LinkedIn is a powerful platform with 1 billion active members dedicated to building and engaging professional networks. Although its bidding strategy can be expensive, the investment is worthwhile as it ensures your campaign reaches influential decision-makers, maximizing conversions and return on investment (ROI).
However, ensuring your brand's voice reaches the target audience through a LinkedIn campaign is only part of the equation. The real impact comes from tracking performance and making data-driven decisions. Instead of manually generating reports, consider connecting LinkedIn Ads to Google Sheets to automate the process.
This guide explains how to do just that, saving time, simplifying reporting, and helping you scale your efforts more effectively.
How to connect LinkedIn to Google Sheets and Automate It
This article will take you through simple and efficient methods to extract data from LinkedIn Ads to Google Sheets. To get started, install the Two Minute Reports (TMR) add-on to Google Sheets. Here’s a step-by-step installation tutorial: How to install TMR
Once installed, you can proceed to follow two primary methods:
- Method 1: Connecting LinkedIn Ads to Google Sheets using the Sidebar
- Method 2: Connecting LinkedIn Ads to Google Sheets using in-built templates
Method 1: Connecting LinkedIn Ads data to Google Sheets using Two Minutes Report Sidebar
Step 1: Creating a Connection to your source
- Open a new Google Sheet and launch TMR from the extensions menu. The TMR sidebar will appear on the right side.
Note: The sidebar serves as the primary interface for TMR with all its features.
- Navigate to the menu dropdown in the TMR sidebar and click Connections. Next, click Add to create a new Connection.
- The ‘Adding new Connection’ dialog box appears. Here, we will perform three key steps to establish a Connection in Google Sheets, which takes less than 2 minutes:
- Selecting the LinkedIn Ads Connector
- Authentication
- Mapping your LinkedIn account with the respective Connector
- Select LinkedIn Ads Connector from the list of options. Next, authorize your Connection by specifying your login credentials.
- Once you’ve successfully authenticated, you’ll see a screen displaying your Account name, ID, Connection name, and Status, as shown below:
- Enable the toggle for the accounts for which you want to run queries. Please note that you cannot extract data from disabled accounts.
Note: Once you’ve enabled the associated accounts, you can hit “Refresh Connections” to ensure the connected accounts are reflected in the TMR sidebar.
With the Connection established, the next crucial step is to create a query. Let’s explore how to do that.
Step 2: Creating a query and report configuration
To pull your LinkedIn Ads performance data, navigate to the Data Queries section and create a new query.
- Click Add and choose the respective LinkedIn accounts to analyze your ad performance.
Note: You can manage multiple client accounts under one roof. Simply select one or more accounts to analyze and gather ad insights.
- Alternatively, navigate to the Clients section. Add your client and map their corresponding LinkedIn account.
- Click on “Manage Clients” and map the necessary account details. Once done, click “Save & Close” to save your client’s details for future reference.
- Next, add the LinkedIn Ads metrics and dimensions you want to analyze. Once done, select the date range for which you want to analyze ad performance.
- Next, you have to configure your data reporting by choosing how to customize it. You can also organize and filter your data from within the sidebar.
- Once you finish the above steps, click Run Query to visualize the output. This query fetches the data from the data source onto the sheet and cell of your choice.
Pro TMR Tip: Run all your queries directly from the Extensions menu on your Google Sheets. Go to Extensions > Two Minute Reports > choose your desired quick action.
While creating a report through the sidebar is quite straightforward, there’s also an option to streamline the process further. Let’s look at how to utilize built-in templates for reporting on LinkedIn Ads.
Method 2: Get LinkedIn Ads to Google Sheets using Templates
Two Minute Reports offers pre-built templates that help you create visual reports quickly. Each template is engineered with the right combination of KPIs and visual aids to serve specific purposes, such as providing an overview or tracking a specific item.
| To use Two Minute Reports templates, create a Connection and authorize it from Step 1 in the previous method. |
- Once the Connection is created and authorized, you can access the Templates Gallery from the Two Minute Reports sidebar menu.
Note: You can also open the Templates Gallery directly from Extensions > Two Minute Reports > Templates
- In the Template Gallery, you can filter the template that fits your purpose by category or data source. You can also search for specific templates if you have something in mind.
- Once you find the right template, click “Use” to build your template. Then, choose the preferred data source and the relevant Accounts.
- Name your report and click “Submit” to create the report.
Note: Your report will be created in a new Google Spreadsheet.
- Once done, click View Report to open your template in Google Sheets.
- Your new report opens up. Next, click Extensions > Two Minute Reports > Run all queries to update your template with data within the date range.
