Setting up consent mode v2 has already lost the heat and most marketers in the EEA have implemented it by now. What they miss is – storing and sending the user consent details for offline conversions that happen off the web. Having set the Google offline consent mode v2 is as important as Google’s consent mode v2.
In this blog, you’ll be knowing why consent mode implementation is important, how to do it the right way, and the benefits your business will see after implementing Google consent mode v2, the right way.
What’s the biggest setback or issue for businesses without offline conversions with consent?
Businesses that do not set up consent mode for offline conversions lose them. Google has clearly stated that without consent parameters (ad_personalization; ad_user_data; ad_storage; ad_analytics) it will not use the data. Consequently, your retargeting campaigns take a hit and these consented conversions are not reported correctly, which impacts the modeling for unconsented conversions as well.
Important Stat: Businesses have seen a 50% dip in conversions!
Not implementing the Google consent mode v2 for offline conversions has a butterfly effect. Here’s what you will lose without proper Google consent mode implementation:
Retargeting the right audience takes a hit
The consent parameter ad_personalization is mandatory for Google to understand if it can show personalized ads (based on your remarketing list). So, for your retargeting campaigns to run on a full scale, you must send the user data along with consent parameters.
For suppose, let’s say you simply upload your offline conversions in CRM without any consent details. Google will not be using that data. Even if the user has given you the consent on the web, you are unable to retarget them for the fact that the customer match list you uploaded does not contain consent details. Therefore, offline conversion tracking consent mode setup is mandatory for successful retargeting campaigns in Google Ads.
Top funnel ad targeting goes crazy
Google Ads algorithm’s audience expansion is solely based on machine learning. And for machine learning algorithms to perform, you need to fuel it with the right data.
Your customer data in the CRM is of high value giving an insight into who valuable customers are. When you train the ad algorithms with this first-party data, you get better results as it expands in the right direction to find the right audience.
For Google Ads to use your customer data in the CRM, you need to send it with consent parameters. Otherwise, Google Ads will not use your customer data, therefore, resulting in poor audience targeting, taking a toll on your top-of-the-funnel campaigns.
To expand the audience net in the right direction, set up consent mode v2 for offline conversions.
Ad campaign attribution is messed up
Google Ads will attribute the conversions that happen online only when you convey that information to it through offline conversions import or direct offline conversion tracking API. When you do that, you also have to send the user data along with consent parameters.
Data lacking consent parameters is unused by Google Ads. It leaves gaps in your attributions. Once the consented attribution numbers go down, that has an impact on the modeled conversions. This is because Google’s conversion modeling for unconsented conversions happens based on the consented conversions.
To fix your attribution in Google Ads, send the conversion data by implementing advanced consent mode for web and offline data.
Customer Match tanks
To preserve the customer match for the users in the EEA, Google Ads recommends sharing the consent status for these users. If the consent parameters are not shared for the Customer Match list, Google will not save the data i.e., discards the data, taking a toll on your customer match.
Preserve customer match with Google advanced consent mode implementation for customer match list upload or offline conversion tracking.
The below illustration shows how not tracking offline conversions results in a poor conversion rate
Is there a way to set up Google offline conversion tracking with consent?
Currently, for preserving the offline conversion data in Google Ads, there is no easy way to implement consent mode v2. Most marketers have implemented advanced consent mode v2 using a consent management platform for their website visitors.
Even the existing Google advanced consent mode implementation focuses only on the website visitors. Some experts expressed their concerns as Google has not yet defined a clear path to leverage the untapped potential of these offline conversions.
The ideal way to setup consent mode v2 for offline conversions
The ideal way to set up Google Ads consent mode is to set it up for both online and offline conversions. If you have already set up the web using a CMP (consent management platform), then focus on storing the user consent and merging it with the offline data of the same user. This way, you will be able to sync your customer data with consent parameters, letting Google Ads use your user data.
Here’s how you configure consent mode v2 for online and offline users for:
How CustomerLabs CDP helps you with setting up consent mode v2 the ‘right way’
CustomerLabs CDP uses first-party domain tracking on the server side to track the website user data. Stitcher 2.0, the advanced first-party ID resolution technology will collect the user data and store it in the first-party cookie. The data stays for a long time.
When implementing the Google ads consent mode, communicate the consent status from the CMP to CustomerLabs CDP, to store the user consent status along with the first-party data. You can go ahead and say, first-party data is incomplete without consent parameters.
