category?

Answer:
In one of the campaigns promoting, among others, roller skates, we discovered that a very large part of the products sold were models of different sizes and/or colors than those promoted in the campaign.

CwCD allowed us to see which variants actually end up in customer baskets and are purchased.

This has opened up a field for testing in which we can promote the best-selling models more strongly.

Question:
What can empty fields for sold products (cross-selling) indicate in a custom report?

Answer:
From March to August 2024, we noted in the custom report that select skate models were generating significant cross-sell volumes. As it turned out, these were products that were missing in the product feed (helmets and protectors). In this way, CwCD helped identify gaps in our offer, and also gave the impetus to expand the feed with new product categories and potentially create sets of roller skates with helmets/protectors.

Conclusions and Applications of CwCD

Using the new functionality of Google Ads allows for a deeper analysis of advertising campaigns, giving us the ability to better understand how ads translate into actual sales. Key applications of this tool include:

• Campaign-level sales analysis – we can quickly and efficiently analyze sales and ensure that our strategy is being properly executed by the selected campaign.
• Product-level sales analysis – we can track which products are selling through both cross-selling and direct sales. This allows us to better tailor advertising strategies and promote products with the greatest sales potential.
• Understanding customer behavior – cross-selling analysis provides insight into how customers actually make purchases, which can help further optimize marketing strategies and product offerings.
• Identifying gaps in the product feed – CwCD highlights simple-to-spot gaps in the product file, allowing us to regularly maintain its good condition.

Summary

The new CwCD function – Conversions with Cart Data in Google Ads – opens new perspectives in advertising campaign analysis. With more detailed data on both cross-selling and direct sales, we can now precisely track the impact of our advertising efforts on global sales. Understanding the differences between direct and cross sales, both at the campaign level and for individual products, is a key element that helps us optimize our campaigns on a daily basis, increasing their effectiveness. CwCD is also a tool that allows for more informed management of product campaigns and better alignment of the offering with real consumer needs.

If you are interested in the new CwCD feature, our specialists would be happy to help you unlock the full potential of your campaigns using it. We invite you to collaborate and make the most of your budgets like never before!