DTC Podcast Ep 534: Google’s 90% “New Customer” Illusion: How To See What Your Ads Are Really Doing | AKNF
12 snips
Aug 15, 2025 
In this conversation, Dougie from Pilothouse shares his expertise in Google Ads, focusing on the critical misinterpretation of customer acquisition data. He reveals how Google erroneously labels returning customers as new, skewing marketing strategies. Dougie explains the advantages of server-side tracking for accurate data capture and conversion insights. He emphasizes the importance of aligning ad campaigns with true business outcomes and offers practical tips for auditing and enhancing overall ad performance.
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Google Overreports Net‑New Customers
- Google Ads' native net-new indicator is often wrong and overcounts new customers.
- Dougie says Google labels ~90% of conversions as net new despite backend data proving otherwise.
Feed Google Server‑Side Conversion Data
- Use server-side tracking (e.g., Elevar) to feed more accurate new vs returning customer signals into Google.
- Do not rely solely on cookie-based imports like GA4 for net-new attribution if you want accurate conversion goals.
Optimize To A Net‑New Conversion Goal
- Optimize Google campaigns to a net-new conversion action rather than audience segmentation.
- Pick a conversion goal aligned to net-new so the algorithm trains on the right performance target.