Setting Up Conversion Actions

Overview of Setting Up a Conversion Action in Google Ads

Conversion tracking is a crucial aspect of measuring the performance of your Google Ads campaigns. By setting up conversion actions, you can track specific customer actions that are valuable to your business, such as purchases, form submissions, or phone calls. This data helps you understand which ads, keywords, and campaigns are driving the most conversions, allowing you to optimize your advertising efforts for better results.

Detailed Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Login and Navigation

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account at https://ads.google.com/.
2. Click on the "Tools & Settings" icon (wrench) in the top-right corner of the page.
3. Under the "Measurement" column, select "Conversions" to access the conversion tracking settings.

Step 2: Creating a Conversion Action

1. On the Conversions page, click the blue "+" button to create a new conversion action.
2. Choose the source of your conversion:
   • Website
   • App
   • Phone calls
   • Import
3. Select the type of conversion you want to track, such as "Purchase" or "Submit lead form."

Step 3: Conversion Types

Google Ads offers several conversion types to track different customer actions:

• Website actions: Track purchases, form submissions, or other specific actions on your website.
• Phone calls: Monitor calls generated from your ads or website.
• App installs: Track installations of your mobile app driven by ads.
• Offline conversions: Record conversions that occur offline, such as in-store purchases or sales made over the phone.

Step 4: Configuration Details

1. Provide a name for your conversion action that clearly describes the customer action you're tracking.
2. Assign a value to the conversion, if applicable. For example, if tracking purchases, enter the average order value.
3. Choose a counting method:
   • "Every" counts all conversions
   • "One" only counts unique conversions
4. Set the conversion window, which is the number of days after an ad interaction during which a conversion can be attributed.
5. Click "Create and Continue" to save your conversion action settings.

Example: Setting Up a Purchase Conversion on an E-commerce Site

Let's say you run an online store selling handmade jewelry. To track purchases made on your website:

1. Create a new conversion action and choose "Website" as the source.
2. Select the "Purchase/Sale" conversion type.
3. Name the conversion action "Jewelry Purchase" for easy identification.
4. Set the value to the average order value, such as $50.
5. Use the "Every" counting method to track all purchases.
6. Set the conversion window to 30 days to attribute purchases made within a month of an ad click.

Installing and Optimizing Conversion Tracking

Installation of the Google Ads Conversion Tracking Tag

The Google Ads conversion tracking tag is a crucial element in accurately recording and measuring conversions on your website. By installing this tag, you can track valuable actions like form submissions, purchases, or sign-ups, and use this data to optimize your campaigns.

To install the conversion tracking tag, follow these steps:

1. Access Conversion Details: In your Google Ads account, navigate to the "Conversions" section under the "Tools & Settings" menu. Select the conversion action you previously created to access its details.
2. Tag Setup Options: On the conversion action page, choose the "Install the tag yourself" option. The specific instructions will vary depending on your website platform:
   • For HTML websites, copy the provided Global site tag and event snippet.
   • For WordPress sites, consider using a plugin like "Google Tag Manager for WordPress" to simplify the process.
   • For other platforms, follow the platform-specific instructions provided by Google Ads.
3. Implementation: Place the Global site tag on all pages of your website, ideally just before the closing </head> tag. Add the event snippet to the relevant pages where the conversion action occurs, such as the "thank you" page after a form submission or purchase confirmation page.

If you're using a platform like Shopify, the process may differ slightly:

1. In your Shopify admin, navigate to "Online Store" > "Preferences".
2. Scroll down to the "Google Analytics" section and paste your Global site tag.
3. For the event snippet, use Shopify's built-in conversion tracking by inputting your Conversion ID and label in the designated fields.

For more detailed instructions, refer to the Google Ads conversion tracking tag installation guide.

Optimizing Conversion Tracking Setup

Installing the conversion tracking tag is just the first step. To ensure you're getting the most valuable data and insights, it's essential to regularly review and optimize your conversion tracking setup.

Here are some tips for optimizing your conversion tracking:

1. Review Conversion Actions: Periodically assess your conversion actions to ensure they align with your current business goals and priorities. Remove or modify any actions that are no longer relevant, and consider adding new ones as needed.
2. Adjust Conversion Window and Attribution Model: The default conversion window is set to 30 days, but depending on your customer journey, a longer or shorter window may be more appropriate. Similarly, the default attribution model is "last click," but other models like "linear" or "position-based" may better reflect your customer's path to conversion.
3. Implement Conversion Value Tracking: By assigning monetary values to your conversions, you can better understand the ROI of your campaigns. For example, if a lead generated from Google Ads is typically worth $50, set that as the conversion value. This allows you to track not just the number of conversions but also the total value generated.

Here's an example of how optimizing your conversion tracking can impact your campaigns:

Let's say you're running a campaign for a high-end product with a longer sales cycle. By extending your conversion window from 30 to 90 days and switching to a position-based attribution model, you may find that certain keywords or ads are contributing more to conversions than previously thought. This insight allows you to adjust your bids and allocate more budget to those high-performing elements.