That’s because GA4 isn’t just an update, it’s a completely new analytics platform built around event-based tracking, user journeys, and predictive insights. Many business owners and marketing teams are still trying to figure it out. You may be aware that GA4 is essential, but unclear about how to make it work for your website. 

Maybe you want to measure leads and conversions more accurately. Maybe you’re tired of “not provided” data in Google ads. Or perhaps you just want clearer, more reliable data to review your marketing strategy. 

This guide will show you exactly how to set up a GA4 account from scratch, so you can move from confusion to clarity and start using your data to make smarter business decisions.

Step 1: Create and Configure Your GA4 Property

When setting up a GA4 account, the first thing to understand is that GA4 uses properties and data streams rather than simple “views.”

1. Head to Google Analytics and log in with your Google account.
2. Click Admin → Create Property.
3. Enter your business name, time zone, and currency.
4. Select your data stream type: Web, iOS, or Android.

Each data stream sends event-based data into your property, giving you a more unified view of user activity across platforms.

Step 2: Add Your GA4 Tag to Your Website

You’ve created your property, now you need to collect data.

The GA4 tag is a snippet of JavaScript code that communicates user actions (events) to Google Analytics.

Using Google Tag Manager (recommended)

1. Open Tag Manager and click Add a New Tag.
2. Choose Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration.
3. Enter your Measurement ID (from your GA4 property).
4. Set your trigger to All Pages → Save → Publish.

Once installed, visit your site and check Real-time Reports in GA4. If you see your own visit appearing, you’ve done it right.

Are you wanting GA4 set up but don’t know where to start? Get in touch today or have a look at our GA4 setup service.

Step 3: Configure Events and Conversions

GA4 tracks everything as an event, from page views to button clicks and video plays. But to truly measure ROI, you’ll need to define key conversions that align with your goals.

Examples:

• Lead generation form submissions
• Purchases
• Phone clicks
• Newsletter signups

In GA4:

1. Navigate to Admin → Events.
2. Use Create Event to define new ones based on parameters (e.g. “page_location contains /thank-you”).
3. Mark these as Conversions by toggling the switch next to their name.

Step 4: Build Custom Reports and Insights

Now the fun begins, turning your data into decisions.

Under the Explore tab, GA4 lets you create custom reports that show where your best traffic comes from and how users move through your site.

Useful explorations include:

• Funnel Exploration: Track how users navigate from the landing page to conversion.
• Path Exploration: Understand common drop-off points.

Step 5: Test, Validate, and Iterate

Even a perfect setup needs testing. GA4 includes DebugView, which lets you see live event data.

Use it to confirm your key interactions are firing correctly:

• Pageviews
• Form submissions
• Click events
• Scroll depth

Our final thoughts

Learning how to set up a GA4 account may feel complex at first, but once configured correctly, it becomes one of the most powerful tools in your digital marketing strategy. You’ll move from guessing which campaigns work to knowing what drives performance, with cleaner, faster, and more privacy-compliant data.

GA4 isn’t just about reporting. It’s about insight, prediction, and strategic decision-making. With events, conversions, and custom reports properly set up, your team can make data-backed decisions that drive growth, not just traffic.

Want to see how this works in practice and discover more about how to set up a GA4 account? Schedule a Discovery Call or read our recent case studies. 

The post How To Set Up a GA4 Account (And Finally Take Control of Your Website Data) appeared first on ROAR Digital Marketing.

One IT skills training company came to us after their old agency kept celebrating CTR increases while sales stayed flat. We rebuilt their tracking and, within 12 months, delivered a 48% lift in conversions without increasing ad spend. That’s the difference between marketing that looks good and marketing that actually delivers.

Why Vanity Metrics Hold Businesses Back

Most agencies love to highlight numbers like “Your CTR is up 25%!”,  but what does that mean for your bottom line? While these statistics look impressive on paper, they rarely cover salaries, keep the lights on, or drive real growth.

The Problem with CTR-Obsessed Reporting

Click-through rate is a distraction. It shifts focus to what’s easy to measure instead of what matters. A business doesn’t survive on clicks; it survives on leads, sales, and repeat buyers. That’s why we don’t celebrate vanity numbers; we measure business impact.

Want to see how this works in practice? Book a free discovery call today.

What We Track Instead – Metrics That Matter

At ROAR, our reporting is built around conversions and ROI, not just surface-level stats.

Here’s what we focus on for our clients:

• Calls booked
• Demo requests
• Online orders
• Customer lifetime value
• Which channels actually generate ROI

This approach helps our clients not only understand what’s happening but also make confident decisions about where to invest their marketing budgets.

