Google Ads Conversion Tracking: What Should You Count as a Conversion?

For Australian small-to-medium business owners, accurately tracking conversions in Google Ads is not just a technical task; it's .

A conversion in Google Ads is a valuable action a customer takes on your website, app, or in real life, that contributes to your business goals. This could be a purchase, a lead form submission, a phone call, or a booking. The key is to align these actions directly with your business objectives to ensure your advertising efforts are .

Primary Versus Secondary Conversion Actions: The Nexus Approach

Google Ads allows you to categorise conversion actions as either primary or secondary. This distinction is .

Primary Conversion Actions

These are the most important actions that directly contribute to your main business goals. They are used for bidding optimisation and appear in the "Conversions" column in your Google Ads reports. For an e-commerce business, a primary conversion is typically a completed purchase. For a service-based business, it might be a qualified lead form submission or a booked appointment.

Secondary Conversion Actions

These are valuable actions that support your primary goals but are not used for bidding optimisation. They provide additional insights into user engagement and the customer journey. Examples include newsletter sign-ups, brochure downloads, or viewing a key product page. While important for understanding user behaviour, including these in your primary conversions can .

Example: Service Business Conversion Hierarchy

Consider a plumbing service in Sydney. Their primary conversion might be a "Request a Quote" form submission. Secondary conversions could include "Call Us" clicks (if not directly leading to a booking), or "View Services Page" (if it indicates high intent). A "Contact Us" page visit might be a micro-conversion.

Conversion Type	Primary Action Example	Secondary Action Example
E-commerce	Purchase completed	Add to cart, Newsletter signup
Service Business	Qualified lead form submission	Phone call (non-booking), Brochure download
SaaS/Software	Free trial signup	Demo request, Feature page view

Purchases, Forms, Calls, Bookings, and Qualified Leads

These are the most common and impactful conversion types for Australian SMBs. Setting them up correctly is .

Purchases (E-commerce)

For online stores, tracking purchases is straightforward but requires passing dynamic values like transaction ID and revenue.

Forms (Lead Generation)

Whether it's a "Contact Us" form, "Request a Quote," or "Download Whitepaper," ensure each submission is tracked. Consider using different conversion actions for different form types if their value to your business varies significantly.

Calls (Phone Leads)

If phone calls are a significant source of business, track them. Google Ads offers call tracking for calls made directly from ads, calls to a Google forwarding number on your website, and even calls from your website where you implement a Google forwarding number.

Bookings (Appointments/Services)

For businesses like salons, clinics, or consultants, tracking online bookings is a primary conversion. Ensure your booking system integrates seamlessly with Google Ads or Google Tag Manager.

Qualified Leads (Offline Conversion Imports)

This is where many businesses . Not all leads are equal. If your sales process involves qualifying leads offline, importing these qualified leads back into Google Ads as conversions provides the most accurate picture of your ad effectiveness.

GA4 Imports Versus Native Google Ads Tags

The shift to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has changed how many businesses approach conversion tracking. You now have two primary methods:

Importing Conversions from GA4

Once you've set up events and marked them as conversions in GA4, you can easily import these into Google Ads. This offers several advantages:

• Consistency: Ensures your conversion data is consistent between GA4 and Google Ads.
• Flexibility: GA4's event-based model allows for highly customisable conversion definitions.
• Future-proofing: GA4 is the future of Google Analytics.

However, there can be slight data discrepancies due to different data models and attribution settings between GA4 and Google Ads.

Native Google Ads Conversion Tags

You can still implement Google Ads conversion tags directly on your website.

Enhanced Conversions and Consent Considerations

In an , enhanced conversions and user consent are .

Enhanced Conversions

Enhanced conversions by supplementing your existing conversion tags with hashed first-party customer data (like email addresses) in a privacy-safe way. This , especially in scenarios where cookies might be limited.

Consent Considerations (GDPR, CCPA, and Australian Privacy Principles)

Implement a on your website to manage user preferences and , including Australia's Privacy Act.

How Duplicate Conversions Happen and How to Avoid Them

Duplicate conversions can for actions that didn't actually occur. Common causes include:

• Page refreshes: Users refreshing a "thank you" page.
• Browser back button: Users navigating back to a "thank you" page.
• Multiple tags: Having both GA4 and native Google Ads tags firing for the same action, or multiple GA4 events for the same action.
• Testing: Repeatedly testing conversion actions without proper filtering.

Nexus Duplicate Prevention Checklist

1. Implement a unique transaction ID: For purchases, ensure each conversion has a unique transaction ID. Google Ads will only count the first conversion with a given ID.
2. Fire tags once per page load: Use Google Tag Manager to ensure tags fire only once per relevant event.
3. Exclude internal IP addresses: Filter out your own IP address from GA4 data to prevent internal testing from skewing results.
4. Review GA4 conversion settings: Ensure you haven't accidentally marked multiple similar events as conversions.