Now, you have all the website visitor data collected and stored using the first-party cookie on the server side inside CustomerLabs CDP.
Connect your CRM, subscription systems, PoS, and offline store data upload, and bring all the customer data spread across multiple platforms in one single place.
The stitcher will stitch all this data using the advanced identity graph technology, to build a solid 360-degree profile for each user with offline, online, and consent data in one single place.
Now, seamlessly sync all your first-party data (including consent parameters) to Google Ads and Google Analytics. This completes the advanced consent mode implementation.
The below diagram shows how you’ll benefit from implementing Google consent mode v2 using CustomerLabs CDP
Benefits of Google consent mode v2 for offline conversions
1. Enhanced first-party identity resolution that helps in comprehensive customer profile
CustomerLabs CDP helps you with advanced first-party domain tracking on the server-side that helps you with first-party cookie tracking. Stitcher 2.0, the advanced identity resolution technology helps you track the user data, along with consent mode to create a comprehensive 360-degree profile. The single customer view offers the true first-party data that also includes consent parameters ad_personalization; ad_user_data; ad_storage; ad_analytics. The stitcher 2.0 merges the online user data with offline data from the CRM in the 360-degree profile view that helps track all the offline conversions in Google Ads in line with Google consent mode v2.
2. Better Customer Match after implementing consent mode v2 using CustomerLabs CDP
CustomerLabs CDP’s patented technology creates audience segments inside Google Ads to activate anonymous website visitors by utilizing various identifiers. This advanced technology helps you achieve better customer match rates. Advertisers who are seeing a dip in their customer match after consent mode v2 have seen a steady increase in the match rates when they have implemented consent mode v2 using CustomerLabs CDP.
3. Improved retargeting campaigns to reach more cart abandoners
Retargeting campaigns always work. With CustomerLabs CDP, you have an edge by leveraging advanced retargeting features and to reach out to more cart abandoners beyond 28 days, as you have the lifetime cookie. The custom audience match rate is around 60 to 80%, resulting in 2 to 3X ROAS (Return on Ad Spend).
4. Superior attribution
CustomerLabs CDP offers super-solid attribution with enhanced conversions and conversion mapping without any limit on the conversion window. The entire conversion tracking is crystal clear along with consent parameters that your enhanced conversions are intact and the campaigns are attributed precisely. Thanks to Stitcher 2.0 (To know more about Stitcher 2.0, talk to our experts).
5. Improved collection of Click IDs with consent parameters
Click IDs such as GCLID, WBRAID, fbc, fbp, etc., are crucial for ad platforms to identify the users. With CustomerLabs CDP, you can collect these click IDs along with the consent parameters. It makes it easier to convey to the ad platforms which user has granted consent and which user did not. We readily have LDU (Limited Data Use) for Meta, and consent mode v2 for Google Ads.
6. Optimized top-funnel campaigns
The first-party data collected using CustomerLabs first party domain tracking on the server-side with consent is of high-value. The machine learning algorithms of ad platforms train on the high quality first-party data. Thus, it optimize your top of the funnel ad campaigns.
First-party data collected through CustomerLabs helps the ad algorithms to expand its audience net in the right direction by considering all the audience signals you send. This helps the ad platform identify the relevant users and optimize the ad spend. Eventually leading to a better campaign performance. You can also leverage value based bidding strategy to achieve the maximum conversion value using the maximize conversion value bid strategy.
7. 50% uplift in conversions
Conversions uplift by 50%! Yes, you heard it right. Upon analyzing the data based on Google’s observations, we realized an uplift in conversions by at least 50% if offline conversions are sent to Google Ads with consent parameters. As of March 2024, there’s no said platform that syncs consent parameters to Google Ads along with offline user data, except CustomerLabs CDP. CustomerLabs is the pioneer to start syncing offline conversions with consent parameters to Google Ads. It helps marketers safeguard and preserve their customer match and conversions.
Conclusion
To conclude, Google consent mode v2 for offline conversions is not just a matter of compliance and building your user’s trust, but also to maximize your campaign performance. To stay ahead in today’s data-driven and privacy-driven landscape, implement consent mode v2 using advanced technology such as the CustomerLabs CDP.
Talk to our experts for more information and get your white-glove support to implement Google’s consent mode v2 seamlessly!
