Google Ads Connector

Tip

Our etracker e-learning platform offers a free video course on conversions and campaigns that provides a comprehensive explanation of “conversion uploads.”

Click here to go directly to the course:
https://academy.etracker.com/course/conversions-and-campaigns

Introduction

Sending conversion rates and revenue data to Google Ads allows you to:

• Managing and analyzing ads directly in Google Ads.
• Optimizing bidding strategies, such as target CPA or target ROAS.

With JustRelate etracker Pro and Enterprise, you can analyze Google Ads campaigns conveniently and in compliance with data protection regulations. Google Ads conversion tracking in the cookie-free standard does not require consent and therefore tracks all conversions regardless of whether statistics cookies have been accepted or not.

If conversions are already being tracked with JustRelate etracker, the setup consists of the following four steps:

1. Google Ads: Configuring the URL suffix to attribute conversions to campaigns
2. etracker: Providing the Conversion Upload File
3. Google Ads: Setting Up Conversion Upload File Retrieval
4. Google Ads: Setting Up Conversion Actions to Link to Conversions from the Upload File

Tag-Based Conversion Tracking vs. Server-Side Conversion Upload
In addition to the option of transmitting conversions to advertising platforms via a bulk upload without requiring consent (see these instructions), Google Ads also offers a conversion tag that can be deployed via the etracker tag manager and likewise transmits conversions to Google Ads. However, this requires the visitor’s consent. We therefore recommend using the conversion upload, as it generally provides more data.
It is not possible to deduplicate duplicate conversions when using both methods simultaneously. However, Google Ads allows you to distinguish between primary and secondary sources. Only the primary conversion actions are then used for campaign management and bid optimization.

Enhanced Conversions
To optimize the measurement accuracy of your Google Ads despite the increasing restrictions on traditional cookie and URL parameter tracking, JustRelate etracker supports the use of Enhanced Conversions. This is activated by using the corresponding variable “User-Provided Data.” Please ensure compliance with legal requirements and consent adjustments.

Google Ads: Configuring the URL suffix to attribute conversions to campaigns

In this step, we ensure that conversions on your website can be attributed to the Google Ads ads that were clicked on previously. To do this, additional parameters must be added to the ad link.

In Google Ads, the “Final URL Suffix ” field was created for tracking purposes. When an ad is served by Google Ads and redirects to the landing page, the entries in this field are appended to the campaign link. On the website, they are then automatically tracked by JustRelate etracker.

Since Google Ads does not provide a placeholder for the campaign name, we recommend setting the suffix of the final URL at the campaign level to enable descriptive campaign names in the reports.

Here’s what an entry in the “Final URL Suffix” field looks like at the campaign level:

etcc_med=SEA&etcc_par=Google&etcc_cmp=KAMPAGNENNAME&etcc_grp={adgroupid}&etcc_bky={keyword}&etcc_mty={matchtype}&etcc_plc={placement}&etcc_ctv={creative}&etcc_bde={device}&etcc_var={gclid}

To save the entry, go to Campaigns → Campaigns → Ads in Google Ads

There, you can copy and paste the parameter set into the “Final URL suffix” field. Be sure to replace “CAMPAIGN_NAME” with the name of the respective campaign. (Google Ads Help)

If the “Final URL Suffix” column does not appear, add it using the column selector above the table.

Using the Google Ads Editor
If you need to add a suffix to the final URL for a large number of campaigns, you can add the suffixes by downloading a list of your ads via your Google Ads Editor, adding the necessary information, and then uploading it again. Follow these steps:

1. Click onCampaigns → Campaigns → Ads.
2. Click ” Download ” to the right of the image.
   

3. Fill in the “Final URL Suffix” column and save the changes.
4. Upload the edited list back to Google Ads.

What should you do if there is no etracker code on the landing page?

If ads lead to pages without embedded etracker code, it is not possible to track clicks using simple URL parameters. In that case, a redirect link must also be set up.

1. Set the actual landing page as the final URL in your Google Ads Editor.
2. Under “URL Options,” in the “Tracking Template” field, add an appropriate etracker campaign redirect link.

To allow the redirect, the URL must either have been created beforehand using the campaign link generator or added to the redirect whitelist via the API. A campaign redirect looks like this:

https://www.etracker.de/ccr?etcc_url={lpurl}&et=ACCOUNTSCHLÜSSEL&etcc_med=SEA&etcc_par=Google&etcc_cmp=KAMPAGNENNAME&etcc_grp={adgroupid}&etcc_bky={keyword}&etcc_mty={matchtype}&etcc_plc={placement}&etcc_ctv={creative}&etcc_bde={device}&etcc_var={gclid}

Be sure to replace “CAMPAIGN NAME” and “ACCOUNT KEY” with the actual values.

