Server Side Conversions Tracking with the Google Ads Tag
Ate Keurentjes | 28 March 2023 | Last updated: Tracking the conversions of your Google Ads campaigns is crucial if you want to be successful with your online campaigns. The 'track conversions' tag in Google Tag Manager allows you to track how often visitors perform certain actions on your website, such as placing an order or filling out a form. This allows you to measure and optimize the effectiveness of your ad campaigns, as you can see which ads and keywords led to more conversions.
You can also set different conversion goals, such as purchases, signups or phone calls, and track how well your ads are performing in meeting these goals. By doing this, you can better understand which ads work and which keywords lead to more conversions. In addition, Google's algorithms better understand your website and business goals using the conversions you have set. As a result, your campaigns (Performance Max, for example) are going to perform better. These are just a few examples of what Google Ads Conversion Tracking can add to your strategy. In this blog, we will explain to you step by step how to set up the 'conversions tracking' Google Ads Tag server side in Google Tag Manager.
Due to intelligent tracking prevention (ITP) of various browsers (and adblockers), it becomes more difficult to keep measuring your conversions properly via the current setup in Google Tag Manager (client side). This is because ITP and Adblockers can block the data flow. This ensures that you cannot capture all conversions. Server side tagging (SST) is the method to minimize the effect of ITP and Adblockers. With TAGGRS, you can easily implement server side tagging and continue to use your current GTM account (slightly modified). In this tutorial, you will learn how to measure server side conversions with the Google ads tag.
Curious about the entire Google Ads Server Side Tracking setup? Then check out this page.
Google Ads Server Side implementation steps
'Track conversions' of Google Ads tag set.
Step 1: Conversion settings
Within your Google Ads account, go to > Goals > Conversions > Create Conversion Action.
Step 2: Conversion action
Click on the conversion action you want to measure. Haven't created a conversion action yet? Then click New conversion action then click Add a conversions action manually and give the action a name. Next you can choose the type of conversion you want to track, such as a purchase or a contact request. Then specify the value of the conversion and choose the appropriate category.
Step 3: Set conversion tag
Once you have selected the conversion action, click Set Tag and choose Use Google Tag Manager. Next, the Conversion ID and Conversion Tag come into view. We need these.
Step 4: Create Tag
It is important to emphasize that Google Ads conversions should be set up exclusively in the server container. Remember to remove them in the client container or set them to secondary in Google Ads. Go to your server container in Google Tag Manager. Then go to Tags and click New.
Note: In this description, we assume you are using GA4 to get data into the server container. If you haven't set this up yet. Then start with step 1 of the four-part implementation sequence for GA4.
Step 5: Choose Tag
Click Tag Configuration then Google Ads and select Track Conversions as the tag type.
Are you getting the message below? If so, add the conversion linker. Read this blog for setting up the Conversion Linker tag.
Step 6: Set Tag
Once you have created the Conversion Linker tag you can move on to setting it up. Copy the Conversion ID and conversion tag from Google Ads and put it here.
Next, we are going to enter the conversion value and valuate code. Not yet familiar with terms like data layer variable and GA4 data? Then check out our blog on the Google Tag Manager data layer. Below is an example of how the data enters the data layer. You can find this in preview mode. This is how you do it open preview mode --> Test event (in this case add_to_cart) --> Data Layer --> Scroll until you get to currency etc.
Next, under conversion value, you can enter a variable that represents the value of the conversion. For web shops, this is often the datalayer variable: value. You can also fill it in statically. For example, if your conversion is always worth 300 euros, you can fill in that number. Or you can leave it empty, then the value will be filled in automatically (only if it is available in the GA4 event data).
With currency code, you also have 3 options. A dynamic variable, a static value or auto-fill based on GA4 event data. We recommend using the statistical value. Currency is required when your conversion value is filled in.
- Dynamic variable: you can enter a created event data variable here, for this you need to create the variable below. At Key Path, enter the way it enters the data layer.
- Statistical value: if selling only in euros, you can enter EUR here, for example.
- Auto-fill GA4 event data: do this only when you are sure you are using a properly functioning data layer based on the GA4 protocol.
In addition, there are three more check boxes you can check to send additional data along with your conversions. These are particularly interesting for web shops. They allow you to make Google smarter. You send extra data, so Google gathers more insights about your customers. For this to function properly, it is essential that a (GA4) data layer is present on the website/shop.
Step 7: Create Trigger
Click on Triggers and then click on the plus sign at the top right. In this blog we will assume you want to use purchases on your website as a trigger. If you want to measure another conversion (registration, application, forms, shopping cart, etc.) then it works the same way, but with a different event/trigger.
Step 8: Choose type of trigger
Name the trigger and click Trigger Configuration. Then choose Custom Event as the trigger type.
Step 9: Set Trigger
Enter at Name of event: purchase. Select Some custom events at This trigger is triggered by. Then select [Event name] [is gelijk aan] [purchase] . Save the trigger and then the tag.
Note that if you also send Universal Analytics data to the server container, the event purchase may fire twice. In that case, specify in the trigger that the Client Name is equal to GA4 (or Universal Analytics).
The purchase event is now created. Do you have a specific url as a conversion action in Google Ads, for example a thank you page. You cannot choose this as a trigger type in the server container. For this you need to create a new variable. Create a new variable and choose Event Data as Variable Type. Then enter page_location as key path. The variable is now ready.
Next, we are going to create the corresponding trigger. Create a new trigger. Under Trigger Configuration, choose Pageview and make sure the trigger is fired on the page you want to measure and use the variable you just created. You will then add this trigger as a trigger to your Google Ads conversion event.
You have now successfully installed the conversions tracking tag in Google Tag Manager and can now measure and optimize the effectiveness of your Google Ads campaigns. By tracking conversions, you can better understand which ads and keywords are working and which conversion targets are most effective. Nice going! Also see how you can take advantage of Google Ads remarketing.
Step 10: View status in Google Ads
When the conversion tag is set, within your Google Ads account the conversion action status will change from inactive to no recent conversions or active. This can take up to 48 hours.
Testing Conversions Google Ads
For testing, it is recommended that you first run your new Server Side Tracking configuration in parallel with your current set up in the web container. Server Side conversion often reports fewer conversions in the first 2 weeks because it does not yet have historical data. The client side tag often still writes to itself conversions that clicked on the campaign in the previous days/weeks. You can run both conversions in parallel (primary conversion) since Google Ads automatically deduplicates them, which ensures that no duplicate conversions are measured. Then, once it appears to be measuring correctly, you can keep the Server Side Tracking conversions at primary and remove or set the web container conversions to secondary. By taking this approach, you ensure that your active campaigns continue to run unimpeded even if unexpected issues arise.
Don't know exactly how to test if your tags are working properly in Google Tag Manager read this blog on Debugging in Server Container
Don't forget to put the container live!
Frequently Asked Questions Server Side Conversions Measure Google Ads
Since implementing Server Side Google Ads Conversions, we have Long URLs on the website. What is the cause of this.
When someone clicks on a Google or Meta ad, a unique ID, such as the Google Click ID, is added to the URL. This is a long, random text that is placed in cookies and helps track conversions. Server side tracking requires the server to send this data, meaning these IDs are often placed back into the URL for the server to retrieve. This allows Google and Meta to assign conversions to a campaign. Without these IDs, conversion data can be lost, making it difficult to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Example:
https://www.taggrs.nl/test/?_gl=1*12vhm91*_up*MQ..*_ga*NDUzMDUzMzgzLjE3MTU2NzM0NzI.*_ga_0K2BQLH54H*MTcxNTY3Mz
