Google Ads conversion tracking tells the platform what a good outcome is. Smart Bidding then spends your budget chasing more of it. When tracking counts the wrong action, counts the right one twice, or has stopped recording, the account optimises confidently in the wrong direction and the reports look fine while the business sees nothing.
Here is a ten-minute conversion tracking check we run before changing anything else in an account we take over.
1. Look at the conversion tracking actions list
Open the conversions summary under Goals. For each action, note three things: whether it is primary or secondary, its status, and its source. Only primary actions are used for bidding and appear in the main Conversions column.
Common problem: page views, scroll depth or button clicks set as primary. They are easy to fire and say little about value, so Smart Bidding learns to buy cheap browsers. Make them secondary and keep only real outcomes, such as a submitted lead form, a call over a set duration or a purchase, as primary.
2. Check the status column
"Recording conversions" is good. "No recent conversions" or "Inactive" on an action you expect to fire daily means something broke, often a site change that removed the tag or a form that now submits without loading the thank-you page.
3. Look for duplicates
The same lead counted by the Google tag and again by an imported GA4 event doubles the reported conversions and halves the apparent cost per lead. If two primary actions describe the same outcome, keep one primary and make the other secondary.
4. Check the counting setting
For leads, count "one" per click, so a person who submits twice is one lead. For purchases, count "every". The wrong setting inflates lead numbers, especially on forms people resubmit.
5. Compare with your own records
Take last week's conversions in Google Ads and compare them with leads in your CRM or orders in your store for the same period. Some gap is normal, because of attribution and consent. A gap of double or half means the tracking, not the market, needs fixing.
Why conversion tracking breaks quietly
Tracking rarely fails with an error message. A developer replaces the form plugin, a thank-you page moves, a consent banner starts blocking the tag before it loads, or someone adds GA4 imports on top of an existing tag. Each change looks harmless and none of them alerts anyone. That is why the check belongs on a calendar, once a month and after every website change, rather than waiting for results to look strange.
6. Consider enhanced conversions and offline imports
Enhanced conversions use hashed customer data to recover conversions lost to cookie restrictions. For lead businesses, importing which leads became customers lets Smart Bidding optimise for sales rather than form fills; offline conversion import walks through it.
Our GA4 setup essentials cover the analytics side, and if you want the full check done for you, the free ad account audit starts here.
Questions people ask before hiring
How do I check if Google Ads conversion tracking is working?
Review the conversions summary: confirm only real outcomes are primary, every action you expect shows "Recording conversions", there are no duplicate actions, and weekly totals roughly match your own records.
What is the difference between primary and secondary conversions?
Primary conversions are used by Smart Bidding and appear in the main Conversions column. Secondary ones are recorded for reference but do not influence bidding.
Should leads be counted once or every time?
Once per click for leads, so a person who submits twice counts as one. Every for purchases, where each order has value.
Why do Google Ads conversions not match my CRM?
Attribution windows, consent settings and duplicates all cause gaps. A small gap is normal; a gap of double or half usually means a tracking problem.