When setting up a bid strategy in Search Ads 360, your customer's main business goal is to determine how long it takes a user to purchase a pair of socks after selecting an ad. What metric is important for them to follow?

Target cost-per-acquisition (tCPA)

Learning period

Conversion delay

Target return on ad spend (tROAS)

Explanation

Analysis of Correct Answer(s)

  • Conversion delay: This is the correct metric because it specifically measures the time lag between an ad interaction (like a click) and a conversion (a purchase). For the customer's goal of understanding how long it takes a user to buy socks after clicking an ad, conversion delay provides the direct answer. This information is vital for Smart Bidding, as it helps the system account for conversions that aren't reported immediately.

Analysis of Incorrect Options

  • Target return on ad spend (tROAS): This is a bidding strategy that focuses on achieving a specific return on investment. It's concerned with the value of conversions relative to cost, not the timing of when they occur.

  • Target cost-per-acquisition (tCPA): This bidding strategy aims to acquire conversions at a specific average cost. It focuses on the cost of a conversion, not the time it takes for a user to complete it.

  • Learning period: This describes the initial phase where a bid strategy gathers data to optimize performance. It's a temporary status of the algorithm's learning process, not a metric that measures the customer's conversion timeline.