Conversion tracking
Also known as: Conversion measurement
In short
The measurement of defined business actions, such as completed purchases or qualified leads, and their connection to eligible advertising interactions.
Start with the action that matters
Conversion tracking begins by defining an outcome. A completed purchase, submitted inquiry and newsletter signup describe different actions. Recording them under one undifferentiated label hides their different business value.
A system may receive events through a website tag, an app integration or imported business records. Google Ads supports several conversion sources, including websites, apps, calls and offline outcomes. The implementation needs to match the selected source.
Configuration also determines which actions appear in reporting and influence campaign optimization. An event arriving successfully is not sufficient evidence that its meaning, value and counting behavior are correct.
Illustrative workflow
Imagine a fictional retailer recording a purchase only after the order system confirms completion. The measurement event includes the appropriate order reference, currency and value. A separate event records a newsletter signup.
The team tests an ordinary purchase and a repeated confirmation-page visit to check that the same order does not become two intended purchases.
Validate against business records
Compare event totals with the underlying outcomes using consistent dates and definitions. Differences can result from attribution rules, delays, consent choices or implementation errors. A click on a checkout button is not proof of a completed order. Keep lead submissions and later qualified outcomes separate when the buying process continues offline.