SEA / Paid Search

Conversion Tracking

Conversion tracking records the valuable actions people take after clicking an ad or visiting a page.

In detail

Without it, bidding automation has no target and reporting measures traffic instead of outcomes.

Track meaningful actions with realistic values, avoid double counting the same event, and respect consent requirements.

Example

Tracking submitted quote requests with an estimated value instead of counting page views.

Why it matters

Everything downstream — CPA, ROAS, bidding, budget decisions — depends on it being right.

Common mistakes

  • Counting every button click as a conversion.
  • Duplicate tags inflating results.

Related questions

Related articles

Related guides

  • The Complete Google Ads & SEA Guide
    Guide

    Paid search from first principles: account structure, keywords and match types, ads, landing pages, bidding, tracking and profitability.

Related terms

  • CPA

    CPA (cost per acquisition) is what you pay, on average, for one conversion.

  • ROAS

    ROAS (return on ad spend) is the revenue generated per unit of advertising spend.

  • Conversion Rate

    Conversion rate is the share of visits or clicks that complete the action you care about.

  • Performance Max

    Performance Max is a Google Ads campaign type that automatically distributes ads across Google's channels using supplied assets and goals.

Related questions

  • How much should I spend on Google Ads?

    Work backwards from value, not from a benchmark. If you know what a customer is worth and roughly how many clicks it takes to win one, you know the most you can afford per click.

  • How does Google Ads work?

    You create campaigns targeting keywords, audiences or product feeds, and set a budget and bidding strategy. When someone searches, Google runs an auction.