Our final thoughts

When you work with ROAR, you won’t get distracted by inflated numbers that don’t create sales. Instead, you’ll have clear, transparent reporting that shows exactly how your campaigns are contributing to sales and growth. We cut through the noise and focus on what matters most – your bottom line.

If you’re tired of agencies bragging about CTR while your sales team sits idle, it’s time to make the switch.

Ready to move beyond vanity metrics and see how PPC can actually grow your business? Book a free discovery call with ROAR today and discover how conversion-focused PPC reporting delivers real results.

The post Why Conversion Focused Reporting Outperforms Vanity Metrics in PPC appeared first on ROAR Digital Marketing.

And yet, most marketing leaders are still treating this as optional. At ROAR, we’ve seen first-hand that the businesses adapting fastest are the ones driving growth, building authority, and staying visible where buyers begin their journey. Our clients consistently see results because we innovate without abandoning the proven SEO foundations that deliver ROI.

If you’re serious about staying ahead, this is your sign to act before competitors leave you behind.

The AI Shift in B2B Search

The top 15% of firms in every niche aren’t waiting. They’re testing, tweaking, and ensuring their brands show up in AI-driven discovery. These firms know that ignoring AI won’t make it disappear; it only makes it easier for competitors to capture trust and authority earlier in the buyer journey.

At ROAR, we’ve helped businesses across technology, finance, and industrial sectors adapt their strategies. Hence, their brands appear not just in Google’s blue links, but inside AI-driven responses that decision-makers increasingly rely on.

Six Moves to Stay Ahead in AI Search

Here’s what you should be focusing on right now if you want your SEO strategy to remain competitive:

• Build content that answers real buyer questions directly – AI rewards clarity and value, not keyword stuffing.

• Use structured data and schema – make your site AI-friendly so content is easier to pull into overviews.

• Ensure technical SEO is watertight – fast load speeds, logical structure, and a clear XML sitemap.

• Check your robots.txt – if AI crawlers can’t access your content, you’ll be invisible.

• Map your SEO to how LLMs frame answers – this is different from traditional SERP rankings.

• Work with a partner who innovates – chasing shadows wastes time. We guide clients on what matters.

Want to see how this plays out in practice? Book a discovery call and we’ll show you how we’re already helping clients future-proof their search presence.

Why Innovation Doesn’t Mean Starting From Scratch

AI search optimisation isn’t about ripping up what works. It’s about adjusting and evolving so you’re in the best shape as discovery shifts. Businesses that treat AI as an add-on will fall behind. Businesses that build it into their strategy now will lead.

From Reaction to Preparation

The businesses that win are the ones that anticipate, prepare, and invest early. The ones that lose? They scramble late, after competitors have already taken the high ground.

At ROAR, our proactive approach means you’ll never be playing catch-up. From automated reporting to transparent communication, we keep you connected to the work and confident in the results.

Our Final Thoughts

AI search is rewriting the B2B playbook. The question is whether you’ll adapt in time to stay visible where your buyers are making decisions. At ROAR, we don’t just follow trends, we help you lead.

Ready to stay ahead of AI search? Schedule a free discovery call today and see how we can help your business win in the era of AI-driven discovery.

The post Why AI Search Optimisation Is the Next Competitive Advantage for B2B Leaders appeared first on ROAR Digital Marketing.

Google has just rolled out a major Performance Max (PMax) update, giving advertisers far more control and visibility over campaigns. For years, PMax was a bit of a black box—powerful, but lacking the transparency and fine-tuning Search advertisers rely on.

Here’s a breakdown of the recent updates:

Sharper Targeting Controls

• Campaign-level negative keyword lists – Apply exclusions like “free”  across multiple PMax campaigns without having to edit each one.

• Expanded search themes – Now up to 50 themes per asset group (up from 25), giving you more flexibility in guiding Google’s targeting.

• Full demographic & device targeting – Control by age and device; gender targeting is currently in beta.

Smarter New-Customer Insights

• Improved accuracy when classifying new vs. existing customers, reducing “Unknown” classifications.

• Goal diagnostics now flag tracking or reporting issues (like missing tags) and guide you to fix them.

Creative Control & Visibility

• Final URL expansion assets are now visible and removable, giving you power over Google’s auto-generated content. To make the most of this feature you will need to turn this feature on in your campaign settings.
  

• AI-driven creative recommendations – Receive tailored suggestions to improve your image assets, plus direct access to Google’s built-in image editor.

Search Term Visibility

You can now view Performance Max search terms in your regular search terms report—a huge win for transparency.

