Do you notice a difference between your Google Analytics and Google Adsense stats? These numbers will always be slightly different under normal circumstances.
Follow this guide to learn why this discrepancy happens, how to minimize the differences in numbers, and why some variances are unavoidable and considered normal:
- 3 Steps To Minimize The Stats Differences Between Google Analytics and Google Adsense
- Some Differences Between Google Analytics and Adsense are Normal and Inevitable, What Causes Those Differences
- What’s Next?
3 Steps To Minimize The Stats Differences Between Google Analytics and Google Adsense
To minimize your Google Analytics and Adsense discrepancies follow these steps.
Step 1: Integrate your Google Analytics with your Adsense account. Follow our guide: Integrating Analytics With Your AdSense Account.
Step 2: When you connect your accounts for the first time, you’ll need to wait for the mandatory 48 hours for your Adsense and Analytics accounts to finish linking.
Once done, any legitimate traffic that Adsense is sending will begin to show.
Step 3: If there is a difference in numbers you can try using Google’s automated troubleshooter to figure out the issue: Adsense Troubleshooter
Some Differences Between Google Analytics and Adsense are Normal and Inevitable, Here’s What Causes Them
Between your Analytics and Adsense accounts, there will be differences under normal circumstances.
Google’s Adsense Support lists the following as some of the causes (this is not a complete list):
Separate JavaScript code:
Both Adsense and Analytics use JavaScript Tracking, but they are separate snippets of code. If Analytics loads in the header, while Adsense is in the footer, a website visitor might click “back” before the footer is fully loaded. Therefore, only one Javascript Tracking will fire. In general, because of the separate snippets of code, there is a chance one tracking code will trigger while the other doesn’t.
Iframes:
If your website visitors are using a browser that doesn’t support iframes, then your Adsense impression for this user won’t be tracked. AdSense uses an iframe to serve ads, and as a result, you might see more pageviews in Analytics than in Adsense.
Security or Ad-blocking software:
If your website visitors have ad-blocking software installed as a browser extension, VPN or users are using an ad-blocking web browser, your AdSense impressions will be decreased.
Time zone:
If the timezone for your Analytics and Adsense account is different, then you’ll see different data for the same time when viewing reports.
Analytics Views and Filters:
In Analytics, you can create a View and apply filters to filter out data. If you’re viewing reports in a View that has a filter applied, corresponding Adsense data may be missing, but these numbers will still be available in Adsense.
Read more here: Why do my statistics differ between AdSense and Analytics?.
Lastly, if you’re testing your Adsense referrals while you’re logged into your WordPress, then ExactMetrics won’t track any activity. By default, ExactMetrics will not track logged-in Administrators or Editors to avoid skewing data. This can be adjusted in ExactMetrics » Settings » Advanced » Permissions.
What’s Next?
You did it! You learned why your Analytics and Adsense stats may vary and how you can try to minimize the difference.
What’s next? Get started with the ExactMetrics Ads Addon here: How to Get Started With the Ads Addon