Conversion tracking, counted once
A form counted twice, a thank-you page that fires on reload, a Google Ads conversion nobody cares about. Marc Alexander sets up GA4 key events and Google Ads conversions so each counts once, at the right moment.
What you get.
- A short list of GA4 key events that matter, each firing once.
- Forms, calls, bookings and quote requests tracked on the submission itself.
- Key events imported into Google Ads, one primary conversion per goal.
- Enhanced conversions, set up to respect consent.
- Meta Pixel with the Conversions API, deduplicated against browser events.
- Consent Mode v2 across every tag.
- Documentation of what fires, where, and how to add more.
How it works.
Check what's there
Marc lists every key event and ad platform conversion: what fires, what doubles and what's missing.
Agree the list
Which actions count, which are primary in Google Ads, and what each carries. Written down before anything changes.
Build and test
Changes in GTM, GA4 and the ad platforms, tested in preview and each platform's diagnostics, deployed in stages.
What it costs.
- GA4 mini audit, from £175: key events, duplicates and the Google Ads link checked.
- Basic GA4 setup, typically £350 to £600: a lead generation site with a few goals.
- Advanced GA4 setup, typically £850 to £1,300: more goals, platforms or cross-domain tracking.
Selling online? Purchase tracking is on GA4 for ecommerce, and Shopify stores have their own Shopify build.
More detail: why duplicate and missing conversions matter
Duplicate conversions make paid media look cheaper than it is, and smart bidding trains on a noisy signal. Missing ones mean channels that work get no credit, and budget moves away from them.
Attribution also breaks when a visitor goes to an external booking tool, payment page or another domain: GA4 starts a new session and credits Direct. The cross-domain guide explains the fix.
Some disagreement between GA4, Google Ads and Meta is normal, because they count differently. The tracking problems underneath can be fixed. For duplicates, see how to fix duplicate key events in GA4.
Straight answers.
What's the difference between a key event and a conversion?
In GA4, an event you mark as important is a key event (called a conversion until 2024). In Google Ads, a conversion is an action you bid on. A GA4 key event only becomes a Google Ads conversion when you import it. Keeping them in line is much of this work, and the key events guide explains more.
How do I know if my conversion tracking is broken?
Key event counts that don't match your CRM or inbox, conversion rates that jump without a reason, Direct traffic taking the credit while campaigns are running, or GA4 and Google Ads disagreeing by more than their different counting methods explain. The mini audit checks for each of these.
Can you fix it without breaking what already works?
Yes. Marc audits the current setup before changing anything, tests in GTM preview and each platform's diagnostics, and deploys changes in stages.
Do I need enhanced conversions?
Usually, yes. Enhanced conversions add hashed first-party data, such as an email address the customer has typed in, so Google can match more conversions to ad clicks. They have to be set up to respect consent.
Do I need the Meta Conversions API?
If you spend meaningfully on Meta, it's usually worth it. It sends events from a server alongside the browser Pixel, deduplicated so each one counts once. It's set up as its own job: see Meta Conversions API setup, from £800.
A handful of key events that matter beats thirty that don't.
Last updated
Free tool
What does your site fire before consent?
Paste a page address. The tracking checker shows what a first-time visitor triggers before agreeing to anything, ranked by how much it matters.
Related work.
Talk to Marc about it.
Tell Marc what's happening with your tracking. The quickest place to start is usually a GA4 mini audit: a prioritised list of what's broken and what to fix first.
Mini audit from £175.
Prefer to talk first? Choose "20-minute intro call" in the form.
Or email [email protected].