Pro tip: Add irrelevant search terms directly to your asset groups as negatives.
Where to find them:
Campaigns > Insights > Search Terms

Why It Matters for B2B

For B2B advertisers, wasted spend on irrelevant clicks can eat up budgets fast. These updates:

• Reduce waste by letting you cut out poor-quality traffic early.

• Improve targeting precision with more demographic, device, and keyword controls.

• Increase transparency so you can optimise based on real data, not guesswork.

The result? More budget going towards the prospects who are most likely to convert.

Next Steps

If you’re running Performance Max, log in today and:

1. Build and apply negative keyword lists.

2. Review your search terms report for waste.

3. Update your asset groups using AI’s creative recommendations.

These changes make PMax a lot more viable for performance-driven advertisers—especially in competitive B2B markets.

The post New Google Ads Performance Max Control & Reporting You Need to Know About appeared first on ROAR Digital Marketing.

At ROAR, we’ve seen this mistake countless times. Experienced marketing leaders fall into the same trap, choosing channels simply because:

• Competitors are using them
• They assume they’re effective
• They feel pressured to pick something rather than nothing

But here’s the truth: this approach doesn’t drive sustainable growth.

We’ve helped many businesses refocus, and the results speak for themselves. Clients who shifted from imitation to strategy saw stronger engagement, higher ROI, and faster growth, without wasting their budget on ineffective channels.

If you’re serious about learning how to choose a marketing channel that drives results, this blog is your final nudge towards clarity.

The post How to Choose a Marketing Channel Without Hurting Your Business Growth appeared first on ROAR Digital Marketing.

At ROAR, we regularly audit display campaigns for clients who are frustrated by minimal site traffic and weak conversion rates, despite racking up millions of impressions. One recent shift in our approach led to a 26% increase in leads and conversions simply by becoming smarter about how impressions were measured, targeted, and optimised.

If you’re running display ads but aren’t seeing measurable momentum, you’re not alone, and the solution is simpler than you think.

The post Why Smarter Google Display Campaigns Drive Better ROI for Brands appeared first on ROAR Digital Marketing.

A digital marketing dashboard is a simple, visual tool that pulls all your key marketing data into one place. It can display your results in real-time, making it easier to track what’s working and what isn’t. 

In this blog, we’ll discuss exactly what a digital marketing dashboard is, why it matters and how it can make your marketing much easier to manage. 

The post What Is A Digital Marketing Dashboard? appeared first on ROAR Digital Marketing.

Whether you’re a startup or a seasoned business, understanding how display ads work can help you reach the right people at the right time, especially when building brand awareness.

Display ads are designed to visually capture attention and drive users to learn more about your product or service. Unlike search ads (which rely on keywords), display ads are typically used to reach potential customers earlier in their buying journey, often before they even realise they need your product.

They appear across the Google Display Network, which includes over 2 million websites and apps, reaching 90% of internet users worldwide.

Rather than targeting keywords like in Search campaigns, Google Display Ads use audience-based targeting. You can reach users based on:

• Demographics (e.g. age, gender, industry) 
• Interests and behaviours 
• Remarketing (e.g. previous website visitors) 

Google then uses automated auctions to serve your ads in placements where your audience is likely to be browsing, helping your brand appear on the websites they already visit and trust.

Here’s a quick overview of the main display ad formats and what a user might see:

Static Banners (Image Ads)

What they are: Fixed-size ads using a single image.
Example: You’re reading an article on TechCrunch about cybersecurity. A side-banner appears:

“Protect Your Business from Ransomware – Get a Free Audit”
Best for: Quick brand visibility when you already have strong visual assets. Read more for a full guide on Display Ad sizes.

Responsive Display Ads

What they are: Google automatically creates ads from your uploaded images, headlines, descriptions, and logos—then adjusts the layout to fit any screen.
Example: On a finance blog, you see an ad promoting an eBook:

“The CFO’s Guide to Forecasting – Download Now”
Best for: Scalable reach with minimal design time.

Video Display Ads

What they are: Short, non-skippable or skippable videos that appear across YouTube and other placements.
Example: Watching a YouTube video about automation, a 30-second clip appears showing a robot arm packing boxes.

“Boost Production by 40% – Book a Demo”
Best for: Demonstrating complex products or telling your brand story.

Interactive / HTML5 Ads

What they are: Dynamic, engaging ads with features like sliders, hover effects, or product galleries.
Example: On a logistics blog, an ad appears:

“How many vehicles in your fleet?” [Slider: 10–200]
Result: “You could save £12,400/year on fuel.”
Best for: Driving engagement or showcasing product variations.

