One of the most useful resources online is Google Ads. You can use it to run paid advertisements on third-party websites and in Google search results to reach your target audience and increase conversions.
Table of Content
Offline conversions: what are they?
Why should Google Ads import offline conversions?
How to configure Google Ads for offline conversions
Other methods
Offline conversions: what are they?
Google Ads offline conversions, as their name implies, are conversions that are linked to your paid advertisements but don't take place online.
Online is where most ad conversions do occur.
These conversions take place when a user clicks a button, makes a purchase from your online store, or subscribes to your emails, all of which Google Ads can track automatically.
Offline conversions, however, take place offline and are not trackable by Google Ads.
Phone calls and in-store purchases are examples of these conversions.
Although those conversions might still be the direct result of a paid advertisement, Google cannot track them because they take place offline.
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Why should Google Ads import offline conversions?
One of the most crucial steps in paid advertising is monitoring the results of your ads so you can assess their effectiveness and make necessary adjustments. However, your analytics will be off if you don't account for your offline conversions. Google Ads would only identify the online conversions in that scenario. That means it would inform you that while the second ad only generated 10 conversions, the first ad generated 20. You would prioritize the first ad over the second one if you believed it was performing better based on that information.
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How to configure Google Ads for offline conversions
Typically, a click or a phone call is what leads to a paid advertisement conversion. In other words, when users see an advertisement and decide to take action, they either click on the advertisement or dial the associated number. As a result, some Google Ads offline conversions will come from clicks and others from calls. Whichever it is, you should employ a different technique. Each one will be discussed below.
- Conversions from clicks: Google Click Identification is the most popular offline conversion importing technique (GCLID). The GCLID method is used for conversions that start with a click, as the name implies. Follow Google's setup instructions to configure this method. In essence, this strategy operates by having Google assign a specific GCLID number to every click on one of your ads. The user is then taken to your website by the click, where they register as a lead. When that occurs, you can save the GCLID number on your website along with any lead information you receive from them.
- Conversions from calls: Tracking conversions from phone calls use a slightly different methodology. Google Ads can track every call made to the number provided in an advertisement. Google might not be aware of the call that led to a conversion, though. Here is where you step in. Keep track of all phone calls that result in conversions, separate from Google Ads. A list of these calls can then be uploaded to Google Ads. To determine which leads made calls that resulted in conversions, Google Ads will compare your records with its own. After that, you can determine which ads prompted those callers.
Other methods
Working directly with Google Ads is a requirement for the two methods mentioned above. However, there are a few additional options that entail acting as a sort of middleman using a customer relationship management (CRM) tool. For the import of conversion data, Google Ads integrates with programs like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zapier. Your CRM will automatically send data about your offline conversions to Google Ads as you track them there. If you already use one of the tools mentioned above, you might be able to use it just to monitor your offline conversions from Google Ads.
You now have the necessary information to analyze and guide your optimization decisions. If you view raw leads, sales-qualified leads, and booked sales in a single campaign view, you may notice things that you might have otherwise missed. Not to mention that without any offline conversion tracking at all, you would have missed seeing them. It takes a lot of time to automate the import process into Google Ads and set up offline conversion tracking. On your journey to success, you will encounter some challenges. But once it's finished, you'll have the information you need to manage and optimize your Google Ads account with the utmost wisdom.
Can offline conversions be uploaded to Google Ads?
You must upload your conversion file to the Google Ads account that handles your conversions to import your offline conversions into Google Ads. Upload conversions at the manager account level if you have cross-account conversion tracking configured.
Why is tracking offline conversions important?
Offline conversion tracking enables you to determine the role that digital advertisements play in convincing customers to proceed through the buyer's journey, whether they call the business, go to the location, or make a final decision to buy.
Will Google Analytics still be available?
Standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new hits on July 1, 2023. We advise that you get ready to use Google Analytics 4 if you still rely on Universal Analytics