- Once the queries are complete, the template will be updated with your data.
Scheduling data refresh and emails
So far, you have:
- Installed Two Minute Reports (TMR)
- Created a Data Source (LinkedIn Ads) in TMR
- Created and executed a Data Query that fetches your data
Now you have your data in your Google Spreadsheet. The next time you need fresh data, you can run the query again.
Or you can automate your data queries.
With the “Schedule Refresh” feature, TMR runs automatically, constantly refreshing your queries to your desired date, time, and duration. This feature is convenient for sending emails or refreshing your spreadsheets with live data and using them as a dashboard.
Here’s how you set this feature up.
- Click on the menu and then on Schedule Reports to open the section. From this section, you can create a “Schedule,” an instruction for Two Minute Reports to run the query automatically.
- Name the Schedule and choose the time interval between the data refreshes. From this section, you can choose the following:
- You want your data daily, weekly, or monthly
- The designated day for the refresh
- The time for refresh
- Choose the Action for every data refresh— choose whether you need an email notification for every refresh.
- Then choose the relevant sheet for the refresh and type in your email (in case you need an email notification)
- You can also choose to specify the reporting format. You can insert the sheet content in the email body, attach the selected sheet as a PDF or Excel file, or attach the spreadsheet as an Excel file.
- Save the refresh and ensure that TMR will refresh your data at the desired intervals.
Continue reading about this feature: “How to Refresh Data Automatically in Google Sheets.”
Use our quick templates for Google Sheets
1. Account Based marketing report for LinkedIn Ads
This is an Account Based Marketing Report that includes insights on the Top 10 Companies, such as Reach, Engagement, Engagement Rate, and Leads. Additionally, you will receive cumulative scorecards. This simple, single-paged report can assess your account performance in just 2 minutes. Why not click on the preview and see for yourself?
2. Comprehensive Insights for different LinkedIn Ad Types
Checkout our new LinkedIn Comprehensive Insights Template for different ad types. This report provides valuable KPIs, and insights including Performance Overview Funnel, Top 5 and Bottom 5 performing creatives, Video Demographics, and more. You'll also find Funnel views of Sponsored Content Performance and detailed infographics of sponsored InMail. Finally, demographic data is provided for Impressions, Clicks, Engagements, Leads, Conversions, and Viral Impressions with respect to Company size, Country, Industry, Job Function, Seniority, and Job title. Click on the preview button to start using this template right away.
Why import LinkedIn Ads to your Google Sheets
Importing LinkedIn Ads to Google Sheets offers innumerable benefits. When users create automated workflow, they not only boost their LinkedIn ads performance and analytic prowess but enable a seamless link between their Google Sheets and LinkedIn Ads. You can tap into vast capabilities, enhancing companies’ marketing strategies. Here’s why you must import LinkedIn Ads to your Google sheets.
Navigate Marketing Success in Minutes
Experience the seamless interface of Two Minute Reports, crafted to best companies’ marketing needs. Generate and monitor your marketing campaigns swiftly and analyze conversions. It requires no extensive training or technical expertise, owing to easy to use capabilities.
Unleash Robust Reporting with Google Sheets
Our Two Minutes Report offers formidable functionalities along with secure infrastructure of Two Minute Reports. It strategically aligns with BI platforms developed through Google Sheets.
LinkedIn Ads data discrepancies: What marketers need to know
Running LinkedIn Ads is a powerful strategy for reaching high-value B2B audiences. With LinkedIn proving to be 277% more effective for lead generation than Facebook and Twitter, it’s no surprise that businesses prioritize it for high-quality conversions. But if you’ve ever noticed that your LinkedIn Ads dashboard numbers don’t match CRM or Google Analytics reports, you’re not alone. Many advertisers experience data discrepancies, making it harder to track campaign performance accurately.
So, what’s causing these inconsistencies, and how can you fix them? Let’s break it down:
1. Conversion tracking issues
One of the biggest challenges with LinkedIn Ads is inconsistent conversion tracking. Many advertisers find that LinkedIn’s reported conversions don’t match their Google Analytics or CRM data. This often happens due to attribution gaps, where LinkedIn might claim credit for conversions that occur elsewhere.
For example, LinkedIn may still attribute the conversion to itself if a user sees your LinkedIn ad but later converts through a Google search. You should cross-check conversion data across multiple platforms and use comprehensive tracking solutions to reduce these discrepancies.
