Conversion tracking is a crucial feature in Google Ads that allows advertisers to measure the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and optimize them for better results. In this article, we’ll delve into the ins and outs of conversion tracking in Google Ads, including what it is, why it’s important, and how to set it up and use it to optimize your campaigns.
What is Conversion Tracking?
Conversion tracking is a feature in Google Ads that allows advertisers to measure the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns by tracking specific actions that users take on their website or app. These actions, known as “conversions,” can include purchases, form submissions, phone calls, and other actions that are important to the business.
By tracking conversions, advertisers can get a better understanding of how their ads are performing and which campaigns are driving the most conversions. This information can be used to optimize campaigns for better results and allocate budget more effectively.
Why is Conversion Tracking important?
Conversion tracking is important for advertisers because it allows them to measure the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and optimize them for better results. Without conversion tracking, it can be difficult to determine which campaigns are driving the most conversions and which ones are not performing as well.
By tracking conversions, advertisers can get a better understanding of how their ads are performing and make adjustments as needed to optimize their campaigns. This can help to improve the return on investment (ROI) of their advertising spend and drive more sales and leads for their business.
How to set up Conversion Tracking
1. Sign in to your Google Ads account
To set up conversion tracking, sign in to your Google Ads account at https://ads.google.com/.
2. Navigate to the “Tools and Settings” menu
To access the conversion tracking settings, click on the tools icon in the top right corner of the screen and select “Conversions” from the dropdown menu.
3. Click on the “+ Conversion” button
To set up a new conversion, click on the “+ Conversion” button in the top right corner of the screen.
4. Choose a conversion type
On the “Create a Conversion” page, select the type of conversion that you want to track. You can choose from different conversion types, such as “Website,” “Phone call,” or “App.”
5. Set up the conversion action
Next, you’ll need to set up the conversion action that you want to track. This will depend on the type of conversion that you’re tracking. For example, if you’re tracking website conversions, you’ll need to enter the URL of the page that users will land on after completing the conversion action.
6. Set up the conversion value
If you want to track the value of conversions, you can set up a conversion value. This can be useful if you want to track the revenue generated by your advertising campaigns.
7. Set up the conversion category
You can also set up a conversion category to help you organize and analyze your conversions. This can be useful if you have multiple campaigns or ad groups that are targeting different audiences or goals.
8. Install the conversion tracking tag
After setting up the conversion action, you’ll need to install the conversion tracking tag on your website or app. This is a piece of code that will track the conversions that you have set up.
There are a few different ways to install the conversion tracking tag, depending on your website or app platform. One option is to use Google Tag Manager, which is a free tool that allows you to manage and deploy marketing and analytics tags on your website or app.
To install the conversion tracking tag using the Google Tag Manager, follow these steps:
Step 1: Create a new tag
In the Google Tag Manager interface, click on the “Tags” tab and then click on the “New” button.
Step 2: Choose a tag type
On the “Choose a tag type” page, select the “Google Ads Conversion Tracking” tag type.
Step 3: Configure the tag
On the “Configure tag” page, enter the conversion ID and conversion label that you obtained from your Google Ads account. You can also set up additional options, such as the conversion value and conversion currency.
Step 4: Choose a trigger
On the “Choose a trigger” page, select the trigger that you want to use to fire the conversion tracking tag. This can be a specific pageview, a form submission, or another type of event.
Step 5: Save and publish the tag
After configuring the tag and choosing a trigger, click on the “Save” button to save the tag and then click on the “Publish” button to deploy it on your website or app.
9. Test the conversion tracking
After installing the conversion tracking tag, it’s important to test it to make sure that it’s working correctly. To do this, you can complete a conversion action on your website or app and then check the “Conversions” report in your Google Ads account to see if the conversion is being tracked.
If you’re not seeing conversions being tracked, you may need to troubleshoot the conversion tracking tag to identify and fix any issues.
How to use Conversion Tracking to optimize your campaigns
Once you have set up conversion tracking, you can use the data provided by Google Ads to optimize your campaigns for better results. Here are a few tips for using conversion tracking to optimize your campaigns:
1. Use the “Conversions” report to see which campaigns are driving the most conversions
In the “Conversions” report, you can see the number of conversions that each campaign is driving, as well as the conversion rate and the cost per conversion. This can help you to see which campaigns are performing well and which ones may need optimization.
2. Use the “Conversion Optimizer” to optimize your bids for conversions
The “Conversion Optimizer” is a feature in Google Ads that allows you to optimize your bids for conversions. By enabling the Conversion Optimizer, you can set a target cost per conversion and allow Google Ads to automatically adjust your bids to achieve this target.
To use the Conversion Optimizer, follow these steps:
Step 1: Navigate to the “Tools and Settings” menu
Click on the tools icon in the top right corner of the screen and select “Conversion Optimizer” from the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Enable the Conversion Optimizer
On the “Conversion Optimizer” page, click on the “Edit” button next to the “Conversion Optimizer” heading. Then, select “On” from the dropdown menu to enable the Conversion Optimizer.
Step 3: Set a target cost per conversion
Enter the target cost per conversion that you want to achieve in the “Target cost per conversion” field. This is the maximum amount that you’re willing to pay for each conversion.
Step 4: Select the conversion actions to optimize for
On the “Conversion actions to optimize for” section, select the conversion actions that you want to optimize for. You can choose from different conversion actions, such as “All conversions” or “Specific conversions.”
Step 5: Save your changes
After configuring the Conversion Optimizer, click on the “Save” button to save your changes. The Conversion Optimizer will then start optimizing your bids to achieve your target cost per conversion.
3. Use the “Search Funnels” report to see which stages of the conversion process are performing well
The “Search Funnels” report in Google Ads allows you to see how users are interacting with your ads and website during the conversion process. This can help you to identify any bottlenecks or issues that may be preventing users from completing conversions.
To access the “Search Funnels” report, click on the tools icon in the top right corner of the screen and select “Search Funnels” from the dropdown menu. The report will show you data on different stages of the conversion process, such as clicks, impressions, and conversions.
You can use the “Search Funnels” report to identify which stages of the conversion process are performing well and which ones may need optimization. For example, if you see that a high percentage of users are clicking on your ads but a low percentage are completing conversions, you may need to optimize your landing pages or offer to improve the conversion rate.
4. Use the “Keywords” report to see which keywords are driving the most conversions
The “Keywords” report in Google Ads allows you to see which keywords are driving the most conversions for your campaigns. To access the report, click on the “Keywords” tab in the navigation menu and then select “All” from the “Segment” dropdown menu.
You can use the “Keywords” report to identify which keywords are driving the most conversions and adjust your bid strategy accordingly. For example, if you see that a particular keyword is driving a high number of conversions at a low cost per conversion, you may want to increase your bid for that keyword to drive more traffic and conversions.
5. Use the “Audience” report to see which demographics are converting the most
The “Audience” report in Google Ads allows you to see which demographics are converting the most for your campaigns. To access the report, click on the “Audience” tab in the navigation menu and then select “All” from the “Segment” dropdown menu.
You can use the “Audience” report to identify which demographics are converting the most and tailor your campaigns to target these audiences more effectively. For example, if you see that a particular age group or gender is converting at a higher rate, you may want to create separate ad groups or campaigns targeting these demographics.
Conclusion
Conversion tracking is a crucial feature in Google Ads that allows advertisers to measure the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and optimize them for better results. By tracking conversions and using the data provided by Google Ads, you can improve the ROI of your advertising spend and drive more sales and leads for your business.
