While paid search advertisers have utilized AdWords custom columns for over a year now, a recent announcement by Google will add an additional element of personalization. Custom columns will now support the inclusion of custom built formulas.
Custom columns, which grant marketers the ability to segment unique key metrics, have acquired an extra layer of potential application. This update opens the door for originally constructed formula based metrics to be displayed directly within the interface. Simple computations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc. can be incorporated into a given segmentation in order to provide a metric important to an individual account.
Google included a handful of useful examples within their announcement:
“For example, to see the percentage of clicks you get from mobile devices, create a custom column that divides mobile clicks by total clicks. Or let’s say you’re a shoe retailer and enjoy a 40% profit margin for each pair of shoes you sell. To understand your total profit for each sale, ensure your conversion value column tracks revenue. Then, create a custom column that multiplies conversion value by 40% and call it “Estimated Profit.” -AdWords(Google+)
Custom columns utilizing a custom formula retain the ability to be further sorted, filtered, and exported. Similarly, automated rules can integrate these metrics into their functionality.
Construction of a custom formula is a fairly straight forward process. Simply select modify columns within the interface, navigate to custom columns, and click the red “+ Column” button. From there the metric is customizable to satisfy a wide array of needs. Support for setting up custom columns can be found here.
