Google Ads

Contents

• Send Purchases, Leads and other conversions to Google Ads

Send Purchases, Leads and other conversions to Google Ads

Sending conversions to Google Ads used to add conversion value to Google Ads’ reports, allowing to report on ROI, as well as to use performance-based targeting and optimization capabilities.

This guide will focus on using server-to-server API integration to send conversions to Google Ads API. There are two main reasons to prefer server-to-server integration to pure browser JavaScript tracking code:

1. Even when purchases happen online completely, its not uncommon to see 15-25% of sales that come from ads to remain unattributed to the campaigns. This happens because of users using multiple devices, ad blocking plugins and general lack of reliability of client-side tracking.
2. Often, purchases happen offline: for example, when a sale is closed in CRM or when a first payment for subscription is successfully taken by a payment service provider such as Stripe.

Able Customer Data Platform supports sending conversions for GCLID-identified visitors, as well as IOS 14.5+ traffic without GCLIDs using a WBRAID/GBRAID parameter, and, when neither is known, sends customer's email and phone to use Google Ads Customer Match.

1. Google Ads Setup

   The first step to start using a server-to-server integration is to configure Google Ads. The Part 1 of the ‘Set up offline conversion tracking‘ guide in Google Ads Help covers two necessary steps to begin: enabling auto-tagging and setting up a Conversion Action – a hint telling Google Ads how to process your conversions.

   (Google refers to all conversions that aren’t tracked by its JS tracking code as ‘offline’. They may not actually happen offline, such as in a store, and would more often be a result of online user activity.)

   
   

   When creating a Conversion Action, verify that the Primary action is chosen if this Conversion Action should be used for bidding, and Secondary otherwise. Verify that this setting is configured correctly in all Conversion Actions that are set up.

   

   
   

   Once Google Ads setup is complete, conversions are ready to be sent to Google Ads. While it can be done with a direct Google Ads API integration, rest of this guide will assume you’re using Able to track sales and attribute them to ad clicks.

2. Google Ads Customer Data Terms

   To make sure that all conversions are processed, the Google Ads account must have accepted Customer Data Terms. This only needs to be done once per account and the Data Terms will be valid for all conversions automatically.

   Open Tools - Conversions - Settings - Enhanced conversions. Check that Enhanced conversions is selected for the Google Ads API:

   

   
   

   It's critical that Customer Data Terms are accepted when "Enhanced conversions for leads" are selected for Google Ads to be able to accept conversions sent without GCLID:

   

3. Connect Able to Google Ads

   The ‘Sign In With Google’ button below will grant Able access to your Google Ads API, allowing to send purchase conversions to Google Ads.

   Make sure that access to AdWords/Google Ads is granted by checking the corresponding checkbox when connecting:

   

   After connecting, a new Credential will appear in the list.

   
   

   Press the "Sign In" button to proceed:

   → Open Able Dashboard and press ⊕ Add Service Integration button to do the action.

4. Create compatible conversion action in Google Ads

   To do so, open Tools - Conversions in Google Ads. Click New Conversion Action - Import - Other data sources or CRMs - Track conversions from clicks. Enter desired conversion and attribution parameters and create conversion.

5. Send Able events as Google Ads Conversion Actions

   Select the new Google Ads credential, and choose ‘Purchase’ event type. Able will display a list of Google Ads Customers your Google account has access to manage. Choose the one that has the Conversion Action that has been created in Google Ads Manager in the first step.

   Press ‘Save’ button to save settings. Able Customer Data Platform will start sending all purchases it attributed to Google Ads clicks to Google Ads API.

   → Open Able Dashboard and press ⊕ Add Service Integration button to do the action.