1) Decide what a “conversion” really means (before you touch any tags)
Start with outcomes, not clicks
Conversion tracking in Google Ads works best when you measure business outcomes that you’re genuinely willing to bid toward. For ecommerce, that’s usually a purchase with revenue. For lead gen, it’s often a form submission, a qualified lead stage, or a booked appointment—not just a “page view.” When you get this wrong, Smart Bidding optimizes exactly as instructed… just not the way you intended.
Choose the right conversion type for each channel
Most advertisers end up with a mix of conversion sources, and that’s normal. Website conversions cover purchases, sign-ups, and key actions on your site. Phone call conversions cover calls from ads, calls to a number on your site after an ad click, or uploaded call outcomes. Offline conversions cover CRM outcomes like “qualified lead,” “won deal,” or “in-store sale.” The setup process in Google Ads is built to support this blended reality, but you’ll get cleaner reporting if each conversion action has one clear purpose.
Know which conversions should drive bidding (Primary) vs. reporting (Secondary)
In modern Google Ads accounts, the most important conceptual split is “bid on it” versus “track it.” Primary conversion actions are eligible to power optimization and populate your main “Conversions” column (depending on your goal settings), while Secondary conversions are typically kept for visibility in “All conversions.” This is how you prevent upper-funnel actions (like brochure downloads) from accidentally becoming your bidding “north star.”
2) Set up website conversion tracking (the step-by-step workflow that actually works)
Step A: Create the conversion action (the “what”)
Inside Google Ads, go to the Goals area and open Conversions, then use the Conversions Summary to create a new conversion action. Choose “Conversions on a website,” add your website URL, and run the scan. This scan is valuable because it helps Google Ads recommend the cleanest connection method based on what it detects: a Google tag already installed, or an existing analytics setup you can reuse.
If a Google tag is detected, you can generally proceed with conversion creation directly. If a compatible analytics setup is detected, you’ll typically be guided to link and reuse existing events. If neither is detected, you’ll be prompted to set up a Google tag first—because without a tag/data source, no website conversion can fire.
Step B: Choose how the conversion will be detected (the “how”)
For most businesses, you’ll choose one of two practical approaches. The first is URL-based tracking (often a thank-you or confirmation page). It’s fast and easy, and it’s perfect when you simply need to know “did they reach this page?” The second is event-based tracking (button clicks, form submits, purchases with parameters, subscriptions, etc.). This is the approach you’ll want when you need conversion values, transaction IDs, or richer event details.
Google Ads now supports “codeless” style setups in some cases (depending on your site/tag situation) where a new event can be detected by your tag without adding new code. It can be a good accelerator, but it’s not the right fit for every business—especially if you need robust value tracking, deduplication, or advanced diagnostics.
Step C: Install the Google tag and event snippet correctly (the “plumbing”)
Website conversion tracking typically uses two pieces: a Google tag that should be present across your site, and an event snippet that fires only when the conversion happens. In practice, that usually means the Google tag goes on every page, and the event snippet goes on the conversion page (or is triggered on the conversion event).
If you’re installing manually, the key detail is placement: the tag and any event snippet(s) should be placed between the <head></head> tags for the relevant page. When you’re tracking a confirmation page, you edit the HTML for that specific “success” page and add the event snippet there (in addition to ensuring the sitewide tag exists).
Step D: Set conversion settings that protect ROI (value, count, windows, attribution)
Once the conversion exists, don’t skip the settings screen. This is where experienced advertisers quietly win. You’ll typically review conversion value (fixed vs. dynamic), how to count conversions (One vs. Every), and your conversion windows. The click-through conversion window controls how long after an ad interaction a conversion can still be credited. The engaged-view and view-through windows matter most for video and upper-funnel formats, and they can materially change reported performance—so set them intentionally, not by habit.
You’ll also choose attribution. In many accounts, data-driven attribution is the best default when eligible because it distributes credit based on observed performance patterns rather than forcing all value into “last click.” The main point is consistency: pick an attribution approach you can explain internally, then give it time to stabilize before judging performance shifts.
Step E: Make sure bidding is looking at the right conversions
Two settings commonly break Smart Bidding performance even when tracking is “working.” First, confirm your intended conversion actions are set to Primary (when they should be used to optimize). Second, confirm they’re included in the Conversions reporting used by campaigns and bid strategies—otherwise you’ll see conversions in some views, but bidding will behave like you have none.
