Run a Causal Analysis on Your Google Ads: Start Now
Google Ads can be a useful driver of growth. It can also be a large drain on your marketing budget, especially for branded search.
Three platforms, three answers, one budget to defend. Your GA4 export already holds the answer, and the first finding is free and never leaves your browser. Get your first finding free
By Joris van Huët, Founder & CEOUpdated 2 min read
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Stop Paying the 'Google Tax' on Your Own Brand.
Google Ads can be a useful driver of growth. It can also be a large drain on your marketing budget, especially for branded search. You bid on your own brand name, a user clicks, they buy, and Google takes the credit. But would that user have bought anyway? In most cases, the answer is a resounding yes. You're paying to acquire customers you already had.
It's time for a reality check.
The Branded Search Dilemma
The formula looks like this:
Branded Search Cannibalization Rate = (Revenue from Users Who Would Have Bought Anyway) / Total Branded Search Revenue
Armed with this data, you can make a calculated decision to scale back or even eliminate your branded search spend, instantly boosting your net profit. This single insight often pays for the analysis thousands of times over.
Ready to find out your number?
Start Your Google Ads Analysis
Beyond Last-Click: A Causal View of Search
Google's entire platform is built on the principle of capturing intent at the last moment. Its attribution reporting reflects this. It's a system designed to maximize Google's perceived value, not your actual profit. This is the classic challenge of marketing attribution. You need an unbiased, external view.
The one-time report gives you a clear, actionable path to refining your search budget.
Related Resources
Frequently asked questions
What if I find out my branded search is 100% cannibalistic?
This is a common finding. The report will give you the data to confidently reduce or eliminate that spend. You can then reallocate that budget to channels that are proven to drive incremental growth, or simply add it back to your bottom line.
Go deeper: Causal attribution, explained.
Sixty-second versions of these ideas: Causality Engine on YouTube Shorts.
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Terms in this article
- AttributionAttribution identifies user actions that contribute to a desired outcome and assigns value to each. It reveals which marketing touchpoints drive conversions.
- Attribution ReportAttribution Report shows which touchpoints or channels receive credit for a conversion. It identifies which campaigns drive desired actions.
- ClickClick is the action a user takes to interact with a digital advertisement, redirecting them to a website or landing page. Clicks are a fundamental metric for measuring ad engagement and a primary input for click-based attribution models.
- Google AdsGoogle Ads is an online advertising platform where advertisers bid to display ads, service offerings, and product listings.
- Marketing AttributionMarketing attribution assigns credit to marketing touchpoints that contribute to a conversion or sale. Causal inference enhances attribution models by identifying true cause-effect relationships.
- RevenueRevenue is the total income generated by the sale of goods or services related to a company's primary operations.
- ShopifyShopify is an ecommerce platform for creating online stores and selling products. Attribution modeling shows which marketing channels drive traffic and conversions within Shopify.