A method in paid search campaigns where tracking occurs in the background without slowing landing page load time.
Ever notice how fast a page loads after you click on a Google ad? That’s not an accident. I am going to let you in on a little secret called parallel tracking. I will explain exactly what is parallel tracking, why it makes your website faster, and how to make sure it is set up correctly. This will help you get more value from your paid advertising and give your customers a better experience, no matter what kind of website you have.
What is Parallel Tracking?
Parallel tracking is a way that search engines, like Google, improve the loading speed of my website after someone clicks on an ad. Before, when a person clicked an ad, they were sent to a special tracking URL first, and then redirected to my website. This extra step added a little bit of delay. With parallel tracking, the tracking happens in the background while the user is already loading my website. It is like two things happening at once.
In simple terms, it gets a user to my website much faster. This faster loading time is important because a slow website can cause a user to click away before it even loads. By making my website load quickly, I can get more sales and leads from my ads. It is a win-win for everyone.
Why it is so important
Google found that a faster mobile site can lead to more conversions. Parallel tracking is a direct effort to improve that experience for users who click on ads. A faster page means a better user experience, which leads to more sales and a better return on my ad spend. I do not have to worry about my tracking slowing down my website and losing a customer.
Parallel Tracking and Different CMS Platforms
Parallel tracking is a setting that I manage inside my advertising platform, like Google Ads. It does not require any special changes to my website’s code. However, I always make sure my CMS is ready to handle the faster traffic and that my tracking is set up correctly to record a conversion.
WordPress
With WordPress, my main job is to ensure my Google Ads conversion tracking code is installed correctly. I can use a plugin or add the code myself to the theme. Once that is done, parallel tracking works automatically. The speed boost from parallel tracking just helps my pages load even faster for my ad clicks.
Shopify & Wix
Shopify and Wix make this very easy for me. I can connect my store to my Google Ads account. Once I do that, all the tracking is managed for me automatically. I do not have to worry about any code. The parallel tracking is a default setting that works behind the scenes to help my product pages load quickly for my ad clicks.
Webflow & Custom CMS
With a custom CMS or Webflow, I have to be more hands-on. I make sure I am using a clean, fast theme and that my website code is optimized. I can also manually place my conversion tracking code on my website pages. Parallel tracking just speeds up the process for my ad traffic. My job is to ensure my site is ready for the speed.
Parallel Tracking in Different Industries
The benefits of parallel tracking are universal. A faster website is a better website for everyone. I use parallel tracking to get more value from my advertising efforts across every industry.
Ecommerce
For my ecommerce store, every second counts. A slow-loading product page can lose a sale. Parallel tracking helps get customers to my product pages instantly. This makes the shopping experience smoother, which can lead to more sales and a higher return on my ad spend.
Local Businesses
A local business often relies on mobile search. I know that people on their phones are not patient. Parallel tracking helps get my local service pages to load quickly after a user clicks my ad. This means they can find my phone number or my address faster, which is what I want them to do.
SaaS & Blogs
As a SaaS company, I use parallel tracking to get users to my free trial page or my product features page faster. As a blogger, I use it to get people to my best articles. In both cases, a faster load time means a better user experience. This helps me get more sign-ups or longer on-site time from my ads.
FAQ
Q1: Do I need to set up parallel tracking myself?
A: Most of the time, no. Parallel tracking is a default setting in Google Ads and other major advertising platforms. It is turned on for all new accounts. I should just check my campaign settings to make sure it is on if I am using an old account.
Q2: How do I know if parallel tracking is working?
A: I can use a tool like Google PageSpeed Insights to check my page speed. I will not see a direct number for parallel tracking. Instead, I will just see the overall improvement in my page’s loading time for ad traffic. The main benefit is fewer lost clicks due to a slow page.
Q3: Does parallel tracking replace my conversion tracking?
A: No. Parallel tracking is a way to send traffic to my website faster. My conversion tracking, like a Google Ads tag or a special link, is still needed to tell me what happens after the user arrives on my site. They work together to get my visitors to my site quickly and track what they do once they are there.
