Social Media Ads vs. Google Ads: Are We Counting Conversions the Right Way?

Social Media Ads Metrics: VTCs, CTCs, and ETCs

Social media platforms like Meta (Facebook and Instagram) use a combination of View-Through Conversions (VTCs), Click-Through Conversions (CTCs), and Engagement Through Conversions (ETCs):

• VTCs capture conversions from users who viewed the ad but did not directly interact with it, making a purchase later through organic channels.

• CTCs count direct conversions from users who clicked the ad and completed a desired action, such as a purchase or sign-up.

• ETCs track conversions from user engagements like likes, shares, or comments that indirectly lead to purchases.

This holistic counting approach makes social media ads appear to have higher conversion numbers because they consider multiple paths leading to a sale.

Google Ads Counting: Click-Based Focus

Google Ads, on the other hand, primarily tracks click-through conversions. The platform attributes conversions only if a user clicks the ad and directly completes an action, making it a stricter measurement. Although Google Ads does offer view-through conversion tracking (mainly for display and video campaigns), this metric is less emphasized compared to the click-based method.

For example, if a user sees an ad on Instagram but later searches for the product on Google and makes a purchase, Instagram would likely count this as a view-through conversion, whereas Google Ads would not attribute this sale to its campaign unless the user clicked on a Google ad.

Are We Measuring the Right Conversions?

This difference in reporting leads us to a thought-provoking question: Are we comparing the right quantities of conversions, or is our perception skewed by different metrics? When evaluating ad performance, understanding these nuances can help marketers choose the right platform based on their specific goals and how they define success.​ (WordStream,PHENYX).

What do you think—are we comparing apples to apples, or are we missing the full picture when we contrast these platforms' performances?

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