Question: In a Google Display ad campaign, Cynthia sees a default CPA of $20 in the account, but the actual CPA she's using to measure success is $15. What would account for the $5 difference?
- She isn't including conversions from current members.
- She's including view-through conversions.
- She doesn't have conversion tracking set up.
- She isn't including Gmail and YouTube users.
Explanation
That gap is caused by view-through conversions, which are credited after an ad impression even when there was no ad click. In Google Ads, those conversions are reported separately from the main Conversions column and can appear in All conversions. When the success metric uses a broader conversion count than the default account view, the same spend is divided by more conversions, which lowers CPA. This difference is especially relevant in the Google Display Network, where impression-based influence is a standard part of measurement. Google Help+2Google Help+2
Why the other options are incorrect
A) Excluding existing customers or members changes measurement scope, but it is not the standard Google Ads reporting reason for this specific CPA difference.
C) Without conversion tracking, a usable CPA metric would not be produced consistently, so this does not fit a case where both CPA figures already exist.
D) Gmail and YouTube reach affect where ads can appear, but they do not create this specific reporting difference between default CPA and a success CPA calculation.
Source for verification
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/16542520
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3419678
The answer(s) to the question is highlighted in the BOLD text above. You can also find more questions and answers related to the exams on the "Google Ads Display Professional Certification" page.