For most of the history of paid search, performance measurement followed a clear cause-and-effect relationship.
Advertisers controlled the inputs inside their campaigns like bid strategies, keyword and campaign structure, ad copy, and landing pages. All these factors contributed to conversion performance in some shape or form.
When performance changed, the explanation was usually traceable. For example, a new keyword theme improved conversion rates. Or, a bidding strategy increased efficiency.
That simple cause-and-effect framework is breaking down…
