New in GA4 & Google Ads: User Access Management for Analytics Features in Google Ads

March 6, 2023 - In the near future, Google Ads will be equipped with a powerful new feature – Google Analytics 4 Audience Builder. By enabling cross-product access management in their linked accounts, Admins can give various roles to different users that greenlight permissions for accessing features such as creating audiences from within Google Ads interfaces. Get ready to streamline your marketing campaigns and maximize efficiency!

Why it Matters: 

1. By linking your Google Ads account to Analytics, you’ll receive a comprehensive view of how customers interact with and progress through the full conversion cycle and unlock a ton of new data in your GA4 property. See everything from users clicking on ads to them making purchases or consuming content – all the way up until they reach those crucial goals you’ve set. .

2. Because data will flow between both products, you’ll be able to: 
   1. See your Google Ads campaigns in the Acquisition overview report
   2. Access new Google Ads dimensions in the User acquisition report
   3. Import Analytics conversions into your Google Ads account
   4. Enhance your Google Ads remarketing with Analytics audience data
   5. See your Google Ads campaigns in the Advertising workspace, including the Attribution reports

Are there Limitations? 

Yes. You can only link GA4 properties to individual Google Ads accounts and to Google Ads manager accounts.

And, you can  only create up to 400 links per property. If your current Google Ads setup exceeds this limit, you might want to think about creating a Google Ads manager account and linking that to your Analytics property. Keep in mind,  A link to a Google Ads manager account counts as 1 link.

Getting Started:

To link a property to Google Ads, you have to use a Google account that has the following permissions. If your account doesn’t have these permissions, ask your Analytics or Google Ads administrator for help:

1. In Analytics, you need to have the EDITOR ROLE for the property that you want to link.
2. In Google Ads, that same Google account needs administrative access.
3. If you link to a Google Ads manager account, any data  you import from Analytics will be available to all of your client accounts.

How to Create Links:

Creating GA4 property links to Google Ads is 

1. In Google Analytics, click Admin.
2. Under PRODUCT LINKS, click Google Ads Links.
3. Click Link.

4. Click Choose Google Ads accounts, then select the Google Ads accounts you want to link.

If you don’t see the Google Ads account you want to link, you may not have the right permissions.

5. Click Confirm.
6. Click Next.
7. The option to Enable Personalized Advertising is on by default. (This setting lets you share your audiences and conversion events with Google ads so you can use them for targeting and conversion tracking. Very important if you want your GA4 conversion events to track Google Ads success.
8. Expand the Enable Auto-Tagging option to enable auto-tagging or to leave your auto-tagging settings as they are.

IMPORTANT: If you enable auto-tagging when you link to a manager account, then auto-tagging will be enabled on all Google Ads accounts directly linked to the manager account.

9. Click Next, then review your settings.
10. Click Submit to link your accounts with the current settings.

Next steps

When you create a link between your Google Ads account and your Google Analytics 4 property, you’ll automatically begin seeing Google Ads data in your Google Analytics 4 reports. This link also makes data from your Google Analytics 4 property available to use in Google Ads. However, to take action on this data, you still need to sign in to Google Ads and do at least one of the following:

Connecting your Google Ads account to your Google Analytics 4 property unlocks a wealth of data that can help you better understand, measure and optimize the performance of all your campaigns. But, if you want to take action on this data, you’ll have to sign in to Google Ads and do at least one of the following:

Import conversions (for bidding and to see Analytics conversions in Ads)

• Add audiences to a campaign or ad group (for remarketing).

If you’re looking for enhanced remarketing and reporting, you also need to activate Google Signals.

Learning About the Latest GA4 Updates at Napkyn

At Napkyn, we keep track of the latest Google Analytics 4 developments and post updates to ensure you are always in the loop regarding new features and how to use them.  Sign up for our monthly newsletter to get the latest scoop on Google Analytics 4 as well as useful guides for getting the most out of this platform.

Have questions about transitioning or getting the most out of your GA4 implementation? Contact us.