If your Google Ads campaign is running but not showing conversions — or showing fewer than expected — you’ve got a problem. And it’s not always your ads or landing pages.
More often than not, the issue is conversion tracking itself.
Whether you’re using Google Tag Manager, GA4, or native Google Ads conversion actions, even one misstep can skew your data — leading to poor optimization decisions and wasted budget. Worse, if you’re relying on Smart Bidding, bad data doesn’t just hide performance — it actively misguides the algorithm.
Here are the seven most overlooked conversion tracking issues, how to spot them, and what to do about them before your account performance starts sliding sideways.
🔍 1. The Tag Is Firing… But It’s Firing on the Wrong Action
One of the most common issues: the tag is installed correctly, but it’s triggering on the wrong interaction — or multiple interactions you didn’t intend.
Examples:
- Fires on page load, not form submission
- Counts newsletter signups and contact form submissions as the same action
- Tracks every button click instead of just the one that matters
Fix it:
- Use Google Tag Manager’s Preview Mode or Chrome’s Tag Assistant to see when your conversion tag is firing
- Set up custom triggers that match only the specific conversion events (e.g., form ID, thank-you URL, click class)
🧭 2. Your ‘Thank You’ Page Isn’t Unique or Consistent
If your conversion relies on a thank-you page view, it needs to be:
- Unique (not shared by multiple form types)
- Static (not redirecting or failing to load properly)
What can go wrong:
- Users are redirected before the tag fires
- Thank-you pages are blocked by cookies or pop-up blockers
- Multiple paths lead to the same URL, inflating numbers
Fix it:
- Use a dedicated thank-you page URL for each conversion type
- Track using page path conditions (e.g.,
/thank-you-contact)
- Better yet, consider using event-based tracking for more reliability
🧩 3. You’re Not Passing the GCLID for Offline Conversions
If you’re importing offline conversions (like CRM data from HubSpot, Salesforce, or a custom Zapier workflow), you need to capture and pass the Google Click ID (GCLID).
If it’s missing:
- Google can’t match your offline sale to the original click
- Your Smart Bidding strategy loses crucial downstream data
Fix it:
- Make sure your lead forms or backend systems store the GCLID
- Use hidden fields + URL parameters, or store it in a cookie/session
- Pass it into your CRM, and schedule regular imports into Google Ads
🔧 In my Google Ads Masterclass, I walk you through step-by-step how to pass the GCLID and map offline data to conversion stages like calls, appointments, signed deals, and more.
📊 4. You’re Tracking Too Many Actions — Without Prioritization
If you’re tracking everything — page views, scrolls, newsletter signups, downloads, and form fills — Google has no idea what matters most.
Worse, it may optimize toward lower-value actions just because they fire more often.
Fix it:
- Assign values to different actions based on business impact
- Only include the most important conversions in the “Conversions” column (leave others for reference)
- Use Primary vs. Secondary conversions in your settings to control what Smart Bidding sees
📉 5. GA4 and Google Ads Are Out of Sync
If you’ve connected GA4 to Google Ads but conversions don’t match up, you’re not alone. Some common causes:
- Conversions in GA4 use different logic or event names
- Delays in GA4 reporting affect your visibility
- Imported conversions aren’t marked as “primary” in Google Ads
Fix it:
- Standardize naming conventions between GA4 events and Google Ads actions
- Verify that imported GA4 conversions are marked as primary
- Be cautious when relying only on GA4 for high-volume campaigns — native Google Ads tracking is more immediate and reliable for bidding
🛑 6. Conversions Are Counting Multiple Times
Let’s say someone fills out a form… and refreshes the page. Or bookmarks the thank-you page. Or shares it.
Suddenly, Google records multiple conversions — but they’re from the same user doing the same thing.
Fix it:
- Set your conversion action’s count method to:
- “One” for lead gen (only count the first time a user converts)
- “Every” for ecommerce (count each transaction)
- Use GTM variables to fire tags only once per session
- Avoid placing tags directly on thank-you pages without verification logic
🔒 7. Privacy Rules and Cookie Settings Are Blocking Data
With evolving privacy standards (GDPR, CCPA, iOS tracking changes), users who decline cookies may not fire conversion tags at all — even if they submit a form or complete a sale.
This skews your numbers, especially for mobile traffic.
Fix it:
- Use Google’s Consent Mode to adjust how tags behave based on consent
- Implement Enhanced Conversions, which allows hashed user data (like email or phone) to match conversions even when cookies aren’t available
- Use server-side tagging if you need more reliability in data collection
🧠 Bonus: Test Before You Trust
Before launching (or relaunching) any campaign, test conversion tracking thoroughly:
- Use GTM’s Preview Mode
- Submit test forms
- Trigger test purchases
- Check the Real-Time tab in GA4 or look for recent conversions in Google Ads
Tracking issues don’t just cause inconvenience — they actively impact your performance, optimization, and reporting clarity.
⚙️ If you’re unsure what’s firing or what’s not, that’s a big red flag. My Google Ads Masterclass covers the exact tracking setups I use to make sure data is clean, reliable, and usable.
🚀 Final Take: Clean Data Wins Every Time
You can’t optimize what you can’t track. And the best ad strategy in the world won’t work if conversions aren’t being captured correctly.
Take the time to audit your tracking. Look beyond surface-level issues. And never assume that “working” tags mean accurate data.
Clean, reliable conversion data is the single most important foundation for profitable Google Ads.
💡 Want to ensure your campaigns are fueled by the right data? Learn how to build bulletproof tracking systems in my Google Ads Masterclass — so you can optimize with confidence and scale faster.
