• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, May 8, 2018

AdWords now allows advertisers to enable parallel tracking, which helps to load landing pages more quickly and reduce bounce rates.

Parallel tracking -- an option for advertisers using click measurement for Search Network and Shopping campaigns -- sends those who click directly on the advertisement to the landing page. Measuring the click occurs in the background without initially sending it to the tracking URLs.

Google says it helps reduce lost visits that can happen if a customer clicks on an ad but never sees the landing page because they navigate away before the redirect from the tracking URL completes its task, Anash Oommen, software engineer on the AdWords API team at Google, wrote in a post.

Oommen explains that all ads running third-party click measurement will begin using parallel tracking at an unspecified later date, but companies should ensure that the platforms are compatible to give advertisers enough time to migrate campaigns.

“If you implement your own click measurement server or provide this service to your customers, refer to our newly published guide for help with implementation,” he wrote, suggesting that advertiser using a third-party measurement solution should reach out to their service provider to prepare for the switch.

Protecting consumer data has become a major focus for Google, mostly to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations, which the European Union will begin enforcing on May 25.

Earlier this week Google placed restrictions on media buyers who use its data transfer service and DoubleClick ID. The company said it will no longer allow buyers to use the DoubleClick ID when using its data transfer service.