BLOG

Using Google Analytics for Google Ads Conversion Tracking

Google Ads Conversion Tracking is a process that allows you to track how successful your advertising campaigns are. 

Google Analytics for Google Ads Conversion Tracking

Source: Pixabay

You can use the Google Analytics tool to measure the number of conversions that result from clicks on your ads. This article will take you through the steps to set up conversion tracking using Google Analytics and Ads.

Set Up Your Account

First, you need to set up a Google Analytics account. Once you’ve done that, you can access the conversion tracking feature from within your Google Ads account. Navigate to “Tools and Settings”> “Measurement”> “Conversions.” 

Once here, click on the “+ Conversion” button and select “Google Analytics” from the list of available options.

Create Your Tracking Tag

Next, you need to set up your tracking tag. This piece of code will be placed on each page where you want to track conversions. To do this, click the “Create Tag” button and select “Google Analytics” as the tracking method.

You will then need to enter a unique name for your tag, such as “Signup Page Conversion” or “Product Purchase Conversion.” You can also choose a category to organize your tags further. 

Configure Your Tag

Once you’ve created your tag, you need to configure its settings. This includes selecting the type of conversion (such as pageviews or events), setting up a goal for tracking, and specifying the value of each conversion.

Additionally, you can use advanced options such as frequency capping and attribution models to further customize your tracking setup. 

Install Your Tag

Once you’re done configuring your tag, the final step is to install it on the pages where conversions will occur. To do this, click on the “Install Tag Now” button and follow the instructions provided by Google Analytics. 

It’s important to note that once installed; you should always double-check that your tags are working properly. If you find a tag not working correctly, troubleshoot the issue and resolve it as soon as possible.

Track Your Conversions

Once your tags are installed, you can start tracking conversions in your Google Analytics account. To view your data, navigate to the “Conversions” page under “Measurement” and click on the “Overview” tab. 

Here you can see an overview of all your conversion data, including the total number of conversions, average conversion rate, and cost per acquisition (CPA). You can also compare different campaigns or periods to gain deeper insights into your performance. 

Most Common Issues

While Google Analytics is one of the most valuable tools for ad conversion, it’s far from perfect. Here are some common issues you can encounter and how you can overcome them:

• Tracking Tags Not Working – If your tracking tags are not working properly, check that they are correctly installed and configured.

• Data Quality Issues – Many factors, such as incorrect tagging or duplicate entries can cause poor data quality. To fix this, you may need to review your setup and adjust accordingly. 

• Slow Performance —Google Analytics can sometimes take a while to load due to large numbers of requests. To improve performance, try using caching methods or reducing the amount of data being tracked. 

Google Analytics for Google Ads Conversion Tracking

Source: Freepik

Benefits of Using Google Analytics

Of course, Google Analytics wouldn’t be such a popular tool if it didn’t come with many benefits.

Measuring Performance

Anyone who’s in this business will tell you how important metrics are. You need to measure your ad’s performance to make money or track ROI. 

Google Analytics provides robust data that can help you better understand how your ads are performing and how you can optimize them for maximum efficiency. 

For example, you can track impressions, clicks, and cost per click to determine your campaign’s effectiveness. You can also analyze user behavior with features such as pageviews and time on page to identify which pages perform best. 

Understand User Behavior

Google Analytics also gives you insights into user behavior, allowing you to see where people are dropping off or getting stuck in the conversion funnel. This information is invaluable when creating new campaigns or evaluating existing ones. 

The most common example of this is when you are evaluating the performance of a landing page. With Google Analytics, you can see data such as bounce rate and time spent on the page to determine how effectively it drives conversions. 

Not only can this help you rank higher, but it can also give you an insight into what your users respond to best. This is essential for creating unique ads that convert every time.

Analyze Campaigns

Google Analytics allows you to analyze different campaigns side-by-side and determine which ones perform better than others. This can help inform your decision-making process and ensure that you continually invest in campaigns with the highest ROI.

For instance, compare the performance of different ad sets targeting the same audience. With Google Analytics, you can quickly see which are generating the most leads and conversions, allowing you to adjust your strategy accordingly. 

Plenty of Features

If you know how to use it, Google Analytics can do much more than track conversions. For example, you can use it to measure customer lifetime value (LTV) and compare different segments of your audience to see which ones are the most valuable. 

You can also set up goals such as signups or purchases and measure your performance against them. This is especially useful for eCommerce stores that need to track sales and revenue. 

Google Analytics also has many features that can help you better understand user behavior. These include heatmaps, session recordings, and form analytics that show how users interact with your website in real-time.

The Most Important Features for Ads Conversion

Google Analytics for Google Ads Conversion Tracking

Source: Freepik

Speaking of features, you should also be aware of the most useful ones for ad conversion. Here are the ones you should be taking advantage of: 

Campaign Tracking

This is one of the most essential features of ad campaigns, and it allows you to measure how well each campaign is doing. 

You can also use Google Analytics to break down metrics such as clicks, cost per click, and impressions. To effectively use these features, you must set UTM parameters for each campaign.

Conversion Tracking

Another essential feature is setting up conversion tracking, which will allow you to track how many people are taking the desired action (e.g., signup, purchase). 

With this data, you can determine the effectiveness of your ads and make adjustments accordingly. For example, adjust your budget or target different audiences to see if it makes a difference. 

Analyze User Behavior

Finally, it would help if you took advantage of Google Analytics’ user behavior features. We mentioned this feature as one of the tool’s benefits, and now it’s time to see how you can use it. 

These will let you see what pages visitors spend time on, where they’re dropping off in the conversion funnel, and more. This information is invaluable in optimizing ad campaigns and ensuring they perform at their best. 

Is It Hard to Use?

Google Analytics can be intimidating at first, but with some practice, you can quickly get the hang of it. The tool is potent and has plenty of features to help you track your ad campaigns and measure their effectiveness. 

To start, you should familiarize yourself with the basics by reading blog posts or watching tutorials. Once you’ve understood how it works, you can start experimenting with the more advanced features and benefit from its insights. 

You can also take advantage of expert Google apps consultants, as they are professionals who can help you set up, customize and optimize your campaigns. In this case, your experience with the tool doesn’t matter— which is excellent news for those just starting.

Are There Downsides?

Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to Google Analytics. For instance, it can’t track users across multiple devices, making optimizing campaigns for mobile users difficult. 

Additionally, many features require more advanced knowledge and can be time-consuming to set up. 

However, these downsides are minor and should allow you to take advantage of the many benefits Google Analytics offers.

 With some practice and guidance, you can learn how to use it effectively and track your ad campaigns accordingly. 

We also must remember that Google constantly updates and adds features to Google Analytics, so check back often for new updates. 

Conclusion

Overall, Google Analytics is a powerful tool that can help you gain valuable insights into user behavior and your campaigns’ performance. 

Knowing how to use it correctly can be the difference between successful ad campaigns and ones that don’t perform well. So, take full advantage of the features and start seeing results. 

Author bio 

Melissa Gray is a freelance writer and an organizational psychologist. Her focus is primarily on marketing and new digital trends across the world. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games with a particular interest in narrative design. She writes for DigitalStrategyOne.

wp tech support

Leave a Reply

Comment policy: We value comments and the time that visitors to our blog spend to give feedback. Please note that all comments are manually moderated and any deemed to be spam or promotional will be deleted.