2. Audience targeting limitations
While LinkedIn is known for its precise B2B audience targeting, it lacks intent-based signals like those found in Google Ads. Unlike Google, where users actively search for products or services, LinkedIn users may not have an immediate purchase intent. Additionally, retargeting audiences on LinkedIn often turns out to be smaller than expected, which limits the reach and engagement of campaigns. This makes it essential to use multi-platform strategies and combine LinkedIn Ads with other advertising channels for a more holistic approach to audience targeting.
3. Clicks and Impressions discrepancies
Advertisers often notice a mismatch in LinkedIn’s click and impression counts compared to external analytics tools. Some reports suggest that bot traffic or inflated engagement metrics could be responsible for these discrepancies. Impression counts, in particular, may not always indicate genuine user interest—they can include bot views, accidental scrolls, auto-play video views, and passive impressions where users never truly engage with the ad. To get a more accurate picture of performance, marketers should focus on post-click metrics like session duration and conversion actions rather than relying solely on LinkedIn’s reported clicks and impressions.
4. Cost vs. ROI debate
There’s no doubt that LinkedIn Ads come at a premium cost-per-click (CPC) — 2-3x higher than Google or Facebook Ads. While this cost is justified by the platform’s ability to reach decision-makers and B2B professionals, tracking the actual ROI) remains a challenge. Many marketers struggle to determine whether their LinkedIn ad spend delivers measurable business outcomes. By integrating LinkedIn Ads data with Google Analytics and CRM systems, advertisers can better assess cost-effectiveness and optimize their campaigns accordingly.
5. Reporting and transparency Issues
Many advertisers face reporting inconsistencies when comparing LinkedIn Ads data with other platforms. In some cases, conversions that appear in LinkedIn’s reports are missing from Google Analytics or CRM data, leading to confusion over actual performance. These discrepancies often stem from differences in attribution models, tracking configurations, or data processing delays between platforms. To overcome this, marketers should regularly cross-check LinkedIn Ads data and use UTM tracking to ensure accuracy.
How to fix these discrepancies
If you want accurate performance insights, consider these steps:
- Use UTM parameters to track LinkedIn traffic precisely.
- Compare LinkedIn Ads data with other sources to detect discrepancies with Two Minute Reports.
- Run A/B tests to measure LinkedIn’s real impact compared to other ad platforms.
Top LinkedIn Ads KPIs to track in Google Sheets
Two Minute Reports gives you one of the finest data fields to fetch your PPC ad analytics from LinkedIn ads. Below are some of the most important KPIs used by our clients to build, high level analytics Report for LinkedIn Ads.
Performance
Analyze the effectiveness of your LinkedIn Ads by diving into key metrics including impressions, clicks, total spent, total engagements, CTR (Click-Through Rate), reach, CPC (Cost Per Click), CPM (Cost Per Mille), landing page clicks, and frequency and adding them to Google Sheets. Through meticulous monitoring of your campaigns, you can enhance operational efficiency and amplify Return on Investment (ROI). Generate insightful reports that offer actionable recommendations, optimizing your LinkedIn Ads strategy for sustained success.
| Title | Description |
| Impressions | This is the count of impressions for Direct Ads and Sponsored Updates and sends for InMails. |
| Clicks | The count of chargeable clicks. Despite not charging for clicks for CPM campaigns, this field still represents those clicks for which we would otherwise charge advertisers (for example, clicks to view the landing page or company page). |
| Total Spent | Cost in the account's local currency. |
| CTR | The percentage of times people saw your ad and performed a click |
Engagement
These metrics collectively enable the campaign managers to asses the effectiveness of their messaging, targeting strategies and enhance maximum audience engagement.
| Title | Description |
| Reactions | The count of positive reactions on Sponsored Updates which can capture, like, interest, praise, and other responses |
| Likes | The count of likes. Sponsored Updates only. |
| Follows | The count of follows. Sponsored Updates only. |
| Viral impressions | Viral impressions are those resulting from users sharing a sponsored update to their own network of connections. Viral impressions are not counted as regular impressions. Sponsored Updates only. |
Campaign
Connect your LinkedIn Ads to your Google Sheets to examine key details like campaign name, status, start and end time, objective type, campaign type, total and daily budget, and time of campaign creation from your LinkedIn Ads. These details offer valuable insights to gauge campaign success, allocate budgets wisely, enhance targeting objectives, and adjust bid prices effectively. Use these metrics to generate detailed and precise reports, contributing to the formulation of more efficient LinkedIn Ads strategies.
| Title | Description |
| Campaign objective type | Objective type of campaign. eg.WEBSITE_VISIT |
| Campaign cost type | Cost type, e.g. CPM |
| Campaign daily budget | Maximum amount to spend per day |
| Campaign unit cost | Amount to bid per click, impression, or other event depending on the pricing model |
One Click Lead Gen Campaigns
Boost your lead generation efforts with insights from LinkedIn Ads One-Click Lead Gen Campaigns. Keep tabs on leads, lead form opens, cost per lead, viral leads, completion rates, and viral lead form opens. Create detailed reports to enhance your LinkedIn Ads campaigns and elevate success rates.
