Google and Meta's automated ad tools grade their own results, one analyst argues
In an Oct. 7 essay, marketing measurement lead Karan argues that Google's Performance Max and Meta's Advantage+, automated campaigns that choose your audiences and placements, also count and report their own results. He notes Google cut the minimum budget for a lift test, which withholds ads from a random group to measure true impact, to about $5,000 in May 2025.
Why it matters
If you run either tool, the dashboard can credit sales from people who searched your business name or already buy from you. Research he cites suggests ads often did not cause those sales.
Your moveBefore raising your budget, compare last month's platform-reported conversions with your actual sales records.
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