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Setting up Google Ads Conversion Tracking

Conversion tracking on Google Ads helps you understand the effectiveness of your advertisement activities on Google by tracking website user conversion behaviors, such as purchases, sign-ups, and form submissions. By installing and setting tracking codes, you can measure the return on investment for your advertisements and optimize your strategies to improve conversion rates.

This article will provide an introduction to Google Ads and how you can leverage it on SHOPLINE. 

 

 

Introduction to Google Ads

Google Ads is an online advertisement platform designed to help marketers display their ads on Google search result pages, partner websites, mobile apps, and video platforms. It offers a comprehensive set of tools and features for the delivery, management, and optimization of advertisements, helping marketers promote their products and services and attract potential customers.

Marketers can select their preferred type of advertisements, such as search ads, display ads, video ads, and shopping ads, based on their needs and budget. They can also set target audiences based on keywords, location, interests, behaviors, and so forth.

Google Ads provides rich data and reports to help marketers understand key metrics such as views, click rates, and conversion rates of advertisements, allowing better optimization of advertisement strategies.

By leveraging Google Ads’ features and tools, marketers can effectively promote their products and services, achieving higher advertisement effects and returns.

 

 

Introduction to Google Ads Conversion Tracking Code

Google Ads Conversion Tracking Code, also known as Google Tag, is a snippet provided by Google Ads to track conversion activities, such as adding items to the cart, making purchases, or registering as members. By using the Google Ads Conversion Tracking Code, marketers can pinpoint the impact of advertisement activities on conversions and the returns on their advertising investments.

When a customer clicks on a Google Ads advertisement and completes a conversion event, the conversion tracking code is triggered, and relevant data is sent to the Google Ads platform. The data includes i ad ID, keywords, and conversion details, such as type and value. Google Ads then provides detailed conversion tracking reports to help marketers evaluate the effects and return on investment of their advertisements.

 

 

Google Ads Account Setting

If you have already set up your Google Ads account, go to Setting Google Ads Conversion Goals.

If this is your first time using Google Ads, go to the Google Ads official site and sign in with Gmail to complete the initial account setup.

Note: The initial settings include the account name, payment method, and the first advertising content. After completing the initial settings, you can pause the advertising content that you just set to avoid unnecessary advertisement costs.

 

 

Setting Google Ads Conversion Goals and Linking Google Ads Tracking Code with SHOPLINE

SHOPLINE supports client-side and  server-side conversion tracking. Link the tacking code with SHOPLINE to an accurate tracking and recording of conversion data.

 

Client-Side Conversion Tracking

  1. Go to Google Ads.
  2. On the left sidebar, click Goals > Conversions and select Summary.
    4-1-2 goals conversions summary.png
  3. Click + New conversion action to start adding conversion action.
    4.3.png
  4. Select Website as the conversion type. Enter the website domain and click the Scan.
    4.4.png
  5. Go to the Create conversion actions manually using code section below and click + Add a conversion action manually.
    4.5.png
  6. Complete the settings correspondingly for each column in order, then click OK after completing the settings:
    • Goal and action optimization: Select as needed, such as selecting Purchase.
    • Conversion name: Name your conversion recognizably, such as Complete the purchase.
    • Value: Select Use different values for each conversion. You need to choose the currency of your store and set the value to 0 (1 by default) so that Google Ads can record different values based on each transaction amount.
    • Count: Every.
    • Set conversion window, conversion time range, and view-through conversion window as applicable. Refer to this link for further information.
    • Attribution model: we recommend selecting Data Driven.
      4.6.png
  1. Click Create and continue to complete the conversion.
  2. Select the event you want to add to the store.
    5.3.png
  3. Go to the Tag setup section > Use Google Tag Manager, and then copy the conversion ID and conversion label.
    5.4.png
  4. Go to the SHOPLINE admin panel. On the left toolbar, click Channels and select Google. Go to the Google data tracking section and click the Add button next to Google Ads > Client side.
    4-1-10 data tracking.png
  5. Select the tracking event and make sure it matches the event type you set in Google Ads.
  6. Paste the conversion ID and conversion label copied from Google Ads into the respective fields.
    5.6.png
  7. Click Confirm.

 

Server-Side Conversion Tracking

  1. Go to Google Ads.
  2. On the left sidebar, click Goals > Conversions and select Summary.
  3. Click + New conversion action to start adding conversion action.
  4. Select Import as the conversion type and choose CRMs, files, or other data sources and Track conversions from clicks.
    4-2-4 import.png
  5. Select Create conversion action and click Add.
  6. Click  Create and continue.
  7. The Website (Import from clicks) status in the Conversion source column  indicates your server-side conversion action is successfully created.
    4-2-7 website import from clicks.png
  8. Go to the SHOPLINE admin panel. On the left toolbar, click Channels and select Google. Go to the Google data tracking section and click the Add button next to Google Ads > Sever side.
  9. Select your Google Ads account if you have multiple Ads accounts under the Google Merchant Center account. Complete the authorization of your Google Ads account first if you haven’t.
    4-2-9 select account.png
  10. The system automatically retrieves the conversion action with the Website (Import from clicks) status. Select one if you have multiple sources.
  11. Click Confirm.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions and Troubleshooting

Why are conversion data not displayed or inaccurate?

  • Check tracking code installation: Ensure the client-side code is placed correctly on the appropriate pages, and the server-side code is transmitting data accurately.
  • Allow time for data synchronization: Conversion data may take several hours to appear in Google Ads.
  • Verify GCLID transmission: Ensure the Google Click Identifier (GCLID) is correctly passed through during ad clicks and associated with the conversion event.

How can I use both client-side and server-side conversion tracking?

You can configure both client-side and server-side tracking simultaneously for higher data accuracy. To prevent duplicate conversion reporting, Implement conditional logic within your tracking code to ensure each conversion event is reported only once.

What permissions are required for server-side conversion tracking?

To configure server-side tracking, the access to the Google Ads API is required. Ensure you have your Google Ads account ID and conversion action ID. Collaboration with your Google Ads account administrator or development team is recommended to complete the setup.

How can I improve conversion tracking accuracy?

  • Ensure correct code placement: Verify that both client-side and server-side codes are installed and functioning properly.
  • Use HTTPS: Secure your website with HTTPS to improve the security of data transmission.
  • Regularly review conversion data: Perform periodic audits to detect and resolve potential inaccuracies or errors in the data.