• Replace “CAMPAIGN NAME” with the actual name of the respective campaign.
• Replace “ACCOUNTSCHLÜSSEL” with the JustRelate etracker account key, which you can find under Account → Account → Account Key .

etracker: Providing the Conversion Upload File

In this step, we’ll create the URL to the file containing the conversions that Google Ads will retrieve.

Go to Configuration → Conversion upload:

Now you can select the conversions you want to send to Google Ads and set the time interval.

A daily upload sends the previous day’s data to Google Ads, while a weekly upload sends the data from the previous seven days.

Since Google Ads no longer accepts external selection of the attribution model (First Ad, Last Ad, etc.),“Attribution in Google Ads”is set by default during initial configuration. If the upload has been configured at least once before, you must select “Attribution in Google Ads.” Once selected, this setting cannot be changed back.

Finally, generate the source URL. You’ll need this to enter it into Google Ads later.

The URL must end with “…/etrackerConversions.csv”. If a URL that does not end with “…/etrackerConversions.csv” is still displayed, it was generated in the past. In this case, switch the attribution model to “Attribution in Google Ads” and refresh the token.

Google Ads: Setting Up Conversion Upload File Retrieval

In this step, we tell Google Ads how to access the file containing our conversions, which we configured in Step 2.

Tip

On our etracker e-learning platform, a free video provides a step-by-step guide to uploading conversions via the Data Manager.

Click here to go directly to the course:
https://academy.etracker.com/path-player?courseid=conversions-and-campaigns&unit=6abb7c7845d565895b0719e1Unit

If the conversion upload file contains data, log in to Google Ads, select Tools → Data Manager → Featured Products → HTTP HTTPS in the menu bar:

In the “Link Products” dialog, select “Conversions” and “Use HTTPS data to analyze offline conversions” (even though our conversions are online conversions). We’ll set up the conversion action later in this guide and link it. If existing conversion actions are listed, select “Skip and add a conversion later.”

Then click “Next.”

Next, enter the source URL created in JustRelate etracker into the “URL” field. Although this URL is cryptic and therefore secure even without logging in, Google Ads requires a username and password. Simply enter any values you like. The source URL can be updated at any time in JustRelate etracker, but it must then be re-entered in Google Ads.

Just skip the next step (Select Data):

Next, the keys in the CSV file are mapped to the Google Ads keys. This happens automatically, so just keep clicking “Next.” Warnings will appear for some keys that do not exist; you can ignore these.

Now you’ll see the summary. Here, you can also specify how often and at what time the data should be retrieved from Google Ads.

To ensure that all conversions from the previous day have been processed, we recommend setting the upload time to between 3:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.:

After clicking “Finish,” the connection is saved.

If you click on the entry, you can also review the individual settings and adjust them if necessary:

Google Ads: Setting Up Conversion Actions in Google Ads

In this step, we create a separate conversion action for each conversion.

This means we can then:

• Group conversion actions into categories.
• Configure individual conversion actions on a case-by-case basis.
• Analyze individual conversion actions separately.

Click the large “+ Create“ icon and select “Conversion Action.”

Check the box next to “Conversions from Offline Activities” and click “Save and Continue.”

Now select the category that best fits the conversion action we’re about to create:

Next, click “+ Create Conversion” and then “HTTPS“:

Select the entry for all records in the CSV file.

Now configure the corresponding settings by clicking “Edit Settings“:

Now you can specify whether the conversion action should be used for bid optimization. Only when identical conversions from different sources (e.g., conversion tag and conversion upload) are imported into Google Ads do you need to distinguish between primary and secondary actions. Normally, leave it set to “Primary Action.”

Next, you must name the conversion action so that it is identical (including uppercase and lowercase letters) to the conversion name in JustRelate etracker.

• For orders: lead
• For purchases: sale
• Collected for all other website goals: target_achievement (Only available for older JustRelate etracker accounts.)
• For selected website goals: The name of the respective conversion, as specified in JustRelate etracker.

You can view a list of conversion names in the Conversion Upload dialog under Configuration → Conversion Upload.

For older JustRelate etracker accounts, the conversion name must be taken from the reports or the etracker tag manager.

Now select the option to use different values per conversion, since JustRelate etracker passes the values per conversion to the upload file accordingly.

Select a tracking method. Tracking “One” conversion is recommended, especially for inquiries, sign-ups, and other leads. For purchases and bookings, however, the “All” option is recommended.

The tracking periods do not need to be adjusted.

As an attribution model, we recommend the default setting, “Data-Driven.” This model evaluates all clicks and interactions along ad paths and assigns a proportional conversion value to each touchpoint based on statistical probabilities.

Now click “Finish.”

Follow these steps for each conversion action you want to transfer.

Once all conversion actions to be taken into account have been created, the conversion upload setup is complete.