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8 min read
You're investing in Google Ads, driving traffic, and seeing clicks. But here's the multi-million dollar question: is any of it actually working? Without accurate conversion tracking, you're flying blind, wasting ad spend on campaigns that feel busy but deliver zero business value.
Simul Sarker
CEO of DataCops
Last Updated
November 20, 2025
The Problem: You invest in Google Ads, drive traffic, see clicks. But is any of it actually working? Without accurate conversion tracking, you are flying blind, wasting ad spend on campaigns that feel busy but deliver zero business value.
The Tool: Google Tag Manager (GTM) is industry-standard tool for managing tracking codes without constantly bothering developers. Offers flexibility and control.
The Reality: Even perfect GTM setup has blind spots in today's world of ad blockers, privacy browsers, and data gaps.
Before you dive in, make sure you have following ready:
Admin Access to your Google Ads Account (to create conversion actions)
Google Tag Manager Container (correctly installed on every page of website)
Website Access or cooperative developer (to confirm GTM container installed properly)
Clearly Defined Conversion Goals (form submission, product purchase, newsletter sign-up, phone call)
First, tell Google Ads what "conversion" means to your business.
Inside Google Ads account, navigate to Tools and Settings (wrench icon in top right)
Select Conversions under "Measurement" column
Click + New conversion action button
Select Website as kind of conversion you want to track
Enter your website domain and let Google scan it
After scan, choose + Add a conversion action manually for maximum control
Configure the settings:
Goal and action optimization: Choose category that fits your goal (e.g., "Submit lead form," "Purchase")
Conversion name: Give clear, descriptive name (e.g., "Contact Form Submission" or "eBook Download - Main Offer")
Value: Assign monetary value to conversion if applicable. For leads, assign static value (e.g., $25 per lead) or select "Use different values for each conversion" for e-commerce
Count:
Choose One for leads (avoid counting single user filling out form twice)
Choose Every for purchases (count every transaction)
Click-through conversion window: How long after click conversion can be recorded. Default is 30 days (good starting point)
Attribution model: "Data-driven" is default and recommended, as it uses your account data to assign credit across multiple touchpoints
Best Practice: Your conversion goals should directly reflect business KPIs. Do not just track page views. Track actions that generate revenue or qualified leads.
After saving, Google Ads presents three methods for tag setup.
Click on Use Google Tag Manager tab
You will see two essential pieces of information: Conversion ID and Conversion Label
Keep this tab open or copy these values somewhere safe
This information links your GTM container directly to specific conversion action you just created in Google Ads.
Now head over to Google Tag Manager to put those details to work.
In your GTM workspace, go to Tags and click New
Name your tag clearly, like "Google Ads - Conversion - Contact Form"
Click on Tag Configuration and select Google Ads Conversion Tracking
Paste Conversion ID and Conversion Label you copied from Google Ads into respective fields
Leave other fields (Conversion Value, Transaction ID, Currency Code) blank for now, unless you have dynamic e-commerce setup
Next, click on Triggering to tell GTM when this tag should fire.
This is most critical part. Choose trigger that only activates when conversion is complete.
Common examples:
For "Thank You" Page:
Choose Page View trigger type
Set to fire only on specific page (e.g., Page URL contains /thank-you)
For Form Submission:
Use Form Submission trigger
Be sure to test it, as it does not work with all website forms
For Button Click:
Use All Elements > Click trigger
Specify Click ID or Click Classes of "Submit" button
Save the trigger, then save the tag
Many beginners miss this step. It is major cause of lost conversion data.
Conversion Linker tag is required to store ad click information (like GCLID) in first-party cookies, essential for accurately attributing conversions back to ad clicks, especially on browsers that restrict third-party cookies.
In GTM, go to Tags > New
Name the tag "Google Ads - Conversion Linker"
For Tag Configuration, select Conversion Linker
No further configuration needed for tag itself
For Trigger, select All Pages (Page View) - ensures linker can capture click information on any landing page user arrives on
Save the tag
Common Mistake Warning: Forgetting to add Conversion Linker tag is primary reason for "Unverified" or "Tag inactive" status in Google Ads. It is not optional. It is mandatory for accurate tracking.
