Using Google ads is a great way to increase leads for all types of businesses. One of the best ways to track leads is using key events within Google analytics and importing these same conversions into Google ads. However, oftentimes there are discrepancies in reporting in Google ads because Google ads has additional conversions that are not able to register within Google analytics. Here are some instances where the conversions may differ when looking at Google analytics and Google ads.
You are using conversion tags within Google ads that do not record in GA4.
Google ads has built in functionality to record conversions using a Google tag. These conversions are only visible within your Google ads dashboard. You can use these Google tags to fire for various instances including when someone fills out a contact form and then redirects to a thank you page.
You are using data driven attribution to record your conversions.
When attribution is enabled in Google ads your conversions are weighted if a user visits your website multiple times via different sources. An example could be when someone clicks on your ad to visit the website and then returns to the website via an organic search at a later time and converts.
You have calls from ads (call extensions) enabled
Google has a great feature called call extensions. Call extensions allow a clickable phone number or call button to appear on your ad. Since the potential customer would be calling directly from the ad, there would be no conversion that registers within Google analytics. With a “calls from ads” conversion enabled you are also able to set a minimum time that a call must be connected in order to record as conversion to help eliminate robo calls or intentional spam calls.
You are using lead forms
Similar to calls from ads, lead forms allow potential customers to fill out a lead form directly on the Google search page without the need to to visit the website and fill out a contact form.
You did not import your conversions from Google Analytics 4
When setting up a Google ad account one important step is to connect Google Analytics 4 to the ad account. This allows you to have access to GA4 data including audiences, time on site and site navigation. More importantly, linking Google ads and GA4 allows you to directly import any of key events that were set up in GA4.
Your Google Analytics 4 conversion renamed
Occasionally it is necessary to change the name of the key event that registers in GA4. If the conversion name does change, you will need to import the new conversion into Google ads.
Whether you rely on Google ads directly or Google Analytics 4 to record your website leads and conversions it is important to understand why there may be discrepancies and how to report the data accurately to clients.
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Contact Boston Web Marketing today to learn more about how to optimize the performance and tracking of your Google Ads campaigns! Call us at (857) 526-0096 or fill out the contact form on our website, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!