If you’re running Google Ads campaigns, understanding how well your ads are performing is crucial. This is where conversion tracking comes in. Conversion tracking allows you to measure the actions users take after clicking on your ads—whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a contact form. Without tracking these actions, it’s nearly impossible to gauge the true effectiveness of your ads and optimise them for better performance.
This guide will walk you through the steps to set up conversion tracking for your Google Ads campaigns, so you can start measuring your results and improving your return on investment (ROI).
What is Conversion Tracking in Google Ads?
Conversion tracking is a tool in Google Ads that tracks and reports the actions people take after interacting with your ads. These actions, called “conversions,” can include anything from a purchase on your website to a phone call or app download.
Why You Need Conversion Tracking:
- Measure ROI: Understand how much value your ads are generating in terms of actual customer actions.
- Optimise Campaigns: Use data to improve your ads, adjust bids, and focus on ads that drive the most value.
- Track Multiple Conversions: Track different types of conversions, such as purchases, sign-ups, calls, and more, to get a full picture of your campaign’s impact.
How to Set Up Conversion Tracking in Google Ads: Step-by-Step
Setting up conversion tracking in Google Ads is easier than you might think. Follow these step-by-step instructions to start tracking and optimising your campaigns.
Step 1: Access Your Google Ads Account
First, log into your Google Ads account. If you don’t already have an account, you’ll need to create one at ads.google.com.
Step 2: Navigate to the Conversions Section
- Click on the Tools & Settings icon (the wrench) in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Under the “Measurement” column, select Conversions.
This will take you to the conversions page, where you can manage all your conversion tracking settings.
Step 3: Create a New Conversion Action
- Click the + New Conversion Action button.
- Google Ads will give you four conversion types to choose from:
- Website: Track actions taken on your website, like purchases or form submissions.
- App: Track conversions from your mobile app.
- Phone Calls: Track calls made from your ads or your website.
- Import: Track conversions that happen offline after a lead interacts with your online ads (e.g., in-store purchases).
For most users, you’ll want to select Website if you’re tracking purchases, form submissions, or other actions on your website.
Step 4: Set Up Your Conversion Action
Once you’ve chosen Website as your conversion type, you’ll need to configure your conversion action.
- Name Your Conversion: Give your conversion a name (e.g., “Purchase” or “Form Submission”) so you can easily identify it later.
- Category: Choose a category for the conversion (e.g., Purchase, Lead, Page View).
- Value: If your conversion has a monetary value (such as a purchase), you can assign a value to each conversion. If not, you can choose to track conversions without a value.
- Count: Choose whether to count every conversion or only one conversion per interaction. For purchases, you’ll likely want to count every conversion, but for leads, you may only want to count one.
- Conversion Window: Set how long after an ad interaction you want to track conversions. The default is 30 days, but you can adjust it based on your needs.
- Attribution Model: Choose an attribution model to determine how credit is assigned to different ads for a conversion. The default is “Last Click,” but you can experiment with other models like “Linear” or “Time Decay.”
Step 5: Install the Google Ads Conversion Tracking Tag
After you’ve set up your conversion action, Google will prompt you to install the conversion tracking tag on your website. This is a small snippet of code that you will need to add to the pages where you want to track conversions (usually the “thank you” or confirmation page after a purchase or form submission).
There are two ways to do this:
- Install the Tag Manually: Google Ads will provide you with a snippet of HTML code that you can copy and paste into the header section of your website. You can do this yourself if you’re familiar with HTML or ask your web developer to do it for you.
- Use Google Tag Manager: If you’re using Google Tag Manager, you can easily add the conversion tracking tag through the Tag Manager interface without having to modify your website’s code.
Pro Tip: Always test your tracking setup to ensure it’s working correctly before you launch your campaign. Google Ads provides tools to verify your tag installation and track conversions in real-time.
How to Track Different Types of Conversions
Google Ads allows you to track various types of conversions, depending on your business goals. Here’s how to set up tracking for the most common conversion types:
1. Website Conversions
As mentioned earlier, website conversions include actions like purchases, form submissions, or newsletter sign-ups. Use the Google Ads conversion tracking tag (or Google Tag Manager) to track these actions.
2. Phone Call Conversions
If your business relies on phone calls for leads or sales, you can track when users call your business from your ads. There are a few ways to set up call tracking in Google Ads:
- Call Extensions: Add a phone number to your ad so that users can call directly from the ad. Google Ads will track these calls as conversions.
- Call Tracking on Website: If users call your business after visiting your website, you can use a dynamic number insertion (DNI) to track those calls as conversions. This requires setting up a Google forwarding number.
3. App Conversions
If you’re promoting a mobile app, you can track app installs and in-app actions as conversions. You’ll need to link your app to Google Ads and install the necessary app tracking code (SDK) to start tracking conversions.
4. Offline Conversions
Some businesses track conversions that happen offline, such as in-store purchases or consultations. You can import offline conversions into Google Ads by uploading data from your CRM system or other tracking sources, connecting online ad interactions to offline sales.
Optimising Your Campaigns Using Conversion Data
Now that you’ve set up conversion tracking, you can use this data to optimise your Google Ads campaigns. Here’s how:
1. Adjust Your Bids
Use conversion data to adjust your bids and focus on the keywords, ads, and audiences that are driving the most conversions. You can also enable Smart Bidding, which uses machine learning to optimise bids for conversions.
2. Refine Your Targeting
If certain demographics or locations are converting more than others, adjust your targeting settings to focus on the most valuable audience segments.
3. A/B Test Your Ads
Use conversion data to test different ad creatives, headlines, and CTAs. Run A/B tests to see which ads drive the most conversions and optimise accordingly.
4. Track Conversion Rates
Keep an eye on your conversion rate (the percentage of clicks that result in a conversion). A low conversion rate may indicate that your landing page or offer needs improvement.
FAQs
1. How does Google Ads conversion tracking work?
Google Ads conversion tracking works by placing a tracking code (or tag) on your website or app. This tag tracks when users take specific actions (like making a purchase or filling out a form) after clicking on your ad, allowing you to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.
2. What types of conversions can I track with Google Ads?
You can track various types of conversions with Google Ads, including website actions (e.g., purchases, form submissions), phone calls, mobile app installs and in-app actions, and offline conversions (e.g., in-store purchases).
3. Do I need a developer to set up Google Ads conversion tracking?
If you’re comfortable adding a small piece of code to your website, you may not need a developer. However, if you’re unfamiliar with HTML or using Google Tag Manager, it’s a good idea to ask a developer for help.
4. Can I track multiple conversions in one Google Ads campaign?
Yes, you can track multiple types of conversions within a single Google Ads campaign. For example, you can track both purchases and form submissions, and even assign different values to each type of conversion.
5. How do I know if my Google Ads conversion tracking is working?
Google Ads provides tools to test and verify your conversion tracking setup. You can check the status of your conversion tags in the “Conversions” section of Google Ads, and use real-time reporting to see if conversions are being tracked correctly.
Conclusion
Setting up conversion tracking for Google Ads is essential if you want to measure and optimise your campaign performance. By tracking conversions, you can see exactly which ads and keywords are driving valuable actions, and make data-driven decisions to improve your ROI. Follow the steps outlined in this guide, and you’ll be on your way to better campaign insights and results.
Now that you know how to set up conversion tracking, it’s time to start using this powerful tool to grow your business!
