How to Set Up Google Ads Conversion Tracking
Conversion tracking tells Google Ads which clicks lead to valuable actions on your website — purchases, form submissions, phone calls, or any other goal. Without it, you cannot measure ROI or use smart bidding. Setup involves creating a conversion action in Google Ads, then installing the tracking t
Quick Summary
Conversion tracking tells Google Ads which clicks lead to valuable actions on your website — purchases, form submissions, phone calls, or any other goal. Without it, you cannot measure ROI or use smart bidding. Setup involves creating a conversion action in Google Ads, then installing the tracking tag on your website (either directly or through Google Tag Manager). Always use a "purchase" or "submit_lead_form" conversion for your primary goal, and set it as a primary conversion so Google's algorithms optimise toward it.
Process Flow
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Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these 8 steps to complete this guide
Why Conversion Tracking Is Non-Negotiable
Set up conversion tracking before you launch any campaign.
Types of Conversions You Can Track
Phone calls: Track calls made from call extensions, call-only ads, or clicks on phone numbers on your website.
App installs and in-app actions: Track when users install your app or take actions within it.
Imported conversions: Bring in conversion data from other systems like your CRM.
Offline conversions: Upload offline conversion data to match ad clicks with real-world outcomes like in-store purchases or signed contracts.
Method 1: Google Ads Tag (Direct Installation)
In Google Ads, go to Goals > Conversions > Summary. Click the blue "+" button and select "Website." Enter your website URL and click Scan. Choose to set up conversions manually for full control.
Step 2: Configure the Conversion Action
Goal and action optimisation: Choose the category that matches your conversion. For lead generation, select "Submit lead form." For e-commerce, select "Purchase."
Conversion name: Give it a clear, descriptive name like "Contact Form Submission" or "Product Purchase."
Value: Assign a monetary value to the conversion. For e-commerce, use dynamic values that track the actual transaction amount. For lead generation, estimate the average value of a lead based on your close rate and average deal size.
Count: Choose "One" for lead generation (one form submission per user counts as one conversion). Choose "Every" for e-commerce (each purchase counts separately).
Click-through conversion window: How long after a click a conversion can be attributed. The default is 30 days, which works for most businesses.
Attribution model: Choose "Data-driven" if your account has enough conversion data. Otherwise, "Last click" is the default.
Primary vs Secondary: Mark your main business conversions as "Primary" — these are the conversions Google's smart bidding will optimise toward.
Step 3: Install the Tag
After creating the conversion action, Google gives you two code snippets. The Google tag (gtag.js) is the base tag that goes on every page of your site in the `<head>` section. The event snippet fires on the specific page or action that represents a conversion — place it on your thank-you page or trigger it on the conversion action.
Method 2: Google Tag Manager (Recommended)
Follow the same steps as Method 1 above — create and configure the conversion action in Google Ads.
Step 2: Note Your Conversion Details
After creating the conversion action, click into it and note the Conversion ID (format: AW-XXXXXXXXXX) and Conversion Label (format: AbCdEfGhIjKlMnOp).
Step 3: Set Up the Tag in GTM
Open Google Tag Manager, click Tags > New, choose "Google Ads Conversion Tracking" as the tag type, and enter your Conversion ID and Conversion Label.
Step 4: Create a Trigger
Common triggers include a Page View trigger for your thank-you page, a Form Submission trigger, or a custom event pushed to the Data Layer.
Step 5: Test with Preview Mode
Before publishing, always test in GTM's Preview Mode. Click Preview, enter your website URL, perform the conversion action, and verify the conversion tag fires correctly. Once confirmed, publish.
Method 3: Import Conversions from GA4
Setting Up Enhanced Conversions
To enable, go to Goals > Conversions > Settings, turn on Enhanced conversions, choose your implementation method, and configure which user data fields to collect.
Verifying Your Conversion Tracking
Google Ads Conversion Status: Each conversion action shows a status — "Recording conversions" (working), "Unverified" (tag not detected), or "Inactive" (no conversions in the past 7 days).
GTM Preview Mode: Shows exactly which tags fire on each page and event.
Test Conversion: Complete a test conversion yourself and check if it appears in Google Ads within 24 hours.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting
Conversions recording but numbers seem low: Check your conversion window, counting method, and whether enhanced conversions are enabled.
Duplicate conversions: Check that the conversion tag is not firing multiple times per page load.
Conversion value is always zero: Ensure you are passing the value parameter correctly with dynamic values from your checkout or data layer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this topic
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