Anastasia Braitsik has navigated the complex shift from siloed data to the integrated ecosystem we see today. As a leader in SEO and data analytics, she has been at the forefront of the recent transformation in how Google Analytics bridges the gap between web and app environments. Her insights help us understand the Sept. 29 updates that finally brought app conversions into the cross-channel spotlight, offering a unified view that was previously out of reach for many marketers.
The following discussion explores the integration of app data into performance reports, the nuances of multi-stage attribution, and the current limitations of organic app tracking. We also delve into manual reconciliation strategies for financial forecasting and the practical impact of using key events in reporting.
How should advertisers interpret the new integration of app conversions into cross-channel performance reports, and what specific steps are required to ensure these conversions are properly shared between linked analytics and advertising accounts?
Advertisers should see this as a pivotal move toward a holistic view of the customer journey, finally breaking down the technical wall between mobile app interactions and web-based traffic. To get this working, you must ensure your property has the conversions section active, as the Sept. 29 update covers the entire reporting area. The most critical step is linking your Google Analytics property to a Google Ads account and actively importing those app conversions. Once these accounts are linked, you can use the performance report to toggle between Analytics and Google Ads attribution settings to see exactly how your channels are performing in a unified view. This integration ensures that the data you see in your advertising dashboard matches the sophisticated behavioral tracking found in your analytics.
Since the attribution analysis report now breaks down touchpoints into early, mid, and late stages for app conversions, how can marketers use this data to adjust their bidding strategies, and what metrics indicate a successful shift in credit distribution?
Breaking down the journey into early, mid, and late stages allows us to identify the “unsung heroes” of the conversion path—the channels that introduce users to the app before they eventually convert. By looking at assisted conversions in the attribution analysis report, you can justify higher bids for top-of-funnel keywords that previously seemed like wasted spend because they didn’t get the final click. A successful shift is indicated when you see a more balanced distribution of credit across these three stages, moving away from a last-click bias. This granular control over channel credit means you can finally stop guessing which early-stage interactions are actually driving that final app install or in-app purchase. It transforms bidding from a reactive game into a proactive strategy that values every touchpoint in the funnel.
Given that cross-channel budgeting and projection tools currently exclude app data in favor of web conversions, how do you recommend manually reconciling these two data sets to create a unified financial forecast?
It is a significant hurdle that cross-channel budgeting and projection tools are still limited to web conversions, which forces us into a more manual, spreadsheet-heavy workflow. I recommend pulling the conversion performance report data—which now includes both—and overlaying it against the scenario plans described by experts like Brooke Osmundson back in March. You have to essentially “hand-stitch” the app conversion volume into your web-based projection models to account for the total revenue impact. Until Google officially integrates app data into these budgeting tools, we are looking at a two-step process where we forecast web growth automatically and then apply a calculated multiplier based on historical app performance. This manual reconciliation is the only way to reach a unified financial forecast that doesn’t ignore your most valuable mobile users.
Certain reports, like attribution paths, still rely on key events rather than conversions for app data; what are the practical implications of this discrepancy, and how does it affect the way you report ROI to stakeholders?
The discrepancy between “key events” and “conversions” in reports like the Attribution paths report can create a sense of cognitive dissonance when presenting to stakeholders who expect a single source of truth. Practically, it means that when we analyze the specific paths a user takes to an app conversion, we are looking at a slightly different data layer that might not perfectly mirror the finalized conversion numbers in other reports. To maintain transparency, I always explain to clients that these key events represent the behavioral milestones leading up to the sale, while the conversion reports represent the bottom-line financial outcome. It requires a more nuanced ROI conversation where we value the pathing data for tactical optimization and the conversion data for high-level financial reporting. Failure to distinguish between the two can lead to over-reporting or under-reporting the actual impact of specific marketing sequences.
App conversions are currently restricted to Google paid channels while web conversions can be attributed to organic and direct traffic. How does this limitation change your evaluation of organic app growth, and what workarounds do you use to measure the impact of non-paid touchpoints?
This limitation is a major pain point because it creates an artificial bias toward paid media for all app growth metrics. Since app conversions always use Google paid channels for credit, while web conversions can credit organic and direct traffic, your organic app performance often looks non-existent in these specific reports. To work around this, I rely heavily on comparing the web-side organic data to see if there is a correlation between organic search spikes and overall app conversion lifts. We have to be very careful not to over-index on paid spend just because the report makes it look like the only driver, when in reality, organic discovery is likely happening behind the scenes. It forces us to use “detective work” by looking at the Sept. 30 updates on reporting pages to see which data points are still being excluded from the non-paid side.
What is your advice for our readers?
My advice is to start building your manual reconciliation processes today, rather than waiting for Google to fully automate the bridge between paid and organic app data. We are currently in a transition phase where the tools are powerful but incomplete, so you need to be the one who connects the dots between web budgeting and app performance. Take a moment to check your Google Analytics reporting page to see if app conversions are still listed among the data some reports don’t support. By mastering the current cross-channel reports and understanding the difference between key events and conversions, you will be in a much stronger position to prove ROI as these reporting features continue to expand. Don’t let the “paid-only” limitation for apps fool you; always look at the broader picture of your organic traffic to understand the true health of your digital ecosystem.
