Speeding Up the Ad Experience with Parallel Tracking

Google's fixation on accelerating the digital experience can sometimes seem like it borders on the neurotic - but let's just trust that they have consumers and their best interests at heart.

In October, Google AdWords announced a pending change to the way it will handle tracking parameters that are appended to AdWords landing page URLs. That's a good thing, particularly for those who are obsessed with measuring the digital experience.

Too many tracking codes, of course, can really slow down page load times which, as any semi-savvy Web professional can tell you, negatively impacts campaign performance. Since Google is obviously concerned about ensuring that AdWords customers have no reason at all to blame their service for poor performance of any sort, it is introducing what is known as parallel tracking.

Instead of processing the tracking with the landing page, parallel tracking will process the tracking URL, the AdWords click tracker and any possible redirects in the background while users are sent directly to the landing page. That differs dramatically from the current approach where the tracking URL, AdWords click tracker and redirects load before the user ever sees the landing page.

Parallel tracking will reportedly roll out this year, and only be available for Search Network and Shopping Campaigns, but it won't actually be the default tracking method until early 2018.