Dive Brief: 

• Google's new metric, "estimated cross-device conversions," will help AdWords users understand how search ads are connecting with online sales. 
• The metric seeks to connect a user searching for an item on their smartphone or tablet, clicking on an ad and later making the purchase via a desktop, and vice-versa. 
• Google gathers the data from users who are signed in and then extrapolates the data to offer an estimate of all search ad conversions. 

Dive Insight: 

Any steps forward in the process to understand the search ad conversion rate is a positive one for marketers and advertisers. The ability to track users across devices is another smart move forward by Google. It will be interesting to see now that the metric is rolling out of beta, how well Google is at extrapolating the data from signed in users to give advertisers an accurate picture.