Ensure we can accurately track leads or purchases from ads, optimize campaigns with real data, and report performance clearly to clients.
There’s more than one way to set up tracking and each platform will walk you through the steps to set tracking up. There’s also tools (like Google Tag Assistant) that will help you test your tracking setup to make sure things are setup properly.
Step 1: Confirm the Conversion Action
Before setting anything up, clarify what counts as a conversion. Ask the client: What do you want someone to do on your site? Is it a form submission, phone call, product purchase, or something else?
You’ll typically be tracking:
- Form fills (lead gen)
- “Schedule” or “Book Now” clicks
- Thank You page views
- Phone call clicks (if applicable)
Note the exact action. That will guide the setup.
Step 2: Access Google Tag Manager (GTM)
Go to tagmanager.google.com. Make sure GH has access to the client’s GTM container. If the client doesn’t have GTM installed, ask their dev or web manager to add it site-wide (GH does not install it for them unless that’s part of the agreement). This is where we’ll set up tags for both GA4 and Google Ads.
Step 3: Set Up GA4 Events for the Conversion
Log into analytics.google.com. Go to Admin > Data Streams > Web. Make sure Enhanced Measurement is ON. Then go to Admin > Events.
If you’re tracking a Thank You page, trigger a new event in GTM for page_view on a URL that contains /thank-you.
If you’re tracking a button click, use GTM to build a custom event based on button ID, text, or class.
Once the event fires in GA4, go to Admin > Events and mark it as a Conversion.
Test everything using GA4 DebugView.
Step 4: Create Google Ads Conversion Action
In Google Ads, go to Tools > Conversions. Click New Conversion Action > Website. Paste in the client’s website URL. Use manual setup. Select the type (Lead, Submit Form, Book Appointment, etc.).
Give it a name and choose “One” if it’s a lead gen conversion. Don’t use a value unless the client tracks revenue.
After setup, Google will give you a Conversion ID and Label for GTM.
Step 5: Add Google Ads Conversion Tag to GTM
In GTM, create a New Tag > Google Ads Conversion Tracking. Paste in the Conversion ID and Label.
Trigger it to fire on the Thank You page (recommended) or on a button click event if needed.
Always test using Tag Assistant and GTM Preview Mode.
Step 6: Set Up the Google Ads Conversion Linker Tag in GTM
- Log into GTM and go to the container for your client’s site.
- Click “Tags” in the left-hand menu.
- Click “New” and name the tag:
- Conversion Linker | Google Ads
- Under Tag Configuration, choose:
- Tag Type: Google -> Conversion Linker
- Scroll to Triggering and select:
- All Pages (this ensures it ires on every page load)
- Save and Submit the container.
- Use Preview Mode in GTM to verify the Conversion Linker tag is firing on every page.
- Use Google Tag Assistant or the Google Ads conversion diagnostics panel to ensure it’s working properly.
Step 7: Set Up Meta Pixel Tracking (If Running Meta Ads)
Go to business.facebook.com and navigate to Events Manager > Pixel.
Add the Pixel to the website via GTM using a Custom HTML Tag.
Set up specific events using the Event Setup Tool or by manually triggering events in GTM (ex: Lead fires on Thank You page).
Test events using the Facebook Pixel Helper Chrome extension.
Step 8: Final QA Checklist
- GA4: Does the event show up in DebugView and fire only once per form submit?
- Google Ads: Does the conversion tag fire when expected?
- Meta: Are both the Pixel base code and event firing correctly?
- Are there duplicates? Anything firing unexpectedly on load?
Final Deliverable
Once tested: document the event names and triggers in your campaign notes. Share screenshots in the Google Doc you’ll create with the below checklist (please make a copy before editing!!). Check in with the paid media consultant that tracking is ready before launching.