When running Google Ads and using Google Tag Manager (GTM) on your website, many advertisers wonder:
If I already set up tracking in GTM, do I still need to set up conversions inside Google Ads?
The short answer is yes, and here’s why.
1. GTM Tracks Events, Not Automatically Google Ads Conversions
GTM is a flexible tool for:
✔ Sending events to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
✔ Firing custom tags for marketing platforms
✔ Tracking user behavior across your website
But unless you specifically deploy Google Ads Conversion Tags inside GTM, the conversions tracked in GA4 won’t automatically appear in your Google Ads account.
2. Google Ads Conversions: Direct, Fast, and Optimized for Ads
When you set up conversions directly in Google Ads and deploy the corresponding Conversion Tag (through GTM or directly in your code), you get:
✔ Real-time conversion tracking in Google Ads
✔ Data used to optimize smart bidding strategies
✔ More reliable attribution for your campaigns
This tracking is independent of GA4 and designed specifically for ad performance optimization.
3. Key Differences Between GA4 and Google Ads Conversion Tracking
| Aspect | GA4 Event via GTM | Google Ads Conversion Tag |
|---|---|---|
| Data destination | Google Analytics 4 (GA4) | Google Ads |
| Purpose | Website behavior analysis | Ad performance & bidding optimization |
| Speed | May take hours to reflect | Near real-time reporting |
| Control | Fully customizable in GTM | Standardized, optimized for Ads |
| Impact on Ads | Limited unless shared manually | Direct impact on Google Ads |
4. Recommended Best Practice
For accurate tracking and better ad performance, it’s recommended to:
✅ Deploy Google Ads Conversion Tags using GTM, targeting key actions like purchases or lead submissions
✅ Continue sending detailed events to GA4 for deeper website and user behavior analysis
✅ If needed, share select GA4 conversions with Google Ads — but never rely on this alone for core ad performance tracking
5. Final Thoughts
Using only GTM and GA4 for tracking may give you insights, but without proper Google Ads Conversion Tags, your campaigns could suffer from:
⚠️ Inaccurate conversion reporting
⚠️ Delayed optimization for smart bidding
⚠️ Missed retargeting opportunities
The smart approach is to combine both:
GTM for flexible tracking. Google Ads for precise, performance-driven conversion measurement.
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