Google AdsWhat each number answers
- Blended numbers count all sales and all spend in the business. They answer whether the whole budget pays back. See blended CAC and MER.
- Platform numbers count what one channel claims for itself. They answer which channel is doing the work it claims. See platform ROAS.
Why they differ
- Each source has its own attribution window and its own rule for who gets the credit. A gap between them is expected, not an error. See attribution windows explained.
- Two channels can both claim the same order, so adding their totals double counts it. Blended totals come from the store's order records and include organic and direct orders that no channel claims.
A reading order
- Start with the blended number against the plan. If it is on track, the total budget is working.
- Then read the platform split, to see where the spend sits and which claims are largest.
- Last, check the gap. If the claims are far larger than the blended total can hold, check the attribution windows first.
Showing both to a client
- One table, two columns, each with a one-line definition under its heading.
- Never add platform totals to make a blended total. A platform sum may appear only as a labelled sum of claims.
- Mark every number that is not measured, and keep the same definitions for the whole period.
Made-up scenario: a made-up store's channels claimed more orders in total than the store recorded. The agency did not add the claims up. It showed the blended number first, the platform claims second, and a note that the gap came from overlapping claims and different windows.
