What is advanced conversion tracking in Google Ads?
- Simply put, advanced conversion tracking is a feature in Google Ads that allows advertisers to supplement existing conversion data with first-party data from their website.
- This means that if a user completes a conversion on your website and provides some form of identifying information (such as an email or phone number), Google Ads can use this information to match the conversion to a specific individual.
- This is done in a privacy-compliant manner, with all data secured and anonymized before use. As a result, there is a more accurate understanding of how users interact with ads and convert on your website.
- If someone clicks on your ad on one device but completes the conversion on another, traditional conversion tracking may fail to attribute the conversion to the ad click.
- However, the advanced conversion tracking feature in Google Ads can utilize hashed conversion data, such as an email provided by the user during the website conversion process, to match conversions back to ad clicks more accurately.
The benefits of using the advanced conversion tracking feature in Google Ads
More Accurate Conversion Data
- The benefit of advanced conversion tracking in Google Ads lies in the improved accuracy of conversion data. Traditional conversion tracking methods may not always capture the complete picture due to factors such as users converting across devices.
- The advanced conversion tracking feature in Google Ads addresses this issue by utilizing first-party data from your website, such as hashed email addresses or phone numbers.
- This supplementary data allows Google Ads to allocate conversions more accurately to users and specific ad interactions, providing a more precise understanding of how users interact with ads and convert on your website.
Better Campaign Optimization
More Effective Targeting
- Advanced conversion tracking in Google Ads can also result in more effective audience targeting. By gaining deeper insights into the individuals converting on your website, you can create more targeted ad campaigns to resonate with your audience.
- This can lead to increased impressions on Google Ads higher interaction rates, improved click-through rates, and ultimately, higher conversion rates.
More Detailed Customer Conversion Journey
Privacy Protection
How Does Advanced Conversion Tracking in Google Ads Work?
- Data Collection: When users complete a transaction or fill out a contact form on your website, the conversion tracking tag collects first-party customer data such as email addresses, names, home addresses, or phone numbers.
- Data Hashing: This data is then hashed using a secure one-way algorithm called SHA256, transforming the data into a different form, ensuring the privacy and security of the data during transmission.
- Data Matching: The hashed data is sent to Google in hashed form and then used to match your customers with logged-in Google accounts. This results in the attribution of conversions for your campaigns to advertising events such as clicks or views.
- Reporting: You’ll receive aggregated conversion reports, providing you with a more accurate insight into how people convert after interacting with your ads.
How to Set Up Advanced Conversion Tracking in Google Ads
Setting up the Advanced Conversion Tracking feature in Google Ads is a straightforward process. In this section, Bluefocus will guide you through two main methods to set up the Advanced Conversion Tracking feature in Google Ads.
Method 1: Implementing Advanced Conversion Tracking in Google Ads via Google Tag Manager
Step 1: Access Conversion Actions
- Log in to your Google Ads account. If you don’t have an account yet, consider leveraging Bluefocus Google Ads agency account rental service to optimize your campaigns further.
- Once logged in, locate the tool icon in the top right corner of your Google Ads dashboard. Clicking on this icon will open a dropdown menu. In the dropdown menu, you will find the “Measurement” label. Click on Conversions within this section. This action will take you to the conversion page where you can view all your current conversion actions.
Step 2: Choose Conversion Action
Step 3: Enable Advanced Conversion Tracking
When enabling the Advanced Conversion Tracking feature in Google Ads, you’ll be prompted to provide additional information. This includes the type of customer data you’ll use, such as an email address or phone number, and how you collect this data on your website.
Once you’ve filled in all the required information, click “Save“. This will save all your changes and enable the Advanced Conversion Tracking feature in Google Ads for the selected conversion action.
Method 2: Use Knowledge of Encoding
Using Code Snippets:
Adding code snippets to your website to pass hashed customer data enhances the accuracy of advanced conversion tracking. Ensure that you consistently format and send the data whenever your conversion tag is activated.
Using CSS or Javascript Selectors:
If you frequently update or modify code on your website, you may implement advanced conversion tracking via CSS or Javascript selectors. With this method, you can manually identify appropriate CSS selectors or Javascript variables on the website containing the relevant user-provided data.
This approach provides higher accuracy than auto-detection features but is less reliable than embedding code into your website. It also helps increase the impressions on Google Ads as the website legitimizes the structure.
Common Issues with Advanced Conversion Tracking in Google Ads and How to Address Them
Although Advanced Conversion Tracking in Google Ads is a powerful tool for improving conversion tracking accuracy, like any technology, it can encounter issues.
Sometimes, this can also lead to your ad content being unrelated to the content on the website, which may result in temporary suspension of your Google Ads account, a concern that advertisers often overlook.’
Here are some common issues that may arise with Advanced Conversion Tracking in Google Ads and how to address them:
1.Missing User-Provided Data
This issue may occur if user-provided data, such as an email address or phone number, is not accurately recorded. To address this, double-check the form fields on your website to ensure they are collecting the necessary data accurately and that this data is being correctly transmitted to Google Ads.
2.Incorrect Data Format
3. Missing Required Address
