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What Happens After the Click? Measuring Google Ad Grant Traffic Before Final Stage Conversions

The Google Ad Grant is a powerful tool for charities, offering the opportunity to appear at the top of relevant Google search results without the usual advertising cost.

However, as campaign strategies become more automated and driven by AI, quantifying impact is not always straightforward. 

Standard performance metrics like clicks and impressions often do not tell the full story, particularly when conversions can be difficult to measure.

At FARRER, we are always looking ahead, working to unlock the right metrics that help us understand how campaigns are performing so we can optimise and build on what is working.

A successful Google Ad Grant relies on strong website content, with the key to growth being the ongoing discovery of new audiences to reach.

One metric we have honed in on, particularly when measuring the quality of traffic in relation to the content on site, is duration.

Time on Site

Time on site tells you something very simple and very useful: did the person who clicked through actually find the content relevant?

It is a helpful way to qualify both the quality of your traffic and the effectiveness of your content. If someone stays, scrolls and reads, there is a good chance the page answered their query. If they leave immediately, it probably did not.

Whether you are using the Google Ad Grant or any paid media budget, time on site gives us another way to measure impact. 

This is as simple as setting it up in your GA4 Account:

How to Set Up a GA4 Event to Measure Time on Site

  1. Log in to GA4
     Go to your property in Google Analytics.
  2. Go to Admin → Events
     Click Create event and then Create.
  3. Name your custom event
     Example: long_session or engaged_visit.
  4. Set the condition
     Choose an existing event like session_start or page_view.
  5. Add a time condition using the timer trigger
     To track visits over a certain duration, you’ll need Google Tag Manager (GA4 alone doesn’t natively trigger based on time).

What That Looks Like in Practice

One of the most effective uses of the Grant is to find pockets of search demand that are not yet reflected on your website, and to build content around those terms. But that only works if the people who arrive stick around, we have to monitor this regularly which we do via our FARRER dashboards.

A recent example of this in action is our work with Climate Group, a global non-profit with a strong B2B focus.

We worked with them to identify further relevant search terms their website did not yet address. Together, we developed new content and structured campaigns around those topics using the Google Ad Grant.

Here is what has happened since:

  • Last month, they recorded their highest monthly spend since October, reaching nearly $9k Google Ad Grant spends
  • They achieved their highest traffic levels in two years, despite recent shifts in search behaviour and algorithm updates
  • Most importantly, engagement metrics showed a clear improvement.

A comparison year on year:

  • Average time on site has increased by over 45% 
  • In the most recent two-month period, time on site has been nearly 60% higher than during the same period last year
  • These gains follow new content rollouts and improved targeting, not short-term boosts

It is a strong indication that the new content is attracting the right audience, providing the information and audience is looking for on Google and that those users are finding value once they land.

What This Tells Us

There is no complicated formula here. If someone finds what they are looking for, they will stay. If not, they will not. That is why we treat time on site as a core engagement signal, particularly when conversion data alone can be cloudy.

It helps answer two essential questions:

  • Are we attracting the right kind of traffic?
  • Is the content doing its job once they arrive?

The Takeaway

  • Not all clicks are equal, quality matters
  • Content should reflect real search demand, not assumptions
  • Engagement metrics like duration provide valuable insight when conversions are limited
  • If people are staying longer, it is usually because the content is serving its purpose.

Looking to Get More from Your Google Ad Grant?

The Google Ad Grant is most powerful when it is used strategically, not just to generate traffic but to deliver meaningful engagement.

If your charity is using the Grant but struggling to measure its true impact, we would be happy to take a look. We work with organisations to help them structure campaigns, build relevant content and interpret what the numbers are really saying.

The Farrer Charity Programme is committed to helping charities maximise their impact through paid media. If you’d like to discuss your current strategy or anything covered in this post, we’d be happy to help.

Book a call with Ollie

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