This is a post I have really been looking forward to
Today, I have chosen to team up with a system I have personally used for a long time – namely Profitmetrics.
Profitmetrics is a tool I have primarily used to set up profit data from webshops directly in Facebook’s Ads Manager.
In the past, I have often pointed out that ROAS – return on advertising spend – does not necessarily reflect the financial health of a business.
Therefore, I have always recommended using external data analysis tools like Excel, Google Sheets, or other software to support performance insights.
Profitmetrics came just like a gift from above (I don’t have shares) — at least within Facebook advertising — because it gave me a more nuanced view of which campaigns actually generated profit once shipping, fees, and product costs were deducted.
Today, the team behind Profitmetrics has a new announcement – their Conversion Booster for Google Ads, using server-side tracking to ensure more tracked conversions.
So, welcome Frederik and the rest of the Profitmetrics team with this super (well-executed) guide to Google Ads and server-side tracking.
How server-side Google Ads tracking ensures more tracked conversions
Google Ads has changed rapidly over the past year. Smart Bidding and the new Performance Max campaign format have become the new standard. Targeting, bidding, and even creative content are now automated by Google’s machine learning.
All of this changes the work of those in performance marketing.
What used to be done manually is now automated, and working with performance marketing is now about strategy: ensuring that the AI optimizes in line with the right business goals.
Tracking, values, and feed optimization have become even more important. Machine learning can only be as good as the data we provide.
At the same time, online privacy has become increasingly important.
Over the past few years, Google has provided businesses with a whole new set of tracking options, all designed to be future-proof in an era where online privacy is central.
Together, these features can “recover conversions that would otherwise not be measured and thereby improve bidding optimization through better data.” In other words, these features help close some of the data gaps that exist in e-commerce.
The challenges of client-side tracking and how to overcome them
Navigating these new features can be a challenge. Even if you manage to do it, they still only close part of the gap — due to tracking blockers, incorrect confirmation pages from payment providers, or users closing the page before a script is triggered. And because of client-side tracking.
Client-side tracking is tracking through the browser. A conversion is captured via a script on the confirmation page.
To close an even larger part of the data gap, ProfitMetrics has developed the Conversion Booster for Google Ads.
Securing even more data is possible because ProfitMetrics combines server-side and client-side tracking. When tracking is server-side, it tracks directly from the server where the online shop is hosted. This results in much less data loss and much greater precision.
In Conversion Booster, Google functionalities are combined in one package:
- Google Ads Global Tag (Gtag)
- Offline Conversion Tracking
- Enhanced Conversions
And to explain how ProfitMetrics ensures less data loss with the Conversion Booster, we need to dive deeper into each of these features:
Step 1 – Google Ads server-side tracking (Global site tag)
The global site tag — also called Gtag — is the standard client-side conversion tracking for Google Ads. We use this feature to capture as many conversions as possible, fully aware that some will fall through the “client-side gaps.” Nevertheless, it is worth it because client-side tracking supports a range of Google Ads functionalities:
- Cross-device attribution:
Gtag can attribute conversions across devices when users are logged into a Google product. Cross-device conversions occur when a user clicks on an ad on one device and completes the conversion on another. - View-through conversion:
Global tag can attribute view-through conversions. A view-through conversion happens when a user sees an ad, then later opens a new browser or window and completes a purchase. This is especially important for Google Display Ads and YouTube advertising, where many users don’t necessarily click on the ads but the ads still influence the customer journey. - Attribution beyond last non-direct (Google Analytics):
Global tag can attribute beyond the last non-direct click. Many advertisers rely on conversions imported from Google Analytics, but since Google Analytics attributes based on last non-direct click before importing into Google Ads, important early-stage interactions are often missed. This results in profitable campaigns being paused. With Gtag, it’s possible to attribute beyond last non-direct click. - Consent mode and modeling:
With Global tag, conversion modeling can be enabled for non-consenting users. When a user does not consent to advertising or analytics cookies, the behavior of the relevant Google Tag adjusts automatically, avoiding reading or writing cookies for these purposes. Without cookies, e-commerce businesses experience measurement gaps, losing visibility into the user journey. Conversion modeling helps fill these gaps, estimating attribution paths for non-consenting users by learning from consenting users’ journeys. This provides a more accurate view of ad spend while respecting user consent.
Tracking effect
On average, Gtag captures around 80% of conversions from an e-commerce site. This is actually the level of precision most shops operate with today. But it can be improved.
Step 2 – Google Ads offline conversion import
As mentioned above, the Google Ads Global Tag leaves a gap in the data. This is the case for everyone using client-side tracking and is caused by tracking blockers, incorrect confirmation pages from payment methods, or users closing the page before the script fires.
This is one of the problems ProfitMetrics has solved with Conversion Booster.
ProfitMetrics collects the click ID from Google Ads on the server and sends it along with the conversion tracking via the Google Ads API.
By doing this, Google can capture a range of conversions that were not caught by the Gtag, thereby minimizing part of the data gap.
Tracking effect
On average, 12% more conversions are attributed using this technique.
This is a significant improvement, giving our clients a much clearer picture of the real performance of their Google Ads campaigns.
In other words, this transparency means that an ad that previously appeared unprofitable — and would have been shut down — can now be maintained because it is actually profitable.
Step 3 – Google’s enhanced conversions (server-side)
Finally, Conversion Booster supports Google’s enhanced conversions. This Google Ads feature uses first-party data (such as hashed emails, phone numbers, or addresses) to help Google attribute conversions without relying on third-party cookies. Since third-party cookies now have a very short lifespan or are blocked entirely by certain browsers, this feature is becoming increasingly important in e-commerce tracking.
The feature works by pairing first-party data with a conversion before sending it to Google Ads.
Google may not recognize the user in a specific browser or their cookie may have been deleted by, for example, ITP; but enhanced conversions allow Google to look at logged-in users (through Gmail, YouTube, Chrome, Google Calendar, etc.) who clicked or viewed an ad on their platforms and then attribute a portion of these otherwise hidden conversions.
ProfitMetrics’ Conversion Booster collects this first-party data server-side to ensure it is captured for all conversions. Enhanced conversions are then sent through the Google API to ensure all this data is delivered to Google for even more accurate attribution.
Tracking effect
Google reports that this increases attributed conversions by 5% on websites and up to 17% on YouTube ads.
Boost the tracking of your profit and/or revenue
After that deep dive into the world of tracking, it’s time for a quick summary:
- Gtag
Gtag attributes an average of 80% of conversions from e-commerce sites. - Conversion Booster
With Conversion Booster, it is possible to secure 17% more attributed conversions on average.
Just think about how much valuable data could be hiding in that extra 17%.
Conversion Booster for Google Ads can be used to track both profit and revenue.
ProfitMetrics always recommends tracking the profit of your conversions, as it enables you to work much more effectively toward your business goals.
However, they also recognize that revenue has its place in the setup, and you can therefore use Conversion Booster with revenue as the measuring point if preferred.
And don’t worry — the necessary precautions have been taken to hide your profit data in the Global Tag by sending it through the API.
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