How to Test a Conversion Action

Before launching campaigns, .

Attribution and Conversion Windows

Understanding how Google Ads attributes conversions and the concept of conversion windows is for interpreting your data.

Attribution Models

Attribution models determine how credit for conversions is assigned to different touchpoints in the customer journey. Common models include:

• Last click: All credit goes to the last ad click.
• First click: All credit goes to the first ad click.
• Linear: Credit is distributed equally across all clicks.
• Time decay: More credit is given to clicks closer in time to the conversion.
• Data-driven (recommended): Uses machine learning to assign credit based on your account's data.

Nexus recommends using the data-driven attribution model whenever possible, as it provides the most of your ad performance.

Conversion Windows

A conversion window is the period after an ad interaction (click or impression) during which a conversion is recorded. For example, for example, a 30-day click-through conversion window means a conversion will be counted if it occurs within 30 days of a user clicking your ad. Adjust this based on your typical sales cycle. For high-consideration purchases, a longer window might be appropriate.

Lead Quality and Offline Conversion Imports

For many service-based businesses, the .

The Challenge of Lead Quality

This can lead to .

Nexus Lead Quality Feedback Loop

To , Nexus advocates for a "Lead Quality Feedback Loop":

A Conversion Action Naming Framework

.

Nexus Naming Convention

We recommend a structure like: [Conversion Type] - [Specific Action] - [Value/Source]

• Conversion Type: e.g., Purchase, Lead, Call, Booking
• Specific Action: e.g., Form Submit, Qualified, Website, Ad
• Value/Source: e.g., High Value, CRM, GA4

Examples:

• Purchase - Website - GA4
• Lead - Contact Form - Website
• Lead - Qualified - CRM Import
• Call - From Ads

What to Do After Fixing Tracking

Once your conversion tracking is accurate, . Here's your action plan:

Prioritised Action Plan

1. Review historical data: Understand how your new tracking impacts past performance metrics. Be aware that historical data won't change, but your interpretation of it will.
2. Adjust bidding strategies: If you've changed primary conversion actions or implemented offline imports, your automated bidding strategies will need time to learn. Consider starting with a "Target CPA" or "Maximise Conversions" strategy with a target, and monitor closely.
3. Optimise campaigns: Use your accurate conversion data to make informed decisions about keywords, ad copy, landing pages, and targeting. Focus your budget on what's truly driving your business goals.
4. Regular audits: Conversion tracking isn't a set-and-forget task. Regularly audit your setup to ensure tags are firing correctly and data remains accurate.

Ready to transform your Google Ads performance?

Don't let inaccurate conversion tracking hold your business back. Ask Nexus to audit your Google Ads conversion tracking and unlock the true potential of your campaigns. Our experienced team can identify issues, implement robust solutions, and help you focus on what truly matters: profitable growth.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the difference between "Conversions" and "All Conversions" in Google Ads?

"Conversions" typically refers to your primary conversion actions, which are used for bidding optimisation. "All Conversions" includes both primary and secondary conversion actions, giving you a broader view of all valuable interactions. It's crucial to understand which column your automated bidding strategies are optimising for.

How often should I check my conversion tracking?

Ideally, you should perform a quick check weekly to ensure everything is firing as expected. A more thorough audit should be conducted quarterly, or whenever significant changes are made to your website, GA4 setup, or Google Ads account structure.

Can I track phone calls from my website without a Google forwarding number?

Yes, you can track clicks on phone numbers on your website as a conversion action. However, using a Google forwarding number provides more detailed insights, such as call duration and area code, which can help in qualifying leads. For businesses relying heavily on phone calls, a forwarding number is often recommended.

Why are my Google Ads conversions different from GA4 conversions?

Discrepancies are common due to several factors: different attribution models (Google Ads often defaults to data-driven, GA4 might be last-click), different reporting time zones, different conversion windows, and Google Ads' ability to track conversions that don't originate from a website (e.g., call-only ads). While some difference is normal, significant discrepancies warrant investigation.

Is it better to use GA4 conversions or native Google Ads tags?

For most businesses, importing conversions from GA4 is the preferred method due to consistency, flexibility, and GA4 being the future of analytics. However, native Google Ads tags can be a reliable alternative if you encounter persistent issues with GA4 imports or have a very specific, simple tracking need.

What is the minimum number of conversions needed for data-driven attribution?

Google Ads requires a certain amount of conversion data to effectively use data-driven attribution. While the exact threshold can vary, generally, an account needs at least 3,000 ad interactions and 300 conversions within a 30-day period to qualify. If you don't meet this, Google Ads will default to another model, often last-click.

For further insights into optimising your Google Ads campaigns, consider reading our article on Why Your Google Ads Campaign Is Not Spending or a comprehensive guide to Google Ads Management.

If you're looking for expert guidance, explore our Google Ads consultancy services.