GA4 / "Google signals"

[AllianceDigitale]

Dear Google Ads team,

Google Analytics (GA) is de facto the standard web campaign attribution tool in the industry, used by marketers to measure the outcome of their campaigns, even for campaigns run outside of Google.

According to GA 4 documentation, GA can make use of "Google signals", defined as "data from users who are signed in to Google" for GA to "create[s] a single user journey from all the data associated with the same identity".

As this data is only available to Google, this may lead to the following issues:

Discrepancy in Results:

If GA and the other attribution methods, such as Privacy Sandbox Reporting API, provide different results, it may lead to misunderstandings and disputes between marketers and DSPs.

Campaign optimization:

DSPs may face challenges in optimizing for marketer goals if those GA is measuring those goals in a way that is not accessible to DSPs.

Cross-Site Identification Contradiction:

The use of login data from users signed into Chrome as a cross-site identifier in GA4 contradicts Chrome's efforts to deprecate cross-site user identification (3PC deprecation) and may be contradictory with Google commitments to the CMA.

Based on this, we have the following question: considering Google's focus on eliminating cross-site identifiers, is there a plan to review GA4 use of "Google signals"?

All the best

Alliance Digitale

[matt-landers]

We can confirm that Chrome’s deprecation of third party cookies will impact Google Analytics 4, and we specifically plan to make changes to features like Google Signals. We will announce more details of these changes ahead of the planned deprecation of 3PCs in Chrome, but in the meantime can assure you that none of the Google Analytics product changes related to the deprecation of third party cookies in Chrome will influence or benefit the scaled market testing in early 2024.

[AllianceDigitale]

Hi Matt and Google Ads team,

Thanks for your answer. GA4 adaptation to the future cookie deprecation is a welcome step for a level playing field in Ad Tech.

Regarding "data from users who are signed in to Google", could you also please:

• Explain how that data is joined together across sites. Is it based on an identifier linked to the Google user identity?
• If so, provide some visibility as to when this mechanism will be removed from Google Analytics.

All the best,

Alliance Digitale

[matt-landers]

Dear Alliance Digitale,

Thanks so much for your follow up question.

Google Analytics is a tool that allows website and app owners to obtain better insights into how their own users are interacting with their properties. Google Analytics does not track users across unaffiliated websites and apps, regardless of whether users are signed into their Google account or not.

Thanks
Your Google Ads Team