Checking the tracking
Conversion tracking: measure sales, not clicks
An ad platform learns from whatever it is told counts as success. If success is a mere click or any form submission, the budget drifts towards clicks instead of sales.
Not all enquiries are equally valuable.
An ad click must be traceable to the enquiry and the sale.
Calls, forms and bookings are measured separately.
In more detail
Define a valuable enquiry
Not all forms are worth the same. Good tracking separates a sellable enquiry from a general question or spam.
Connect the click to the sale
When the ad click's identifier is stored with the enquiry, you can later see which search or ad brought the customer who eventually bought. Then the budget can be steered to the searches that bring sales.
Report the results back to the ad platform
When closed deals are sent back to Google and Meta with the customer's consent, the platforms learn to find more customers like them, not just more clickers.
Do not optimise on uncertain tracking
If the tracking is uncertain, the findings are recorded, but the budget and campaigns are not changed until it is known what actually produces results.
Read next
What does a Google Ads account review include?
A good review does not start with new ads. First you find out whether the account measures the right thing and whether the budget goes to demand that is ready to buy.
How to spot the search terms that burn money
A search term that burns money is not just an expensive click. It is a click that does not match the demand your business is ready to serve.
Google Ads or Meta advertising for a local business?
Google Ads usually works better when the demand already exists. Meta works better when the service has to be put in front of the right audience.
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