In Google Ads, tracking components of landing page URLs must be put into tracking templates. The remainder is called the final URL. This separation is done to ensure changes to the tracking components do not change the identity – and hence remove the history – of the keyword or text ad. Only a change to the final URL will have this result.
Step 1: Set up a global tracking template
First, click the gear symbol to get to “Tracking settings”. There, create a global tracking template.
It is required to use the parameter {lpurl}, which defines where Google will put the respective final URL or final mobile URL for the keyword. Furthermore, it’s possible to insert up to 3 custom parameters. Their value can later be specified in the Keywords tab of all templates. Take note that only 3 custom parameters are allowed and that they must start with an underscore, e.g. {_cust1}.
Step 2: Specify custom parameters
After adding {_cust1} or something similar into the tracking template, Crealytics’ Search Platform allows you to put table columns, template variables, or global variables into them, depending on the specific keyword. To do so, navigate to any template and see the respective fields behind the custom parameter name in the Keywords tab.
Note: Please always start the name of a custom parameter with an underscore “_”, as this is a requirement from Google.
In case the tracking template should differ from the default for certain ad groups or campaigns, the solution is to create template-specific tracking templates. Go to “Tracking settings” by clicking the gear symbol. Below the global tracking template, Crealytics’ Search Platform allows you to create template-specific tracking templates.
Click “add custom template tracking template”, and select the template for which it’s intended to be used. Define the tracking template and save it. Now, for this template, Crealytics’ Search Platform will no longer use the global tracking template. Instead, it will use the specific custom tracking template. This means all ad groups created by that template will get the custom tracking template assigned during the next export.”