Enabling Google Ads Conversion Tracking in Your Shopify Store

Step 1: Creating a Conversion Action in Google Ads

1. Log into your Google Ads account and navigate to the "Tools & Settings" menu located in the top-right corner.
2. From the dropdown, select "Conversions" under the "Measurement" column.
3. On the Conversions page, click the plus button ("+") to create a new conversion action.
4. In the "Select conversion source" window, choose "Website" and click "Continue".
5. Enter a name for your conversion action, such as "Shopify Sales", and select the most appropriate category (e.g., "Purchase/Sale").
6. Assign a monetary value for each conversion or select "Don't use a value" if not applicable.
7. Click "Create and continue" to generate your conversion tracking tag.

Step 2: Installing the Google Tag on Shopify

1. Go back to the "Tools & Settings" menu and select "Conversions".
2. Find your newly created conversion action and click on it to access the setup details.
3. Under the "Tag setup" section, choose "Install the tag yourself".
4. Copy the global site tag provided by Google Ads.
5. Log into your Shopify admin panel and go to "Online Store" then "Themes".
6. Click on "Actions" and select "Edit code".
7. Open the "theme.liquid" file and paste the global site tag just before the closing  tag.
8. Click "Save" to apply the changes.

Step 3: Installing the Event Snippet on Order Confirmation Page

1. Return to the Google Ads conversion setup page and copy the event snippet.
2. In your Shopify admin, navigate to "Settings" then "Checkout".
3. Scroll down to the "Order processing" section and paste the event snippet into the "Additional scripts" box.
4. Replace the 'AW-CONVERSION_ID' placeholder with your actual Google Ads conversion ID, which can be found in the event snippet.
5. Save the changes to apply the event snippet.

For example, if your conversion ID is '12345678', the event snippet should look like this:

<script> gtag('event', 'conversion', { 'send_to': 'AW-12345678/AbC-D_efG-h12_34-567', 'transaction_id': '' });
</script>

Step 4: Testing the Setup

1. Conduct a test purchase on your Shopify store to trigger the conversion tracking.
2. Wait a few hours for the data to be processed, then check your Google Ads account to verify if the conversion is recorded correctly.
3. Navigate to the "Conversions" page in Google Ads and look for the conversion action you created.
4. If the setup is working properly, you should see the test conversion reflected in the data.

Troubleshooting Google Ads Conversion Tracking Issues on Shopify

1. Verification of Tracking Code Installation

Why? Proper installation of tracking code is essential for accurate data collection.

How?

1. Install the Google Tag Assistant Chrome extension to verify that the global site tag and event snippet are firing correctly on your Shopify store.
2. In your Shopify admin, navigate to Online Store > Themes > Actions > Edit Code. Confirm that the global site tag is placed in the theme.liquid file, and the event snippet is in the appropriate location for the conversion event (e.g., the "Thank you" page for purchases).

2. Identifying and Resolving Code Conflicts

Why? Other scripts or plugins can sometimes interfere with Google Ads tracking.

How?

1. In your Shopify theme code editor, temporarily disable any other custom scripts or third-party plugins.
2. Test your conversion tracking with these scripts disabled to see if the issue is resolved.
3. If tracking works correctly, reactivate the scripts one by one, testing after each, to identify the conflicting code. Reach out to the script provider for support or consider alternatives.

3. Account and Conversion Recording Checks

Why? Ensuring proper account linking and allowing time for data processing can resolve apparent tracking issues.

How?

1. In your Shopify admin, navigate to Settings > Google Shopping and review the Google Ads account information to ensure it's correctly linked.
2. Keep in mind that Google Ads can take up to 24 hours to record and display conversions. If you've recently set up tracking, check back the next day to see if conversions are now appearing.
3. If conversions still aren't recording after 24 hours, reach out to Google Ads support for further assistance.

Continuous Optimization and Advanced Features

1. Advanced Campaign Features

Why? Utilizing advanced Google Ads features can significantly enhance campaign performance and ROAS.

How?

1. Implement custom audiences based on user behavior and demographics to create highly targeted campaigns.
2. Leverage remarketing lists for search ads (RLSA) to bid higher for users who have previously interacted with your Shopify store.
3. Explore automated bidding strategies like Target ROAS or Maximize Conversions to optimize bids based on your specific goals.

2. Monitoring and Adjusting Campaigns

Why? Regular monitoring and optimization are crucial for maintaining high-performing Google Ads campaigns.

How?

1. Schedule weekly or monthly reviews of your conversion tracking setup to ensure everything is working correctly and data is being accurately recorded.
2. Analyze your campaign performance data, including conversion rate, cost per conversion, and ROAS. Use this data to inform adjustments to your targeting, bids, and ad creative.
3. Stay up-to-date with new Google Ads features and best practices, and continuously test and iterate on your campaigns for ongoing improvement.