3) Upgrade your tracking: Enhanced Conversions, privacy/consent, calls, offline, and troubleshooting
Enhanced Conversions (strongly recommended for most advertisers)
Enhanced Conversions are designed to improve measurement accuracy by using first-party customer data provided by your site (typically hashed) to help match conversions when cookies are limited. Enabling it requires that you agree to customer data terms within your conversion settings and confirm compliance with the relevant requirements.
From an implementation standpoint, you generally choose one of three collection methods: automatic detection (lowest effort for many sites), explicit selectors/variables (more control), or a code snippet that reliably sends the formatted data when the conversion tag fires (most robust when implemented well). After setup, you should validate the implementation and then allow time for reporting impact to become visible.
One important operational note: account-level Enhanced Conversions became a major structural shift. If no action was taken by October 2025, accounts could be automatically upgraded based on existing setups. As of January 15, 2026, you should assume account-level configuration may already be in effect in many accounts, meaning your “user-provided data” method and Google tag settings may be managed more centrally than before. Practically, this makes governance more important: decide whether your standard is Google tag, Tag Manager, or API, and keep implementations consistent across properties and teams.
Consent Mode and privacy: get this wrong and your numbers will quietly degrade
If you operate in regions or use cases requiring consent controls, you need a consent banner solution that can send consent signals into your tagging. With Consent Mode, the most critical implementation detail is ordering: your consent defaults (and banner script) must load before Google tags fire—especially when placed at the top of the <head>. If tags run before consent is set, you can end up with unreliable measurement behavior and inconsistent signals across pages.
Phone call conversions: measure the leads you’re already getting
If calls are valuable in your business, you should track them as conversions instead of forcing all ROI judgment through form fills. For calls from ads, you’ll typically need call reporting enabled plus a call asset (or comparable call format). Google Ads can also track calls to a phone number on your website after an ad click using a forwarding number setup, which helps tie calls back to campaigns and keywords.
When testing website call tracking, remember that systems may need time to activate (it can take up to about an hour for certain call-related enablement). Also, repeated testing can be misleading if your browser retains cookies used for call measurement—so use a clean test process if you’re validating multiple times.
Offline conversions (CRM outcomes): where serious ROI optimization happens
If you sell high-consideration services, B2B, or anything with a sales cycle, importing offline conversions is often the difference between “lots of leads” and “profitable growth.” The modern direction is toward using a data connection workflow designed to simplify importing and maintaining first-party data. You can typically create an Import conversion action for CRM/files/data sources and then upload outcomes such as qualified lead, converted lead, or closed deal.
If you’re modernizing an older offline import setup, plan the migration carefully. The biggest wins come from consistent identifiers, consistent conversion naming, and complete value data (when you have it). Also, if you’re blending online tag conversions with offline outcomes, transaction IDs (or equivalent deduplication keys) become essential to avoid double-counting and to reconcile multiple data sources cleanly.
How to verify your setup (quickly) and troubleshoot the issues I see most
The fastest path to confidence is to test both tag presence and event firing. Use tag debugging tools to confirm the Google tag is loading on the right pages, and confirm your conversion event triggers exactly once when it should. Also be aware that coverage-style summaries can take up to 24 hours to reflect recent changes, so don’t panic if a dashboard lags behind your deployment.
- If conversions never record: Check that the correct Google tag is installed sitewide, the event snippet is on the correct conversion page (or correctly triggered), and that IDs/labels match what the account generated.
- If Tag Assistant flags implementation errors: Common causes include code placed outside the correct HTML structure (for example, scripts outside the body where expected), missing or blank IDs/labels, or “pixel-only” implementations that omit the full JavaScript approach.
- If Smart Bidding says you have no conversions: Confirm the conversion action is enabled, included in the right reporting column for bidding, and mapped correctly via goals so campaigns can actually optimize toward it.
- If revenue/value looks wrong: Confirm currency and numeric formatting, choose the correct value method (fixed vs. dynamic), and implement transaction-specific values and transaction IDs when needed.
Final expert tip: treat conversion tracking like a product, not a one-time task
The highest-performing accounts don’t just “set up conversion tracking.” They maintain it. That means naming conventions that survive team changes, a clear primary/secondary philosophy, disciplined value strategy, periodic audits after site releases, and proactive privacy/consent reviews. When measurement stays clean, every optimization lever in Google Ads—audiences, creatives, landing pages, and especially Smart Bidding—gets dramatically more profitable.