Gmail Sponsored Promotions

What they are: Ads that look like emails in the Gmail Promotions tab.
Example:
Subject: “Onboard Global Teams Faster”
Opens into a full ad with video and CTA:

“See how RemoteHR automates compliance.”
Best for: Storytelling and reaching professionals directly in their inbox.

If you are looking to get stuck in with Display Ads but you don’t know where to start. We’ve created an easy to use guide with a video explaining the best way to set up your Display campaign.

Build Brand Awareness
Show your product to new audiences who aren’t yet searching for your brand.

Cost-Effective Reach
Typically lower CPCs or CPMs than search ads.

Visual Storytelling
Convey value through images, animations, and video—far more engaging than plain text.

Retargeting Power
Re-engage website visitors who didn’t convert with tailored messaging and offers.

Consider display ads when:

• Launching a new product or service 
• Reaching audiences outside of search 
• Supporting an early-stage awareness campaign 
• Retargeting users who visited your website but didn’t convert 

They’re also a great way to complement your search campaigns by keeping your brand top of mind with a visual reminder.

Targeting Too Broadly
Without keywords, it’s easy to overreach. Use detailed audience targeting and exclusions.

Using Low-Quality Images
Poor visuals get rejected—or worse, ignored. Stick to Google’s specs and invest in quality creative.

Ignoring Mobile Formats
Over 60–70% of display ad impressions happen on mobile. If your ads don’t look great on smaller screens, you’re missing out on most of your audience.

1. Set Clear Goals
   Are you trying to build awareness, generate leads, or retarget? 
2. Create Attention-Grabbing Visuals
   Good visuals = higher click-through rates. 
3. Refine Your Targeting & Budget
   Build audiences based on interests, demographics, or remarketing lists. Start with a test budget. 
4. Launch and Monitor
   Give Smart Bidding time to learn. Monitor performance and optimise placements and creatives as data comes in.

Display ads are one of the most powerful ways to scale your brand awareness online. By using Google Display Advertising strategically—whether through responsive, video, or interactive formats—you can reach the right audience with the right message, at the right time.

Focus on clear visuals, mobile optimisation, and a solid targeting plan to get the best results. When done right, Google Display Network ads can become a low-cost, high-reach engine for your digital marketing success.

Do you want to learn more about Display Ads or expand your PPC knowledge? Explore our blog for more tips and guides to help you take your business to the next level.

Photo © by Christina Morillo from Pexels.

The post What Are Display Ads in Google? appeared first on ROAR Digital Marketing.

Launched back in 2021, Performance Max (PMax) is Google’s latest solution to help users supercharge their advertising, allowing them to advertise its entire network, in a bid to make campaign management easier. In this guide, I’ll break down what PMax ads are, how they work, what to watch out for, and how they can help your business when set up correctly.

Simply put, Performance Max is a goal-based campaign type in Google Ads that uses automation to show your ads across all of Google’s channels, including Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Maps, all in one campaign.

The main benefit of using a Performance Max campaign is that you are able to increase your reach with less micromanagement. This is a great campaign type for businesses that lack the time or resources to manage multiple campaign types. 

It uses real-time data and audience signals from the information you provided it with to target users at the most opportune time.A great way to think of it is like setting your destination in Google Maps; Google figures out the best route using real-time data.

Machine learning and automation are what power PMax, automatically testing different versions of your ads across all of Google’s platforms. You give it the building blocks within the Asset Group; headlines, descriptions, images, videos, and audience signals, and Google does the hard work, mixing and matching these to figure out what works best to bring you conversions.

Google’s algorithm is working behind the scenes, constantly learning from real-time data, e.g., who is clicking, where’s converting, and where it’s happening. Whilst analysing this data it is also adjusting things like bids, placements and which assets to show and where to get you the best results.

Where Ads Show:

• Google Search
• YouTube
• Display
• Gmail
• Maps

Google understands that users don’t always want to rely on Performance Max to get the best results for them without any visibility. Read how Google is introducing AI Max to Google Search campaigns, and how it could help you expand your reach

Performance Max campaigns simplify setup and expand your reach across all Google platforms, but they do come with a trade-off: less control. Designed by Google to save you time by avoiding separate campaigns, I advise against solely depending on PMax. 

Instead, leverage it in conjunction with your existing campaign strategies. This way, you can effectively capture additional, potentially overlooked, relevant traffic.

Performance Max campaigns, while powerful, give Google significant control. Although there is now some Channel Performance Reporting available for better insights into ad performance, allowing for targeting adjustments based on this data, overall visibility remains limited.

