Robust Data Gets the Most out of AI: Key Takeaways from Google Think Measurement

At Google’s latest Think Measurement event last month, we explored the importance of robust data to enable the best use of AI. We explored not only why we need robust data and AI, but also how. 

Set Up for Success with Google Ads Data Manager

It’s essential to collect the maximum number of conversions and touchpoints in your GMP set up. With new regulations and browser restrictions, having access to all of these datapoints requires a platform that delivers data safely and securely. 

The key to success of any AI project lies in establishing data fitness for purpose and maintaining consistency across all platforms—this is where the Google Ads Data Manager comes in. 

Google has announced a host of new features within Google Ads Data Manager.

• Confidential Matching to securely match your customer data with Google’s data to create audience lists for Customer Match. This is now processed using confidential computing, isolating processing in a trusted execution environment (TEE) by default. (In Beta- advertisers can inspect the matching code and encrypt their data to receive an attestation to verify that it operates exactly as intended.)
• In-UI Recommendations offer customised suggestions to help increase your campaigns performance by understanding the value of your first party data.
• Transformations & Scheduling - Automate data and file transformations to match Google’s format requirements. And importantly to schedule future imports to ensure audience and conversion freshness.
• In-UI Diagnostics (coming soon) - identify and fix first party data import issues more easily across online and offline data sources.

Rather than uploading multiple files to multiple platforms, there are also further enhancements coming shortly which will allow us to upload one file that is distributed across all the GMP platforms. This will allow the data to be refreshed more easily, and will showcase any changes to the data in one central place, easing data privacy concerns. 

Utilise First Party Mode to increase measurement accuracy

With the ever-increasing rise of Ad Blockers, it is critical to keep up with the times and invest in hosting the Google Scripts in your domain. You can do this by using First Party Mode (FPM) either via Server Side GTM or via a Content Delivery Network (CDN) in just a few clicks. Enabling First Party Mode will set you up for the changing landscape of data privacy, regulations and the rise of ad-blockers. With sGTM you have the added advantage of being able to enhance your data (or redact) before sending on to your Google Platforms.

Don’t get left behind with FPM as many more browsers are restricting access to third party scripts and you will run the risk of having your Google tags blocked by browser restrictions. There are rumours that Safari is contemplating rolling this out sometime this year, with users potentially losing all of this valuable data.

Level up with AI possibilities

For advertising clients, Meridian, Google's open-source MMM framework is worth keeping an eye on. The framework delivers enhanced media effectiveness by providing deep insights into marketing channel performance and accurate ROI measurement. This allows advertisers to optimise future budget allocation across channels, including frequency optimisation for those with reach and frequency data. 

By leveraging aggregated data and incorporating prior knowledge and accounting for media dynamics like saturation and lag, Meridian offers a privacy-safe and transparent way to make data-driven decisions, ultimately leading to better business outcomes.

How we can help‍

At Assembly, our Google Practice is implementing these initiatives for customers through a structured framework, so the work delivered provides sustained value towards business growth objectives. If you are looking for similar advice, but don’t know how to get started, drop us a message at googlepractice@assemblyglobal.com.