Google itself defines that a conversion is an action resulting from a user’s interaction with product information and both free and advertising. From a business point of view, a conversion is getting an expected action from a potential customer. Operating online, conversions simply have to be measured, analyzed, and learned from. Without this, there will be no return on investment in advertising. Importantly, Google provides tools that make the whole thing very simple. And they provide another argument for the wisdom of investing in Google Ads.
What is a Google Ads conversion?
In the simplest terms, an Ads conversion is an action we count when a potential customer, after watching a video ad or clicking on a sponsored ad link, takes an action of value to the business. This includes making a phone call to a company, making a purchase from an online store or filling out a contact form.
Google provides various methods of tracking Ads conversions, making advertising created through it fully measurable. In addition, it provides a wealth of information useful in shaping marketing and even business strategy. By using a free tool like Conversion Tracking, you gain access to data about your customers and, more specifically, information about whether your ads are generating valuable action for your business.
Conversion Ads – the benefits of tracking conversions
One would think that another tool from Google, another activity – conversion tracking is something that will take time and a mass of commitment. Nothing could be further from the truth. And even more. By investing a little of your time, you gain something priceless. See why you should use conversion tracking:
- You will gain knowledge about your customers.
- You will know your return on investment.
- You will select keywords, ad groups and campaigns that are most profitable for your business.
- It will be easier for you to optimize Google Ads campaigns and automate their management.
- You will evaluate the effectiveness of advertising efforts on different devices and browsers.
Conversion tracking – how does it work?
To start benefiting from access to the above information, you should start by creating a conversion-inducing activity in your Google Ads account. More specifically, you need to indicate what activities are valuable to your business and profitable in the context of your campaign. It is these actions that shape the types of conversions you can track. And so you have at your disposal:
- Website activities, i.e. everything that customers do on your website or online store. This includes registering for a newsletter, filling out a contact form or shopping online.
- Phone calls, specifically all possible sources of them – calls directly from ads, after dialing a phone number on a mobile site, or simply dialing a phone number provided on a website.
- Downloading and installing the mobile app, as well as any in-app activities.
- Customer activities that start online and end offline – that is, importing. It takes place when a customer finds your offer makes contact with you online, but purchases or orders already made stationary.
- Local activities when a customer interacts with an advertisement for a particular company location.
Where do you start in tracking conversions?
It is time to address technical issues. To start tracking conversions you need to put a conversion tracking tag on your website – of course, you can find detailed instructions in Google Ads help. What do you need to get started? Make sure you have the ability to add a tag to your site, meaning you can edit it. Create the action that causes the conversion and configure the conversion tag. The next step is to place the tag, which is a piece of JavaScript code in the code of the page. Where it is located depends on what you want to study. For example, if we take the purchase of a product in an online store as a conversion, we usually place the tracking tag in the section of the thank you page for making a purchase. We select individual attributes for each conversion, because they allow us to obtain more precise data.
Summary
Actually, as with any business-related activity – Google Ads campaigns including conversion tracking you can do yourself. Using the help of Google, forums for programmers and other online sources, by trial and error you will eventually arrive at satisfactory results. However, if you care about time and respect your budget, it is better to choose the support of professionals right away.
Google Ads campaign analytics is the foundation of its effectiveness and the first step to satisfactory results, which is why Google Ads conversion tracking should be a regular part of your efforts when running a marketing campaign on the web.
