Google Ads Conversion Tracking
Running Google Ads without tracking conversions is like running a business without knowing your profits. You may get clicks and traffic, but you won’t know what actions users are taking or whether your ads are actually driving results.
What Is Google Ads Conversion Tracking?
Google Ads Conversion Tracking is a system that helps you measure valuable actions your customers take after clicking your ad.
These actions can include:
- Phone calls
- Form submissions
- Purchases
- App installs
- WhatsApp clicks
- Add-to-cart actions
- Page visits (e.g., thank-you page)
Simply put, conversion tracking tells you:
“Which clicks are turning into real business results?”
Without it, you are only measuring traffic, not outcomes.
Why Is Conversion Tracking Important?
Here’s why every advertiser must set it up:
✔️ Shows which keywords and ads bring real results
You can stop wasting money on ads that don’t convert.
✔️ Helps Google optimise your campaigns
Google’s smart bidding strategies like:
- Maximise Conversions
- Target CPA
- Target ROAS
work only when conversion data is available.
✔️ Helps calculate ROI
You know exactly how much a lead, sale, or call costs you.
✔️ Improves decision-making
You can scale winners and pause poor-performing campaigns.
How Google Ads Conversion Tracking Works
Here is the simplest explanation:
Step 1: You Define What Counts as a Conversion
Examples of conversion goals:
- Lead form submissions
- Phone calls
- Website purchases
- App downloads
- Visiting a thank-you page
Step 2: Google Generates a Tracking Tag (Code)
Called:
- Google Ads Tag, or
- Conversion Tracking Tag
You place this small code snippet on your website (usually in the header or thank-you page).
If you use:
- Google Tag Manager (GTM) — even easier
- Website builders (WordPress, Shopify) — plugins available
Step 3: When Someone Clicks Your Ad → Google Tracks Their Action
This happens in the background:
- User clicks your ad
- Visits your website
- Completes the goal (ex: fills a form)
- Google records it as a conversion
You will see all conversions inside Google Ads → “Conversions” section.
Step 4: Google Optimizes Your Campaigns Automatically
Once conversion data starts flowing:
- Your cost per lead goes down
- Google identifies high-quality users
- Bidding becomes smarter
Campaign performance improves over time
Types of Conversions You Can Track
1. Website Actions
- Form submissions
- Button clicks
- Add to cart
- Purchases
- Page visits
2. Phone Calls
- Direct calls from call extensions
- Calls from website after ad click
3. App Conversions
- App installs
- In-app purchases
- App engagement events
4. Import Conversions
- Recording conversions that happen outside the website
Example: Sales team manually updates CRM after a lead closes
Real-Life Example
Example: Lead Generation Business
You run “SK Interiors, Chennai” and want more leads from Google Ads.
You create a landing page with a form:
- Name
- Phone
- Service needed
You want to track how many users fill the form after clicking your ad.
How Conversion Tracking Works Here:
- You create a “Form Submission” conversion in Google Ads
- Google gives you a conversion tag
- You add the tag to your website’s Thank-You Page
- When someone submits the form → they go to Thank-You Page
- Google records this as a conversion
- You see:
- Number of leads
- Cost per lead
- Which keywords produced leads
Result:
You now know:
- Which ads are performing best
- Which keywords generate the cheapest leads
- How much each lead costs you
- Where to increase budget and where to reduce
Without conversion tracking → all this is impossible.
What Happens If You Don’t Use Conversion Tracking?
If you skip conversion tracking:
- You don’t know your real results
- Google can’t optimise your campaigns
- You will waste money on wrong keywords
- Smart bidding won’t work
- You can’t calculate ROI
- You won’t know if leads are increasing or decreasing
It becomes guesswork.
Tips for Setting Up Conversion Tracking Correctly
- Always set up tracking before running ads
- Use Google Tag Manager for easy installation
- Track only important actions, not everything
- Test the tracking using Google Tag Assistant
- Set conversion value if you run eCommerce
- Exclude duplicate conversions
- Connect Google Ads with Google Analytics for deeper insights
Final Notes
Google Ads Conversion Tracking is not optional — it’s essential.
It helps you:
- Understand which ads actually work
- Improve campaign performance
- Reduce ad costs
- Boost leads and sales
- Get accurate ROI
Once conversion tracking is enabled, your advertising becomes smarter, more profitable, and far more predictable.