Import offline conversions into Google Ads

The challenges of importing conversions into Google Ads

Tracking offline conversions is critical for measuring true return on ad spend (RoAS) in Google Ads, but it’s often challenging. Match rates for conversions uploaded via Customer Match uploads (using emails or phone numbers) are typically low, around 40-50%, resulting in inaccurate campaign performance data and ineffective exclusion lists.

Why match rates are poor with Customer Match uploads

The primary reason for low match rates is that uploaded customer data, such as emails or phone numbers, must exactly match Google's existing user profiles. Even slight variations lead to non-matches, skewing ROAS and campaign attribution. This makes optimization difficult and hinders efficient budget scaling, despite the effort invested in uploading customer data via CRMs or tools like Zapier.

The Solution—match clicks to conversions at the time of website visit

The optimal way to upload offline conversions is to capture unique click identifiers, such as the Google Click Identifier (GCLID or WBRAID/GBRAID for IOS Google apps), at the time of the website visit and match these to later conversion events. This method provides nearly 100% match rates because Google can directly match the click ID to the conversion, rather than relying on potentially inaccurate customer details.

This process can be implemented manually, requiring significant technical effort, or automated using tools like Able CDP. Below, we outline both approaches to help you understand the steps involved and the benefits of automation.

Manual process for importing offline conversions

To implement this solution manually, follow these steps:

1. Enable Auto-Tagging in Google Ads: Turn on auto-tagging in your Google Ads account to ensure the GCLID is appended to the URL when someone clicks on your ad.
2. Capture the GCLID: When a visitor lands on your website via a Google Ad, extract the GCLID from the URL parameter (e.g., ?gclid=...). This unique identifier is critical for tracking.
3. Store the GCLID: Save the GCLID in a cookie on the visitor's browser. Since the GCLID changes with each click and disappears on the next page load, update the cookie with the latest GCLID.
4. Include GCLID in Forms: Modify your forms (e.g., lead forms, enquiry forms) to include a hidden field that captures the GCLID from the cookie when the form is submitted.
5. Store GCLID in CRM: Ensure your CRM system stores the GCLID along with the lead or customer data for at least 90 days (the window for importing conversions back to Google Ads).
6. Prepare Conversion Data: When a conversion occurs (e.g., a purchase or booked meeting), create a CSV file containing:
   • GCLID
   • Conversion Name (must match the name in Google Ads)
   • Date of Conversion (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS)
   • Total Revenue (e.g., $1, static LTV, or actual revenue)
   • Currency (e.g., USD, GBP)
7. Upload to Google Ads: Upload the CSV file to Google Ads under Goals > Upload. You can do this manually or set up a schedule for automatic uploads by placing the file in a location (e.g., HTTPS or SFTP) that Google Ads can access regularly. Tools like Zapier can assist with automation.

This manual process requires technical setup, including website modifications to capture and store the GCLID, integration with your CRM to pass and store the GCLID, and potentially scripting or third-party tools for automating the upload process. Even if your CRM has built-in GCLID capture functionality, additional effort may be needed to manage uploads.

Automating the offline conversion upload with Able CDP

Able CDP simplifies and automates the entire process of importing offline conversions into Google Ads, eliminating manual intervention and reducing the risk of errors:

• Able CDP's tracking code automatically captures click identifiers like GCLID when visitors arrive on your website.
• Offline conversion data from CRM, payment systems etc. gets sent to Able CDP via APIs.
• Able automatically matches conversions to click IDs.
• Matched conversions uploaded to Google Ads API.

Able CDP streamlines this process, saving significant time and resources while providing more accurate data for campaign optimization.

Accurate campaign measurement with Able CDP

With Able CDP, matched conversions can result in 5X or greater reporting and attribution precision compared to Customer Match uploads alone. This gives tremendously more accurate campaign performance data.

Additional benefits include:

• Auto-Exclusion: Recent purchasers are excluded from remarketing for 540 days.
• Multi-Channel Modeling: Contribution modeling for each conversion across multiple channels.
• Time Savings: No more spending time uploading customer data manually.

Conclusion

If you run Google Ads campaigns but struggle with getting conversion tracking right, explore how Able CDP can solve your attribution woes today. By automating the complex process of importing offline conversions, Able CDP delivers higher match rates, better insights, and a more efficient workflow—allowing you to focus on scaling your campaigns effectively.