In Google Analytics, Cross-network is a default channel group that identifies traffic arriving at your website or app via paid advertisements displayed across a variety of different advertising networks.
This channel consolidates data from advertising efforts that span multiple platforms, providing a holistic view of user acquisition from diverse ad placements. Rather than isolating performance by individual networks, "Cross-network" groups these paid touchpoints together.
How Does Cross-network Traffic Originate?
Cross-network traffic typically originates from ad campaigns running on various platforms, which can include:
- Search Networks: Ads appearing on search engine results pages (e.g., Google Search Ads).
- Display Networks: Visual ads served on websites, apps, and video content across the internet (e.g., Google Display Network, YouTube).
- Other Integrated Networks: Any other ad platforms that Google Analytics can track as part of a multi-network advertising strategy.
Understanding Its Importance
The "Cross-network" channel is crucial for marketers and analysts because it:
- Simplifies Reporting: Offers a consolidated view of your overall paid ad performance, making it easier to track the combined impact of campaigns running across different networks.
- Highlights Integrated Strategy: Helps you understand the effectiveness of your integrated advertising strategies that leverage multiple platforms simultaneously.
- Informs Budget Allocation: By seeing the aggregated performance, you can better assess the ROI of your broader ad spend across varied channels.
It's a high-level categorization that helps you quickly gauge how well your diverse ad campaigns are driving traffic to your digital properties.