Conversions
Examine the impact of your sponsored updates on users by analyzing engagement metrics by connecting LinkedIn Ads to your Google Sheets. Track viral impressions, comments, likes, follows, reactions, shares, and clicks to gauge how many people are interacting with your content. Leverage these insights to optimize upcoming LinkedIn Ads campaigns and enhance your Return on Investment (ROI).
| Title | Description |
| Conversions | The count of conversions indicated by pixel loads. |
| Post-click conversions | The count of post-click conversions indicated by pixel loads. |
| Cost per Conversion (CPC) | Total spent on your ads divided by total conversions |
| Return on ad spend (ROAS) | Revenue generated for ad spend (total conversion value divided by amount spent). |
Video
Analyze video views, completions, starts and percentage metrics such as 25%, 50% and 75% in LinkedIn Ads. Track users' behavior and the performance of the video ads. Add these insights to your Google Sheets and use it to improve LinkedIn ads content and increase engagement.
| Title | Description |
| Video views | A video ad playing for at least 2 continuous seconds 50% in-view, or a click on the CTA, whichever comes first. An interaction with the video (like going to fullscreen mode) does not count as a view. |
| Video starts | The count of video ads that were started by users. |
| Video 50% | The count of video ads that played through the midpoint of the video. This includes watches that skipped to this point if the serving location is ON_SITE. |
| Video completions | The count of video ads that played 97-100% of the video. This includes watches that skipped to this point if the serving location is ON_SITE. |
Demographics
Collect essential insights on LinkedIn Ads performance by analyzing engagement across member demographics, including job function, industry, country, seniority, company size, region, and name. These key details empower users to optimize ad targeting, enhance engagement strategies, and manage Cost Per Acquisitions (CPAs) in their reports. The ultimate goal is to improve overall strategy and Return on Investment (ROI).
| Title | Description |
| Company Name | Company name of LinkedIn members engaged with campaigns. |
| Industry | Industry of LinkedIn members engaged with campaigns |
| Job function | Job function of LinkedIn members engaged with campaigns.. |
| Country | Country of LinkedIn members engaged with campaigns. |
LinkedIn Ads Campaign Group
Organize your LinkedIn ads campaigns seamlessly using campaign groups. Effortlessly monitor the status, numerical ID, total budget, and start/end time of each campaign for efficient operations. Make the best use of campaign groups to systematically track costs and timelines, adjusting them based on performance data. Enhance your Return on Investment (ROI) by generating comprehensive reports on the metrics of campaign groups by adding LinkedIn Ads to your Google Sheets.
| Title | Description |
| Campaign group value | Unique numerical identifier for a campaign group. |
| Campaign group status | Status of the campaign group |
| Campaign group total budget | Maximun amount to spend across all associated campaigns and creatives for duration of campaign group. |
| Campaign group start date | Represents the inclusive date when to start running the associated campaigns under this campaign group. |
Creative
Identify LinkedIn ads creative names, IDs, titles, destination URLs, body texts, types, and statuses to closely monitor LinkedIn Ads campaign performance. Include a thorough analysis of direct sponsored content metrics by analyzing the info extracted from Google Sheets. Utilize these insights to refine future campaigns, generate comprehensive reports, and foster more effective engagement for your brand.
| Title | Description |
| Creative Id | Unique numerical identifier for the ad creative |
| Creative type | Type of the creative, e.g. TEXT_AD |
| Creative Post URL | Creative Post URL |
| Creative name | Name of the creative |
Get LinkedIn Ads data in other tools too
Two Minute Reports can be installed to integrate LinkedIn Ads data with Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio), enabling advanced data analysis and visualization.
This LinkedIn Ads add-on allows the creation of detailed reports and dashboards using insights from LinkedIn Ads without the complexity of manual data entry. Looker Studio’s customization capabilities also let users craft custom formulae in a user-friendly interface.
With seamless integration, comprehensive analytical capabilities, and automated workflows, strategic business intelligence from LinkedIn Ads has become quicker and more accessible.
Connect similar platform data sources with Google Sheets
With this add-on, you can connect 30+ data sources to Google Sheets, create additional reports, create visualizations, and build a comprehensive report.
- Facebook Ads
- Google Ads
- Snapchat Ads
