Tracking PPC Conversions with Google Analytics

[Anonymous]

Has anyone had problems tracking PPC conversions with Google Analytics since using Marketo?

Here's our situation:  A click comes in from a PPC ad and then they click a CTA to request a demo. This launches a Marketo campaign and, apparently, changes the code in Analytics from a PPC to Referral.

I have been going around and around with Google on this and they told me to remove the &source=website code that was on these campaign landing pages.  I did, but we seem to still have the same problem.

Does anyone have any experience with how Marketo is interpreted by Google Analytics? Of can you recommend a different analytics software that plays better with Marketo?  It is beyond frustrating not to know if our PPC is driving conversions or not.

Thank you!
Jennifer

[SanfordWhiteman]

I don't have the GA docs in front of me, and someone like Courtney Grimes​ knows this stuff backwards and forwards, but it sounds like neither Marketo nor Google is doing anything unexpected. Google has rules for declaring a new session, and basically if you change the campaign via query params (or JS) that becomes a new GA session, by design.

[Casey_Grimes]

Hi Jennifer,

So, there's a bit of information missing here: on the PPC ad itself, is the original LP hosted by Marketo or is just the CTA? I'm trying to map in my mind the full sequence of events.

The best way to resolve this would be to look toward the actual outcome of your goal and tracking, but on a technical level, yes you can rewrite source/medium for specific URLs if needed (I actually do this somewhat regularly for social referrals because I'm anal retentive like that) but that's a rather drastic step for what this issue sounds like.

If you could give more details or a link to the landing page from the PPC ad, it'd be appreciated.