Google Ads for Beginners Tutorial – Rule #2: Setup Conversion Tracking for Real-World Value

Google Ads Rule #2: Set Up Conversion Tracking for Real-World Value 

Once you’ve got your campaign structure set up properly (see Rule #1), it’s time for Rule #2: Make sure you’re capturing real value from your traffic. 

It’s not enough to just run ads—you need to know what’s actually working. That’s where conversion tracking comes in. 

Ecommerce vs. Lead Generation Tracking 

Depending on your business model, conversions are tracked differently: 

For Ecommerce: 

• A conversion is typically a sale. 
• The conversion value is the revenue from that sale. 

Google Ads allows you to track both. So not only do you know someone bought, but you also know how much that sale was worth. 

For Lead Generation: 

Things get more nuanced. A conversion could be: 

• Someone filling out a contact form 
• A newsletter signup 
• A whitepaper download 
• A phone call 

Each of these is a potential conversion—but only if they truly represent value to your business. 

Common Conversion Tracking Pitfalls 

Here are a few critical mistakes people make with conversion tracking: 

1. Tracking Page Visits as Conversions 

Just because someone visited a page doesn’t mean it should count as a conversion. This is a major misstep and can throw off your entire account’s optimization. 

2. Short Phone Calls 

Let’s say you set up call tracking, and any call over 15 seconds is considered a conversion. That sounds okay—until you realize people might be misdialing or asking the wrong business. 

Example: Someone calls, talks for 15 seconds, and says, “Is this the pizza place?” You say no, and they hang up. That shouldn’t be counted as a conversion. 

Pro tip: Use a minimum duration of 60 seconds for call conversions to filter out these irrelevant calls. 

What Should You Track? 

You want to track the things that actually add value to your business. 

Ask yourself: 

• Would I pay money for this interaction? 
• Does this lead or sale help my business grow? 

If the answer is yes, it’s a real conversion. That’s what should be tracked and optimized for. 

Final Thoughts 

If you don’t track real conversions, you’re flying blind. 

Rule #2 is simple but powerful: Track what matters. Whether it’s revenue from sales or qualified leads from phone calls and forms, your conversion tracking setup must reflect real-world value. 

This ensures your campaigns are optimized for the outcomes that matter, not just empty numbers.