Question

Tech Question: Will the example below record duplicate conversions or not? I use Google Tag Manager. I have a Google Ads conversion tag firing on my thank you page. ALSO on that same thank you page, I have a Google Analytics event tag firing, which is also set as a "Goal" back in Google Analytics. If someone clicks my ad, submits the form and lands on my thank you page, what will happen? A) It'll record 1 conversion in Google Ads and 1 goal in Google Analytics giving credit to Paid Search Channel. B) It'll record 1 conversion in Google Ads and 2 goals in Google Analytics giving credit to Paid Search Channel C) Something else? I know if you import goals as conversions into Google Ads that's one way but I'm hoping that the way I have this setup, it's not sending Google Ads "conversion" back into Google Analytics as a goal while ALSO counting the original Google Analytics goal as a goal as well. Sorry that's a hefty question. Would love some feedback. Just want to avoid duplicate conversions. Thanks

Answer 1

B - It'll record it twice. I would recommend removing the Analytics Goal that you imported in to Google Ads. If you remove that, then it should only attribute the conversion once using the tag you set up manually on your site.  

Comments

You can still keep that goal as a goal in Analytics, just don't import it into Google Ads and you should be good to go.  

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@pneumonectomy3857 that is how I have it setup. In Google Ads, I only have the conv tracking tags (not importing any goals) and in Google Analytics, I only have the event tags triggering event goals. I think based on your 2nd comment, I believe I have it setup properly.  

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Yep, as long as you didn't add it in again in Google Ads as another conversion action then it's fine that way. You just only want that conversion in Google Ads once.  

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@pneumonectomy3857 Yes exactly! I want to keep Google Ads conversions kind of in their own lane within G-Ads which is why I wanted to use Conversion Tags for them but then to track non-Google Ads conversions, I wanted to setup event Goals to track all site conversions. So then, my only question here would be. back in Google Analytics, Paid Search in Acquisition Overview, it'll still show "Goal Completions" but it'll be from auto-tagging and my event goals versus my conversion tags, right? That's where I was hoping to not show duplicates.  

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I'm like 99% sure that is correct. I just went and checked on one of mine and under Goal Completions for Paid Search it was accurate and matched up to what I had listed in Google Ads for that client. It wasn't double counted and I have my conversion goals set up the same way. Using GTM, but the Goal is in Analytics, but not imported in.  

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@pneumonectomy3857 Oh excellent. This is very helpful thank you. And yes, my past conversions are off by like 1 or 2 but I know it's only because of the difference in attribution models between Gads and Ganalytics. No biggie to me as that's why I have it setup this way. I want to report/track/monitor Google Ads within Google Ads and only care about goals to track other traffic sources anyways. Thanks so much :)

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No problem! I'd just check it in like a week and make sure the numbers seem right, but it's working for mine!  

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@pneumonectomy3857 Awesome thank you. Just a quick question, for your analytics goals, are you using destination or event goals from GTM?  

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I'm using all the goals from analytics. For my form submission I'm using destination and using the thank you page. But I also am measuring other goals like events (scroll depth) time on site, pages visited, etc.  

Answer 2

Just use your ga tag for everything within GTM as you should. Adwords conversion is not automatically set as a goal.  

Comments

All tagging should be done through GTM and if you’re using GA there is no reason to be using the Adwords pixels in 98% of the cases

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@vidette307 So you recommend importing goals versus setting up Google Ads conversion tags?  

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@eolanda no, stay as you are. I checked this out some time ago & have forgot the specifics I'm afraid, but you lose some detail if you import Ads conversions from GA. So. Record Conversions in Ads; Record corresponding Goals in Analytics. Keep them apart.  

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You record conversions in AdWords but you don’t import them as goals in GA. You report out on GA. Always. GA is what’s right. If there’s discrepancies between the two that points to issues you need to fix or that your tracking is falling off somewhere.  

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@yet55 Love it. That's what I was hoping for. The reason I'm asking is because originally, I've had it this way for over 2 years where I was tracking Conversion tags for G-Ads and DESTINATION goals for Google Analytics. The shift I'm making is from having multiple destination goals based on the thank you page it's triggered by, I'm just doing 1 event goal with the page url in the action to determine which goal was triggered. Hoping that cleans things up.  

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That was the other point below, the other 2% when using those specific attribution types or unique conversions that you can’t do in GA, but really 98% of the time it always should be coming from GA as a source of “universal” accuracy.  

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@vidette307 Gotcha. Thank you, this is helpful.  

Answer 3

You can have both and I recommend it. Just don't import that same conversion into GAds. I use GAds tags due to the attribution difference between the two. It gives you (and if you use automated bidding) a clearer picture of how GAds, specifically, is performing.  

Comments

@abstemious Awesome, that's what I was hoping for. Thank you.