How can you use Google Tag Manager to track conversions in Google Ads? A Step by Step Guide

Google Tag Manager is a powerful tool that allows you to manage and deploy tracking tags and scripts on your website without having to modify the underlying code. With Google Tag Manager, you can track a variety of metrics, including pageviews, clicks, form submissions, and e-commerce transactions, among others. It’s also an essential tool for tracking conversions in Google Ads, as we’ll demonstrate in this guide.

Step 1: Set up Google Tag Manager and Google Ads Conversion Tracking

The first step is to set up a Google Tag Manager account and link it to your website. Once you’ve created your account, you’ll need to install the Google Tag Manager container code on your website. This code snippet allows Google Tag Manager to load tracking tags and scripts on your site.

Next, you’ll need to set up conversion tracking in Google Ads. This involves creating a conversion action and adding the conversion tracking code to your website. You can track a variety of conversion actions, such as purchases, form submissions, and phone calls, among others.

Step 2: Create a Google Tag Manager Tag for Google Ads Conversion Tracking

Now that you’ve set up Google Tag Manager and Google Ads conversion tracking, it’s time to create a tag that will track conversions in Google Ads. To do this, you’ll need to create a new tag in Google Tag Manager and select “Google Ads Conversion Tracking” as the tag type.

You’ll need to enter your conversion ID and conversion label, which you can find in your Google Ads account. You can also configure additional settings, such as the conversion value and attribution model, depending on your specific requirements.

Step 3: Set Up a Trigger to Fire the Google Ads Conversion Tag

Once you’ve created your Google Ads conversion tag, you’ll need to set up a trigger that will fire the tag when a conversion occurs. You can configure a trigger based on a variety of conditions, such as form submissions, button clicks, or pageviews, among others.

For example, if you want to track conversions from a form submission, you can create a trigger that fires the Google Ads conversion tag when the form is submitted. You can configure the trigger using the built-in trigger types in Google Tag Manager or create a custom trigger using JavaScript code.

Step 4: Test and Publish Your Google Tag Manager Configuration

Once you’ve set up your tag and trigger, it’s essential to test your Google Tag Manager configuration to ensure that conversions are being tracked correctly. You can use the Google Tag Assistant Chrome extension to verify that your tags and triggers are firing correctly and that conversion data is being sent to your Google Ads account.

Once you’re satisfied that your configuration is working correctly, you can publish your changes to make them live on your website.

Tracking conversions in Google Ads is an essential part of any online marketing strategy. By using Google Tag Manager to track conversions, you can measure the effectiveness of your ad campaigns and make data-driven decisions to optimize your marketing efforts.

In this guide, we’ve shown you how to use Google Tag Manager to track conversions in Google Ads, step by step. By following these steps and testing your configuration, you can ensure that your conversions are being tracked correctly, and you have the data you need to make informed decisions.