Linking a Google Adwords Ad to a Marketo Landing Page with a Form

This article explains how to enable tracking if your Google AdWords ad is configured to link to a Marketo landing page with a Marketo form. When the lead fills out the form on the landing page, the Google Adwords CampaignID and keyword values will be passed to Marketo through hidden fields.


High-level Requirements

  • Create custom Marketo fields to capture the PPC information
  • Add those fields as hidden fields to the Marketo form(s); configure the hidden fields to get their value from the URL Parameters
  • Add parameters to your destination links in Google AdWords ads using static values or ValueTrack parameters; you can use the Marketo or Google URL builder to simplify this
  • Decide on an 'original' or 'most recent' PPC source strategy
    • If your PPC strategy is to capture original PPC source, then the custom PPC fields need to be configured to block field updates.
    • If your PPC strategy is to capture the most recent PPC source, then you can use the default configuration (i.e. fields not blocked from updates).
  • Enter PPC program period (monthly) cost information

Benefits

  • This solution does not require custom coding
  • This solution does not require any additional cost

Analytics - Standard

  • Number of new leads acquired by Google Adwords Program
  • Cost per new lead acquired by Google Adwords Program
  • Number of leads acquired by keyword/search phrase
  • Top 10 keywords/search phrases which acquired new leads
  • Top 10 AdWords CampaignID which acquired new leads
  • Number of Opportunities by keyword/search phrase
  • Number of Opportunities by CampaignID

Analytics - Revenue Cycle Analytics (RCA)

  • Conversion ratio of your Google Adwords
  • Return to investment for your Google Adwords
  • Top 10 keywords by month report which shows
    • Average days to convert to opportunity
    • Number of leads converted to opportunity
  • Top 10 CampaignID’s by month report which shows
    • Average days to convert to opportunity
    • Number of leads converted to opportunity
  • Program Channel report >> Google Adwords (custom channel) metrics by quarter
    • New names, cost per new name
    • Opportunity units, Pipeline generated, revenue, revenue to investment

Instructions

  • Create the custom fields in Salesforce.com on both the lead and contact object, making sure they map from lead to contact. The custom fields will sync over to Marketo mapped 2 Salesforce.com fields to 1 Marketo field.
    • For instructions to create Salesforce.com custom fields, please reference Salesforce.com knowledgebase or work with your Salesforce.com Administrator.
    • If you do not want these custom fields in Salesforce.com, you can create the fields in Marketo. Custom fields you create in Marketo will be Marketo only fields as they will not sync over to Saleforce.com.

  • The custom fields to be created
Campaign Source (utm_source)
Required. Use utm_source to identify a search engine, newsletter name, or other source.
Example: utm_source=google

Campaign Medium (utm_medium)
Required. Use utm_medium to identify a medium such as email or cost-per-click.
Example: utm_medium=cpc

Campaign Term (utm_term)
Used for paid search. Use utm_term to note the keywords for this ad.
Example: utm_term=running+shoes

CampaignID (utm_campaign)
Used for keyword analysis. Use utm_campaign to identify a specific product promotion or strategic campaign. This can be used to capture the Adword CampaignID
Example: utm_campaign=spring_sale

  • Create a Marketo program (i.e. Google Adwords Program) and use a program channel (i.e. custom 'Google Adwords' channel) with 'converted' as the success progression status.
    • Make sure you assign the associated period costs for this program on the setup tab. You will need to do this on a monthly basis; this is required if you want to get a 'cost per' analysis.
  • Create a Marketo form with all the above fields on the forms as 'hidden fields' configured to get values from a URL parameter. Include other fields as normal and call this 'PPC Form'
    • Map the URL parameter to the associated hidden field (i.e. utm_source maps to 'Campaign Source')
  • Create a Marketo landing page which you will use to link the Google Adwords ad
    • Include the PPC Form on this landing page.
  • Use the Marketo URL Builder to add the key values and parameter tokens to the URL. In the example below, the first URL is the URL to the landing page, and the second URL includes the URL parameters and associated values/tokens.

URL:
http://info.mycompany.com/lp/example/PPCExample-Start-Your-Free-Trial-Now.html

Tagged URL:
http://info.mycompany.com/lp/example/PPCExample-Start-Your-Free-Trial-Now.html?utm_source=AdWords&ut...

  • When configuring your Google Ad, use the tagged URL as the destination link which takes the lead who clicks on the Google Ad to the landing page.
    • The keyword and CampaignID will be passed automatically when the lead clicks through the Google Adwords ad.
    • The Source (Adwords) & medium (PPC) will be passed as the values in the tagged URL
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