Conversion tracking in Google Ads allows advertisers to measure the effectiveness of their ad campaigns by tracking specific actions that users take after clicking on their ads. These actions are known as conversions and can vary depending on the campaign’s objectives, such as purchases, form submissions, app downloads, phone calls, or other valuable actions on the website.

Here’s a general overview of how conversion tracking is done in Google Ads:

1. Set up conversion actions: First, you need to define the specific actions you want to track as conversions. For example, if you’re running an e-commerce website, you might want to track purchases as a conversion action. To set up conversion actions, follow these steps:

a. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
b. Click on the “Tools & Settings” icon (the wrench icon) in the top right corner.
c. Under the “Measurement” section, select “Conversions.”
d. Click on the blue “+” button to create a new conversion action.
e. Choose the appropriate type of conversion you want to track (e.g., website, app, phone call, etc.).
f. Fill in the required information and configure the tracking settings.

2. Get the conversion tracking tag: After setting up the conversion action, you’ll receive a conversion tracking tag or code snippet. This code needs to be added to the specific page on your website where the conversion takes place (e.g., the “Thank You” page after a purchase). The tracking code typically consists of a JavaScript snippet or a global site tag (gtag.js) that captures data about the conversion.

3. Implement the tracking code: Place the conversion tracking code on the appropriate pages of your website. It should be added just before the closing </head> tag of the page for most types of conversions.

4. Test the tracking code: After implementing the tracking code, it’s essential to test if it’s working correctly. You can use the Google Tag Assistant browser extension or the Google Ads conversion tracking test feature to check for any issues.

5. Conversion data collection: Once the tracking code is live on your website, Google Ads will start collecting data about the conversions. When a user clicks on your ad and completes the specified action, the conversion data is sent back to Google Ads.

6. Review conversion data: You can then review the conversion data in your Google Ads account. This information will help you understand which campaigns, ad groups, and keywords are driving the most valuable actions on your website.

Keep in mind that for some conversion types, like app installs or phone calls, you may need to set up additional tracking methods or integrate with third-party tools to capture the data accurately.

By using conversion tracking effectively, advertisers can make data-driven decisions, optimize their ad campaigns, and focus on maximizing their return on investment (ROI).