Never publish without testing. GTM Preview Mode is your best friend.
In your GTM workspace, click Preview button in top right
Enter your website URL and click Connect - new tab of your site will open with GTM debug console visible
Navigate through website and complete conversion action you set up (fill out form and submit)
Watch debug console - after conversion, you should see your Google Ads Conversion Tag move to "Tags Fired" section
If it is in "Tags Not Fired," click on it to see which condition of your trigger was not met
Once confirmed everything fires correctly, go back to GTM workspace
Click Submit, then Publish your changes
Check your Google Ads account over next 24 hours - conversion action tracking status should change from "Unverified" to "Recording conversions"
You did everything right. Your GTM setup is technically perfect. So why will your data still be incomplete and inaccurate?
GTM is manager of messengers (tags), but it does not control environment those messengers operate in.
1. Ad Blockers and Privacy Browsers
Significant percentage of users (especially on Safari via Apple ITP) block requests to domains like googletagmanager.com.
When GTM script itself is blocked, none of your tags can fire.
Your Google Ads tag, your Conversion Linker—they never even load. This creates massive blind spot in your data.
2. Fraudulent and Bot Traffic
GTM job is to fire tags based on triggers.
It has no built-in mechanism to determine if "user" filling out your form is human or sophisticated bot designed to waste your ad spend.
Your conversion numbers get inflated with junk data.
3. Conflicting Data Signals
With GTM, you have multiple tags (Google, Meta, etc.) all trying to send data from browser.
Each script "speaks for itself," which can lead to contradictions and make it impossible to get single, unified view of user journey.
4. Compliance Complexity
Managing user consent for dozen different third-party scripts is nightmare.
If user does not consent to Google specific cookie, tag cannot fire, and you lose another conversion point.
This is where reliability of traditional, third-party tracking breaks down.
Solution is to shift data collection from third-party context to first-party one.
This is precisely problem DataCops was built to solve.
By serving all tracking from subdomain of your own website (analytics.yourdomain.com), DataCops operates in trusted, first-party context.
Ad blockers and ITP see it as part of your site and let it through.
Instead of multiple messengers:
DataCops acts as one verified, official messenger that collects clean, complete data first.
It validates traffic to filter out bots, then sends pristine data to all your platforms (Google Ads, Meta, HubSpot).
You get accurate attribution and can finally trust your numbers.
1. GTM setup requires five steps Create conversion action, get tag details, configure tag in GTM, add Conversion Linker, test and publish.
2. Conversion Linker is mandatory Not optional—stores GCLID in first-party cookie for attribution.
3. Testing before publishing is critical Use GTM Preview mode to verify tags fire correctly.
4. GTM has blind spots Ad blockers, bot traffic, conflicting signals, compliance complexity.
5. First-party tracking solves GTM limitations Bypasses blockers, filters bots, provides unified data source.
You now have working GTM setup for Google Ads conversion tracking.
But in 2025, basic setup is not enough.
Key to winning strategy is data integrity.
Action plan:
Complete GTM setup following steps above
Test thoroughly in Preview mode
Publish and verify "Recording conversions" status in Google Ads
Recognize GTM limitations (ad blockers, bots, data gaps)
Implement first-party tracking (DataCops) for complete, accurate data
Tools: DataCops provides first-party data collection that bypasses ad blockers, filters bot traffic, and acts as one verified messenger to Google Ads. Ensures every dollar of ad spend is measured accurately.
The bottom line: GTM is excellent tool for managing tags, but it cannot solve fundamental problem of data loss from blockers and pollution from bots. Take control of your data with first-party approach.
About DataCops: First-party analytics platform that serves tracking from your domain, bypasses ad blockers, filters bot traffic, and sends clean, complete data to Google Ads. Acts as one verified official messenger instead of multiple conflicting tags.
