Google Consent Mode Modeling: what you need to know

The theme of online privacy has become increasingly relevant in recent years, leading to a significant change in digital advertising practices.

In this context, Google has introduced "Consent Mode Modeling" to allow advertisers to maintain the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns while respecting user consent choices.

What is Consent Mode Modeling?

"Consent Mode Modeling" is a solution offered by Google Ads that enables advertisers to continue tracking and measuring conversions even when users choose not to consent to the use of advertising or analytics cookies.

This is made possible through the use of Google's artificial intelligence, which analyzes observable data and historical trends to quantify the relationship between consenting and non-consenting users.

How does it work?

When a user decides not to provide consent for the use of advertising or analytics cookies, the "Consent Mode" adjusts the behavior of Google tags to refrain from reading or writing cookies for advertising or analytics purposes. This creates a gap in conversion measurement, as advertisers lose visibility into user paths on their site.

The "Conversion Modeling" intervenes to fill this gap, utilizing Google's AI to analyze available data and estimate attribution paths for conversions from users who have not consented to cookie usage.

Implications for reporting and bidding?

Starting in April 2021, "Consent Mode Modeling" is available for reporting and bidding within Google Ads accounts.

Modeled conversions will appear in the "Conversions" column, and if value tracking is enabled, modeled conversion values will also appear in the "Conversion value" column. All reports utilizing conversion columns will be impacted by modeled conversions.

Additionally, advertisers who previously employed bidding strategies such as Maximize conversions or Maximize conversion value to mitigate the impact of consent changes are encouraged to switch back to Target CPA or Target ROAS strategies for optimized performance after the modeling launch.

Making the most of Consent Mode Modeling?

When cookie consent is denied, it's recommended to use the "Consent Mode" to send "cookieless pings" for more accurate modeling. "Cookieless pings" are crucial for generating custom calibration factors for each advertiser, improving the accuracy of the modeling.

In conclusion, "Consent Mode Modeling" represents a valuable resource for advertisers looking to maintain the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns while respecting user consent choices.

By adopting this solution, advertisers can gain a more comprehensive and accurate view of their campaign results while ensuring the protection of user privacy online.