Link AdWords and Analytics Accounts

Google allows you to link your AdWords account with an Analytics account in order to track PPC data in Analytics. You can get some useful data out of this…it’s also fairly easy to setup, assuming you don’t have separate accounts for AdWords and Analytics…in that case it can get a bit hairy. We can help you get setup properly within 24 hours for $24 if you’re having trouble, so get in touch with us if that’s the case.

Now, you may or may not have an Analytics account setup already so this will cover you either way.

If you DO NOT believe you have an Analytics account setup already, do this:

1. Log in to Google AdWords at http://adwords.google.com
2. Once there, click “Reporting and Tools,” then “Google Analytics”
3. You’ll see a screen like Figure 1 below that will ask if you want to link an existing Analytics account or create a new Analytics account to be linked.
   

   Figure 1 - Link AdWords and Analytics Account - Click to Enlarge

4. This is where things can get hairy. Whether you think you have an analytics account or not, you’ll probably want to start by selecting “I already have a Google Analytics account. Please link it to this AdWords account”
   • So why do it this way? Because at some point in the past, you or another web developer or someone else may have already setup an Analytics account that is tracking this site. We see this all the time (sometimes setup of Analytics is included in the services rendered by a previous developer, so even though you don’t think one was setup, it may have been anyway).
   • If you want to be absolutely sure, view the source for your site and check for existing analytics code
   • Why not just setup a new account anyway? You could, but then you wouldn’t have access to all of that valuable data collected in the old analytics account without logging in separately. That data is valuable, and you want to preserve it if possible, even if you haven’t used it up until now.
5. So, click “Continue” and AdWords will pull up a list of all Analytics accounts managed under the current user.
6. Have a quick look at the dropdown box labeled “Existing Google Analytics Account” to find out if an account already exists and, if it does, select it and press “Link my account.” Now the accounts are linked and you’re all finished.
7. If you don’t see an existing account in the dropdown, select “Cancel” and continue the instructions
8. Now you can select “Create my free Google Analytics account” and click continue
9. Follow the instructions on the next page and Google will provide you with the code you’ll need to add to your site in order to begin tracking
10. Have your developer install the code, or have us do it for you
11. All done.

If you already have an Analytics account but it’s not the same as your AdWords account, do this:

In this case, you’ll want to preserve that Analytics account with all it’s juicy historical data, so you’ll need to add your AdWords account as a user to your Analytics account in order to link the two. Here’s how:

1. Login to your Analytics account at http://analytics.google.com…You should see something like the following:
   

   Figure 2 - Google Analytics Dashboard - Click to Enlarge

2. Once there, click the “User Manager>>” link toward the bottom-middle of the page and you’ll be presented with the following Figure 3:
   

   Figure 3 - Google Analytics User Manager - Click to Enlarge

3. Click the “+ Add User” link toward the top right of that table in Figure 3
4. Now you’re presented with the following Figure 4:
   

   Figure 4 - Add User to Google Analytics - Click to Enlarge

5. In the “Email Address” field, enter the email address of your AdWords user (read that again, it’s important to get this right)
6. In the “Access Type” dropdown, make sure you choose “Account Administrator” (otherwise you won’t be able to link the accounts)
7. Click “Save Changes”
8. Now log out of Analytics
9. Log back into AdWords at http://adwords.google.com
10. Click “Reporting and Tools” tab, then “Google Analytics”
11. Now you’re presented with Figure 1 above
12. Select “I already have a Google Analytics account. Please link it to this AdWords account”
13. Click “Continue”
14. Now, in the dropdown box labeled “Existing Google Analytics Account,” select the account you just added the user to in the previous steps
    • Note: because you added your AdWords user as an Administrator on your Analytics account, you’ll now be able to link the two
15. Click “Link my account”
16. That’s it.

Hopefully these instructions will help the vast majority of AdWords-Analytics users out there. If you find you’re still having trouble, why not spend $75 with us to get up and running within a day?

By John Crenshaw on January 7, 2011   /   Google Analytics, Pay Per Click Advertising   /

Tags: adwords, analytics, link accounts