How do you set up proper conversion tracking in GA4?
We start with what the business counts as a customer: a booked call, a paid order, a qualified lead. Then we build that as an event in Tag Manager , name it plainly, test it in preview and mark it as a key event in GA4 (Google's current name for a conversion). The next day we check the data against the raw BigQuery export, and send the same definition to the ad platforms. It's part of our technical tracking service .
Start with the customer, not the tag
We ask what the business counts as a customer: a booked call, a paid order, a qualified lead. That becomes the conversion, even if something easier to tag is lying around.
Build and test
- Build the event in Tag Manager and name it plainly.
- Test it in preview, then mark it as a key event in GA4 (Google's current name for a conversion).
- Pass the first-party ID with the lead, so the visit and the form can be joined.
Check the data
The next day we compare GA4 with the raw export in BigQuery. Preview can look right while the data is wrong, so we don't sign it off from preview alone.
Send the same definition on
The ad platforms get the same conversion definition, so GA4, Google Ads and the rest argue about the same thing.
It's part of our technical tracking service.
The tools in this answer
Also worth asking
Other answers about the same tools.
What is technical and tracking infrastructure?
It's the set-up that counts what happens on your site and sends it where it needs to go: tracking tags, analytics, ad-platform conversions, your CRM connection and cookie consent, plus the hosting and security around your website.
How do you set up website analytics and tracking?
We agree with you what counts as a conversion, then set up Google Tag Manager and GA4, plus server-side tracking through Stape for sites that spend on ads. Before we hand over, we check the data is actually arriving.
Why is tracking important for my marketing?
Without it you're guessing which ads, pages and emails bring customers. Ad platforms also bid on what you tell them, so missing or wrong conversions mean they find the wrong people.
What is ongoing management, support, and reporting?
It means we don't launch your marketing and leave. We keep running and improving your ads, website and tracking on a retainer, and send reports that show what's working and what we'd change.
What’s included in your performance reporting?
Spend, leads or sales, and cost per result by channel, using data we've checked first. Reports sit in a Looker Studio dashboard you can open any time, and each one ends with what we'd push, fix or stop.
Still have questions?Talk to us
Bring your numbers.
We'll tell you if the spend makes sense.
- A 15-minute callYour goals, your challenges, and whether we're the right fit.
- A 1-hour discovery callWe dig into your numbers. Worth a hundred emails.
- A concrete planAds, a custom build or both, as a one-off project or ongoing.