Direct control, like keyword targeting or selecting channel priority, is absent. Therefore, careful Audience Signal setup is crucial. Leverage custom segments, remarketing lists, and negative keywords to guide targeting effectively.

Ultimately, Performance Max success hinges on the quality of creative assets and the precision of conversion tracking. It’s essential to plan and execute these aspects thoroughly to get the best results.

Think of Google Performance Max as a tool that helps you advertise on all of Google’s platforms, like YouTube and Search, all at once, without needing to be a tech expert. It’s easy to use, but since Google is doing the heavy lifting, you have less direct control. 

To get the best results, make sure to provide lots of different types of ads (images, text, videos) that really speak to who you want to reach. Also, give Google hints about who your ideal customer is with Audience Signals and block irrelevant search terms by feeding it negative keywords. Finally, don’t rely only on this one tool. Use it alongside your other advertising efforts to reach even more people.

Do you want to learn more about PPC, SEO, and tracking? Explore our blog for more tips and guides to help you take your business to the next level.

Photo © by Firmbee.com from Pexels.

The post What is Performance Max in Google Ads? appeared first on ROAR Digital Marketing.

If that’s you, the problem likely isn’t your budget, your platform, or even your targeting. It’s this: your marketing lacks congruence.

So. let’s discuss how to get more conversions with aligned marketing.

At ROAR, we see this time and time again. Businesses come to us after pouring thousands into Google Ads or launching expensive website redesigns, only to see low conversion rates. But once we align every touchpoint—ads, website, SEO content, email sequences, LinkedIn presence—the change is immediate. Conversions rise. Trust builds. ROI increases.

So what is congruence in marketing—and why does it matter so much?

How to Get More Conversions with Aligned Marketing – Confusion Doesn’t Convert

Inconsistency Kills Confidence

If your SEO strategy says one thing, your PPC campaigns shout another, and your website contradicts both, your prospects feel it. They won’t be able to put their finger on why they don’t trust you—but they won’t convert either.

Modern buyers move fast. If your messaging doesn’t match across every channel, they second-guess the value you offer and bounce.

We’ve worked with clients across B2B, eCommerce, and service-based sectors who faced this exact issue. Once we brought every channel into alignment—from the Google Ads headline to the email nurture flow—they saw uplift in both lead quality and conversion volume. It’s about building a seamless, reassuring experience from first click to final form fill.

Want to see congruence in action? Have a look at our case studies. 

Align Every Touchpoint in Your Funnel

Step 1: Match Your Messaging from Ad to Landing Page

If a user clicks your PPC ad promising “Free 30-Day Trial” but lands on a page with vague corporate jargon and no mention of the offer, they’ll leave. Fast.

Your paid ads, SEO content, and web pages must tell the same story. Use consistent keywords, benefits, tone, and offers. This reduces friction, builds trust, and keeps your audience engaged through to conversion.

Step 2: Keep Messaging Consistent Across All Channels

Whether it’s an organic post on LinkedIn, an email campaign, or a product page—your brand message must stay consistent. This doesn’t mean copy/pasting headlines everywhere. It means aligning the core message, value proposition, and tone across platforms.

If someone sees your PPC ad one day and reads your newsletter the next, they should feel like it’s coming from the same company with the same values and offer.

Step 3: Make Sure Your Offers Fit the Channel’s Intent

Every channel has a different psychological context. Users clicking a Google Search ad are in “solution now” mode, while those consuming your blog are information-gathering.

Don’t present the same offer in every place. Instead, adjust your presentation—urgency in PPC, depth in SEO, credibility on social. But always keep the brand voice and message congruent.

Step 4: Test, Refine, and Stay Aligned

Alignment isn’t a one-and-done. Marketing landscapes change. Offers evolve. That’s why we continuously test performance, refine messaging, and ensure congruence across all campaign layers.

Even small tweaks—like syncing ad copy with updated landing page content—can drastically improve results.

Our final thoughts

Congruence is more than consistency—it’s about creating a frictionless experience that builds trust. When your marketing sings in harmony, your prospects feel confident, understood, and ready to act.

At ROAR, we specialise in cross-channel alignment that delivers results. From automated reporting that shows real-time performance to campaign strategies tailored by intent, we ensure every channel works with your message—not against it.

Don’t let disjointed campaigns dilute your impact.

Ready to see what aligned marketing can really do? Book a free discovery call now. Let’s turn your marketing into a single, unstoppable force for conversion.

The post How to Get More Conversions with Aligned Marketing appeared first on ROAR Digital Marketing.