At the end of May, we posted an article on our blog about some upcoming changes that Google is making to their Adwords URLs. If you’re a Pardot customer, there are some additional items to bear in mind: namely, as you switch over to the Upgraded Adwords URLs, you’ll want to use the new tracking template in Pardot to track your Adwords ads.
While you can already migrate over to Google’s improved URL system, a forced migration will begin on July 1, 2015. The Pardot Adwords connector has been updated to adapt to these changes, but Pardot customers will need to take action to ensure that ads are properly tracked. Here’s a quick overview of what’s changing.
How Are Google Adwords URLs Changing?
Google AdWords currently uses destination URLs, which contain landing page URLs and tracking parameters. The current Pardot connector appends these tracking parameters to your ads so that you can track and report on them in Pardot. Since Google AdWords does not allow you to edit existing ads, Pardot must make a copy of your ads and include the tracking parameters on the new versions, and the original ads and their historical information are archived.
Google AdWords has upgraded their URLs to split the landing page URL and tracking data into two new separate fields: the final landing page URL and the tracking template. The new system allows you to update the tracking template without creating a new version of your ad, which means historical information is retained.
How Should Pardot Customers Prepare?
Step one: Switch to AdWords’ new final URLs.
Step two: Ensure that your ads include Pardot’s new tracking template if you’d like them to be tracked in Pardot.
Once you have switched to final URLs and are using Pardot’s tracking parameters in the tracking template at the account, campaign, ad group, ad, or keyword level, our connector will automatically detect that and begin tracking your ads using the new system.
Important Note: If Google migrates your account to use final URLs and you have not inserted Pardot’s tracking template into your account yet, new ads will not be tracked in Pardot until you add the tracking template. Ads that Pardot is already tracking via destination URLs will continue to be tracked.
Helpful Resources
Please refer to Google AdWords’ documentation on final URLs for options and specific instructions for upgrading your URLs in AdWords, and reach out to the Google AdWords Support Team or your Google AdWords Admin if you have questions.
You can also read more about this update in our recent blog post.
Pardot’s tracking parameters can be copied from the Pardot app (Administration > Connectors > click on the Actions gear next to your Google Adwords Connector > Tracking Template) and pasted into the new tracking template field in your AdWords account at the account, campaign, ad group, ad, or keyword level.
Want more information on Pardot’s updated Google AdWords Connector? Check out our Knowledge Base article.