Let AI handle
the Google Ads grunt work
Let AI handle
the Google Ads grunt work
Once you’ve defined what a “real” conversion is for your business and set up the right mix of website, phone, and offline (CRM) actions in Google Ads, the ongoing challenge is keeping everything accurate as your site, consent settings, and bidding goals evolve. Blobr is a Google Ads companion that connects to your account and continuously reviews performance and setup, turning best practices into clear, prioritized recommendations you can apply when it makes sense for you; its specialized AI agents can also help on adjacent work like landing page alignment, so the conversions you’re tracking are supported by pages and messaging that match the intent you’re paying for.
1) Decide what a “conversion” really means (before you touch any tags)
Start with outcomes, not clicks
Conversion tracking in Google Ads works best when you measure business outcomes that you’re genuinely willing to bid toward. For ecommerce, that’s usually a purchase with revenue. For lead gen, it’s often a form submission, a qualified lead stage, or a booked appointment—not just a “page view.” When you get this wrong, Smart Bidding optimizes exactly as instructed… just not the way you intended.
Choose the right conversion type for each channel
Most advertisers end up with a mix of conversion sources, and that’s normal. Website conversions cover purchases, sign-ups, and key actions on your site. Phone call conversions cover calls from ads, calls to a number on your site after an ad click, or uploaded call outcomes. Offline conversions cover CRM outcomes like “qualified lead,” “won deal,” or “in-store sale.” The setup process in Google Ads is built to support this blended reality, but you’ll get cleaner reporting if each conversion action has one clear purpose.
Know which conversions should drive bidding (Primary) vs. reporting (Secondary)
In modern Google Ads accounts, the most important conceptual split is “bid on it” versus “track it.” Primary conversion actions are eligible to power optimization and populate your main “Conversions” column (depending on your goal settings), while Secondary conversions are typically kept for visibility in “All conversions.” This is how you prevent upper-funnel actions (like brochure downloads) from accidentally becoming your bidding “north star.”
2) Set up website conversion tracking (the step-by-step workflow that actually works)
Step A: Create the conversion action (the “what”)
Inside Google Ads, go to the Goals area and open Conversions, then use the Conversions Summary to create a new conversion action. Choose “Conversions on a website,” add your website URL, and run the scan. This scan is valuable because it helps Google Ads recommend the cleanest connection method based on what it detects: a Google tag already installed, or an existing analytics setup you can reuse.
If a Google tag is detected, you can generally proceed with conversion creation directly. If a compatible analytics setup is detected, you’ll typically be guided to link and reuse existing events. If neither is detected, you’ll be prompted to set up a Google tag first—because without a tag/data source, no website conversion can fire.
Step B: Choose how the conversion will be detected (the “how”)
For most businesses, you’ll choose one of two practical approaches. The first is URL-based tracking (often a thank-you or confirmation page). It’s fast and easy, and it’s perfect when you simply need to know “did they reach this page?” The second is event-based tracking (button clicks, form submits, purchases with parameters, subscriptions, etc.). This is the approach you’ll want when you need conversion values, transaction IDs, or richer event details.
Google Ads now supports “codeless” style setups in some cases (depending on your site/tag situation) where a new event can be detected by your tag without adding new code. It can be a good accelerator, but it’s not the right fit for every business—especially if you need robust value tracking, deduplication, or advanced diagnostics.
Step C: Install the Google tag and event snippet correctly (the “plumbing”)
Website conversion tracking typically uses two pieces: a Google tag that should be present across your site, and an event snippet that fires only when the conversion happens. In practice, that usually means the Google tag goes on every page, and the event snippet goes on the conversion page (or is triggered on the conversion event).
If you’re installing manually, the key detail is placement: the tag and any event snippet(s) should be placed between the <head></head> tags for the relevant page. When you’re tracking a confirmation page, you edit the HTML for that specific “success” page and add the event snippet there (in addition to ensuring the sitewide tag exists).
Step D: Set conversion settings that protect ROI (value, count, windows, attribution)
Once the conversion exists, don’t skip the settings screen. This is where experienced advertisers quietly win. You’ll typically review conversion value (fixed vs. dynamic), how to count conversions (One vs. Every), and your conversion windows. The click-through conversion window controls how long after an ad interaction a conversion can still be credited. The engaged-view and view-through windows matter most for video and upper-funnel formats, and they can materially change reported performance—so set them intentionally, not by habit.
You’ll also choose attribution. In many accounts, data-driven attribution is the best default when eligible because it distributes credit based on observed performance patterns rather than forcing all value into “last click.” The main point is consistency: pick an attribution approach you can explain internally, then give it time to stabilize before judging performance shifts.
Step E: Make sure bidding is looking at the right conversions
Two settings commonly break Smart Bidding performance even when tracking is “working.” First, confirm your intended conversion actions are set to Primary (when they should be used to optimize). Second, confirm they’re included in the Conversions reporting used by campaigns and bid strategies—otherwise you’ll see conversions in some views, but bidding will behave like you have none.
