GA4 and Tag Manager
The base: what happens on your site, counted properly.
Best for: Everyone.
Marketing analytics
and tracking.
Marketing analytics starts with conversion tracking: telling Google, Meta and GA4 which visits turned into real enquiries and sales. It matters more than most people think, because the platforms' automated bidding learns from whatever you count as a result. Count page views and it finds people who view pages. Count real sales and it finds people who buy. I set it up so what gets counted is what actually makes you money.
Written by Dan Picken, founder. Last checked 27 October 2026.- Website forms and checkout
- Phone calls
- Your CRM: which leads became sales
The tracking layer
Tag Manager, server-side events, offline uploads
Sends: real enquiries, sales, values
Not: page views, button clicks, duplicates
- GA4: what happened on the site
- Google Ads: which ads earn money
- Meta: who to show ads to next
Each platform's automated bidding learns from what you send it. Send it the wrong thing and it gets very good at the wrong thing.
From my audits
Where tracking
goes wrong.
Most tracking I audit has at least one of these. Any one of them means the platforms are learning from the wrong thing.
- 1
Counting page views as conversions
A visit to the thank-you page, or a button click, counted as a lead. Including people who reloaded the page or never submitted anything.
- 2
The same lead counted twice
Two tags firing for one form, or GA4 and Google Ads both reporting it. The account looks twice as good as it is.
- 3
Sales never sent back
The ad platforms only see the enquiry, never whether it paid. So a $50 job and a $50,000 job look exactly the same to them.
- 4
Phone calls invisible
For trades and clinics, calls are often most of the leads. If they are not tracked, the best ads look like the worst.
- 5
Tracking owned by someone else
Tag Manager or GA4 set up in a former agency's account. Change agencies and the history goes with them.
- 6
Nobody tested it
Tracking set up once, years ago, never checked since. Site changes break tags without anyone noticing.
How the platforms learn
Bidding is only as good
as what you feed it.
Google Ads and Meta both set bids automatically, based on the results you report back. The pieces below decide what they get to learn from. Most accounts have some of them, and almost none have all.
- 01
Key events in GA4
The actions you mark as important on your site. In GA4, key events become conversions when they're shared with Google Ads.
What I do: Mark only real enquiries and purchases, not every click.
- 02
Google Tag Manager
One place that controls every tracking tag on your site.
What I do: Clean set-up, named properly, owned by you.
- 03
Enhanced conversions
Google matches more results back to ads using hashed details like an email address. The raw details aren't shared.
What I do: Turn it on for web forms and checkout.
- 04
Offline conversions
Sales that happen later, by phone or in your CRM, sent back to Google with the ad click ID or hashed lead details.
What I do: Send back the leads that became sales, and their value.
- 05
Meta Conversions API
Sends results to Meta from your server or CRM, not just from the browser.
What I do: Set it up alongside the Pixel, with duplicates removed.
- 06
Server-side tagging
Your tags run through your own server first, which gives you more control over what data goes where.
What I do: Worth it for bigger accounts and stores. Not every business needs it.
Worth knowing: Google is moving offline conversion uploads to its Data Manager API, with the old method blocked from 15 June 2026. If your CRM sends sales to Google Ads through an older connection, it's worth checking it still works.
Tracking health check
Is your tracking
telling the truth?
Google's and Meta's automated bidding learns from whatever you tell them is a result. Tick what's true for your setup now. If you're not sure, leave it unticked: not sure usually means no.
Tracking health
0/10
The platforms are learning from guesswork. Every other change waits on this.
First fix
A quick self-check. The free audit checks it properly.
What gets set up
The pieces,
and who needs them.
Not every business needs every piece. Here's what each one does and when it's worth it.
Google Ads conversions
Real enquiries and sales counted in Google Ads, with enhanced conversions on.
Best for: Anyone running Google Ads.
Meta Pixel and Conversions API
Results sent to Meta from the browser and your server, without duplicates.
Best for: Anyone running Meta ads.
Offline conversions
Leads that became sales, sent back from your CRM with their value.
Best for: Service businesses and B2B, where the sale happens after the enquiry.
Server-side tagging
Tags routed through your own server first.
Best for: Bigger stores and accounts. Usually not the first thing to fix.
How most tracking is set up.
How I set it up.
Most setupsHow I do it
What countsEvery form view, click and page visit.Real enquiries and sales only, each counted once.
SalesNever sent back. The platform only sees the lead.Sales and their value sent back from your CRM or store.
CallsNot tracked.Tracked where calls matter to the business.
OwnershipIn the agency's accounts.Everything in your name. You keep it if you leave.
ProofThe platform's reported results.Checked against real sales, and tested for what the ads actually caused.Cause Testing
How it works
Four steps.
Nothing hidden.
- 01
Free audit
I check what GA4, Google Ads and Meta are counting now and send the top 3 fixes, then we talk them through in a 20-minute call.
- 02
Clean up
Remove duplicates and fake conversions. Decide what counts as a result for your business.
- 03
Connect the sales
Send leads that became sales, with their value, back from your CRM or store.
- 04
Test and check
Send test leads, compare against your real sales, and recheck after any website change.
What you get
- Tracking audit: what is counted now and what is wrong
- GA4 and Google Tag Manager set up properly, in your name
- Google Ads conversions with enhanced conversions
- Meta Pixel and Conversions API, without duplicates
- Sales sent back from your CRM or store, where it fits
- A plain-English note of what is tracked and how to check it
Questions
people ask.
Why do GA4 and Google Ads show different numbers?
Some difference is normal: they count at different times and credit different things. A big difference usually means a tag is missing, duplicated, or a redirect is stripping the ad click ID.
Do I need server-side tagging?
Not usually first. It gives you more control over data, but most accounts get more from fixing what's counted and sending sales back.
Is sending customer data to Google and Meta allowed?
Enhanced conversions and the Conversions API send hashed details, not raw ones, and your privacy policy should say you use them. The OAIC's guidance on tracking pixels is worth a read, and never send health or other sensitive details.
How long does a tracking setup take?
Typically a week or two for GA4, Tag Manager and the ad platform conversions. Connecting a CRM to send sales back takes longer, depending on the CRM.
What's in the free tracking check?
I look at what GA4, Google Ads and Meta are counting, whether anything is duplicated or missing, and whether sales get back to the platforms. You get the top 3 fixes in writing and a 20-minute call.
See what your tracking
is really counting.
Takes a minute. Audits come back within 1 to 2 business days. For anything else, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
What happens next
- 1I'll ask for read-only access, or just your website for a search audit.
- 2I go through it and write up the 3 biggest fixes.
- 3A 20-minute call to walk you through it. No pitch unless you ask.
Keep going