Google recently addressed a significant issue in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) that affected conversion attribution for paid search campaigns. This update is set to enhance the accuracy of how conversions are credited, ensuring that paid search campaigns receive proper recognition.

Previously, GA4 sometimes attributed conversions to organic search instead of paid search. This misattribution commonly occurred in single-page applications where the ‘gclid’ parameter, which identifies paid search clicks, did not persist across page views.

Google is rolling out an update over the next two weeks to correct this issue. The update will adjust the attribution models in GA4 to accurately capture campaign information from the first event on each page. If a user leaves the site and returns via a different channel, the attribution will update accordingly.

This change may result in an increase in the number of conversions attributed to paid search, which could affect your Ads campaign spending. Google strongly recommends reviewing your budget caps and adjusting them as necessary before this update takes effect.