3) Upgrade your tracking: Enhanced Conversions, privacy/consent, calls, offline, and troubleshooting
Enhanced Conversions (strongly recommended for most advertisers)
Enhanced Conversions are designed to improve measurement accuracy by using first-party customer data provided by your site (typically hashed) to help match conversions when cookies are limited. Enabling it requires that you agree to customer data terms within your conversion settings and confirm compliance with the relevant requirements.
From an implementation standpoint, you generally choose one of three collection methods: automatic detection (lowest effort for many sites), explicit selectors/variables (more control), or a code snippet that reliably sends the formatted data when the conversion tag fires (most robust when implemented well). After setup, you should validate the implementation and then allow time for reporting impact to become visible.
One important operational note: account-level Enhanced Conversions became a major structural shift. If no action was taken by October 2025, accounts could be automatically upgraded based on existing setups. As of January 15, 2026, you should assume account-level configuration may already be in effect in many accounts, meaning your “user-provided data” method and Google tag settings may be managed more centrally than before. Practically, this makes governance more important: decide whether your standard is Google tag, Tag Manager, or API, and keep implementations consistent across properties and teams.
Consent Mode and privacy: get this wrong and your numbers will quietly degrade
If you operate in regions or use cases requiring consent controls, you need a consent banner solution that can send consent signals into your tagging. With Consent Mode, the most critical implementation detail is ordering: your consent defaults (and banner script) must load before Google tags fire—especially when placed at the top of the <head>. If tags run before consent is set, you can end up with unreliable measurement behavior and inconsistent signals across pages.
Phone call conversions: measure the leads you’re already getting
If calls are valuable in your business, you should track them as conversions instead of forcing all ROI judgment through form fills. For calls from ads, you’ll typically need call reporting enabled plus a call asset (or comparable call format). Google Ads can also track calls to a phone number on your website after an ad click using a forwarding number setup, which helps tie calls back to campaigns and keywords.
When testing website call tracking, remember that systems may need time to activate (it can take up to about an hour for certain call-related enablement). Also, repeated testing can be misleading if your browser retains cookies used for call measurement—so use a clean test process if you’re validating multiple times.
Offline conversions (CRM outcomes): where serious ROI optimization happens
If you sell high-consideration services, B2B, or anything with a sales cycle, importing offline conversions is often the difference between “lots of leads” and “profitable growth.” The modern direction is toward using a data connection workflow designed to simplify importing and maintaining first-party data. You can typically create an Import conversion action for CRM/files/data sources and then upload outcomes such as qualified lead, converted lead, or closed deal.
If you’re modernizing an older offline import setup, plan the migration carefully. The biggest wins come from consistent identifiers, consistent conversion naming, and complete value data (when you have it). Also, if you’re blending online tag conversions with offline outcomes, transaction IDs (or equivalent deduplication keys) become essential to avoid double-counting and to reconcile multiple data sources cleanly.
How to verify your setup (quickly) and troubleshoot the issues I see most
The fastest path to confidence is to test both tag presence and event firing. Use tag debugging tools to confirm the Google tag is loading on the right pages, and confirm your conversion event triggers exactly once when it should. Also be aware that coverage-style summaries can take up to 24 hours to reflect recent changes, so don’t panic if a dashboard lags behind your deployment.
- If conversions never record: Check that the correct Google tag is installed sitewide, the event snippet is on the correct conversion page (or correctly triggered), and that IDs/labels match what the account generated.
- If Tag Assistant flags implementation errors: Common causes include code placed outside the correct HTML structure (for example, scripts outside the body where expected), missing or blank IDs/labels, or “pixel-only” implementations that omit the full JavaScript approach.
- If Smart Bidding says you have no conversions: Confirm the conversion action is enabled, included in the right reporting column for bidding, and mapped correctly via goals so campaigns can actually optimize toward it.
- If revenue/value looks wrong: Confirm currency and numeric formatting, choose the correct value method (fixed vs. dynamic), and implement transaction-specific values and transaction IDs when needed.
Final expert tip: treat conversion tracking like a product, not a one-time task
The highest-performing accounts don’t just “set up conversion tracking.” They maintain it. That means naming conventions that survive team changes, a clear primary/secondary philosophy, disciplined value strategy, periodic audits after site releases, and proactive privacy/consent reviews. When measurement stays clean, every optimization lever in Google Ads—audiences, creatives, landing pages, and especially Smart Bidding—gets dramatically more profitable.
