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Read your dashboard

The dashboard reads live data from Google Ads in your account's time zone and currency. The numbers match the numbers in Google Ads.

The metrics​

Hero Marketer shows three groups of metrics.

Volume​

  • Impressions. The number of times Google showed your ad on a results page.
  • Clicks. The number of times someone clicked to your landing page.
  • Conversions. Tracked goal completions, for example sign-ups, demo requests, or purchases. The goals depend on what you set up in Google Ads.

Cost​

  • Cost. Total cost across the date range. Google charges this cost to your Google Ads payment method.
  • Cost / click (CPC). The average amount you pay for each click. It is cost divided by clicks.
  • Cost / conversion (CPA). The average cost for each conversion. It is cost divided by conversions.

Efficiency​

  • CTR (click-through rate). Clicks divided by impressions. It is the percentage of people who saw your ad and then clicked.
  • Conversion rate. Conversions divided by clicks. It is the percentage of clicks that became conversions.
  • Conversion value. The total value of conversions, when you set up conversion value in Google Ads.

For a glossary of every metric, see Glossary.

Date ranges​

The date range picker has presets and a calendar. All ranges use your account's time zone. The default range is Last 7 days, compared with the previous period:

  • Yesterday. The previous full day.
  • Last 7 days, Last 30 days, Last 60 days, and Last 90 days. The last 7, 30, 60, or 90 full days. These ranges end yesterday.
  • This month. From the first day of the current month to yesterday.
  • Last month. The previous full calendar month.
  • This year. From January 1 of the current year to yesterday.
  • Last year. The previous full calendar year.
  • Custom. Pick a start date and an end date on the calendar.

When recent data is not final, the dashboard shows the badge "Today's data is still updating. Figures may rise as Google finalizes reporting." The figures in that range can still go up.

Comparison​

Open the date range picker to change the comparison. Select Compare to to turn comparison on. Then choose one of these options:

  • Previous period. The same number of days just before the current range. For example, Last 30 days compared with the 30 days before.
  • Previous year. The same dates one year earlier. This helps with seasonal businesses.

To turn comparison off, clear Compare to.

When comparison is on, each Performance summary card shows the percent change and the previous value. The campaign table adds comparison columns. On the charts, move the pointer over a point or a slice to see the previous value and the change.

Filters​

Use the filters next to the date range to narrow the data by campaign type, campaign status, or campaign name. The dashboard and the All campaigns page use the same filters. To open All campaigns, click Campaigns in the sidebar. If you change the date range or a filter on one page, the other page opens with the same selection.

The campaign filters change only three tiles: Performance summary, Performance over time, and Campaign breakdown. The Device, Country, Audience, and Conversion actions tiles always show the whole account. They follow only the date range and the comparison.

This browser remembers the date range, comparison, and filters for each Google Ads account. They do not follow you to another browser or device. When you switch accounts, Hero Marketer shows that account's last view. It does not carry campaign names across from a different account.

On the dashboard, the campaign name dropdown lists only the campaigns with activity in the selected date range.

When you change the date range, the comparison, or a filter, you also change which AI summary you see. Each combination has its own summary. See The AI summary.

What the default tiles show​

The Overview opens with seven tiles. Every tile follows the date range and the comparison. The campaign filters change only Performance summary, Performance over time, and Campaign breakdown.

  • Performance summary. Cost, impressions, clicks, and conversions for the period, with the change from the comparison period.
  • Performance over time. Cost, impressions, clicks, and conversions over the range. Use the Daily, Weekly, or Monthly picker on the tile. Hero Marketer does not save this choice.
  • Campaign breakdown. The top 10 campaigns, with cost, impressions, clicks, conversions, conversion value, CTR, cost per click, cost per conversion, and conversion rate. Click a row to open that campaign.
  • Device breakdown. The share of cost for each device.
  • Country breakdown. Your top 10 countries by cost.
  • Audience breakdown. Your top 10 audiences by cost.
  • Conversion actions. Your top 10 conversion actions, by all conversions.

Only campaigns with performance data in the selected date range appear in the campaign breakdown. A campaign does not appear if it had no impressions or cost in the range, even when it is enabled in Google Ads. For the full list of campaigns, including paused and removed campaigns, click Campaigns in the sidebar.

You can change which tiles appear and how they are arranged. See Customize your dashboard.

When data looks wrong​

A few common causes:

  • Numbers do not match Google Ads. The time zone is the most common cause. Hero Marketer uses your Google Ads account time zone. For example, your Google Ads time zone is UTC and you are in California. Then "yesterday" in the dashboard starts and ends at different times than you expect.
  • Conversions show as zero. Conversion tracking might not be set up in Google Ads. If you track conversions in other tools (Google Analytics, server-side events), you must connect them to Google Ads first. Hero Marketer reads what Google Ads has, not what other tools report.
  • Metrics look old. Google Ads has a reporting delay of up to a few hours for some metrics. If you see "Today's data is still updating", the figures can still go up. Wait a while, then refresh.
  • A campaign is missing. Only campaigns with activity in the date range appear in the campaign breakdown. Make the range wider, or click Campaigns in the sidebar for the full list.

Going deeper​

The dashboard is the account-level read. To go one level down, click a row in the Campaign breakdown tile. Or click Campaigns in the sidebar, then click a campaign. The campaign view adds tabs. A Search campaign shows ad groups, ads, keywords, and search terms. A Performance Max campaign shows asset groups, assets, search terms, placements, and networks. See Drill into a campaign.

For a question the tiles do not answer, ask Hero AI. Hero AI reads the same account data. It can investigate a change, explain the cause, and recommend a next step. See Ask Hero AI for recommendations.

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