Google AdWords Conversion Tag Correct Setup Question

[hcerus]

Hi Guys,

 i am looking at 2 diferent approaches to setup the GAC tag. My question is if the second approach is the right way to do it?

Approach 1

simply set the tag to fire on all pages

Approach 2

identify paid search visit via utm parameter medium-cpc and set as datalayer variable

adding another variable - adword 1st party cookie on that  landing page.

set extension - persist data value for that cookie to last/persist throughout the session

set tag load rule as confirmation/checkout page + cookie defined

thanks!

[mitchellt · Accepted solution]

Hi @hcerus - usually it's closer to what you describe in option 2, but most times a bit simpler.

Most recommendations are to fire the Conversion tag only on a Thank You page (completion of whatever action your site wants a customer to take).  Networks like Google handle all the conversion counts using cookie matching.  When your site visitor clicks a Google ad link to visit your site, Google sets a cookie on the visitor's browser.  When the visitor "converts" and reaches your Thank You page, the Conversion tag fires and Google again captures the cookie set previously for that visitor.  They are supposed to ignore other instances of the conversion tag.  However, some of what you described in your 2nd option should restrict the Conversion tag from firing for visitors who hadn't ever clicked an ad link. 

Hope this helps a bit - let us know how you ultimately decide to handle it, and I hope others will offer input here as well.

[STerjeson · Accepted solution]

@hcerus It sounds more like you should be using the Google AdWords Remarketing tag instead of the conversion tag for Approach 1.

Approach 2, from what you describe should be part of the built-in functionality of the GAC tag already, so you should not need to do anything specific to control it, just place the conversion tag to fire on the correct page/event action. (Reference what @mitchellt explained above.)

While you "can" place a GAC conversion tag on every page (I know some media teams who like to do this so they can claim "success" every time one of their targets just hit the site), it is much more appropriate to have a 'real' success metric to place the conversion tag on. I would push back on allowing this to happen because it really does dilute the performance reporting of media against the actual value/ROI for the business.

You can have multiple GAC conversion tags on a site, and they can be configured to control the audience, or times a conversion can happen, etc on the Google setup side. This would be the more appropriate method of tracking media engagement across the site, even if it is a more complicated setup.

[hcerus]

Thanks @mitchellt I have simply set the load rule to fire only on the thank you page and let the Google take care of the cookie mathing as you you suggested.

[hcerus]

Thank you @STerjeson that makes perfect sense.