Conversion Linker in Google Tag Manager
Summary
TLDRThis video explains how to create a Google Ads conversion linker tag in Google Tag Manager. It covers the process of capturing Google click IDs through cookies, tracking conversions, and setting up cross-domain tracking. Tips on advanced cookie settings and server-side tagging are also provided.
Takeaways
- 🔗 Conversion Linker is a tag in Google Tag Manager that helps track Google Ads conversions by creating a first-party cookie containing the Google click ID (GCL ID).
- 🔍 When a visitor clicks a Google ad and lands on your website, the URL may contain the GCL ID, which is captured by the Conversion Linker tag.
- 📝 To set up Conversion Linker, create a new tag configuration in Google Tag Manager, select 'Google Ads Conversion Linker', and apply it to all pages.
- 🔎 Testing the Conversion Linker involves entering a URL with the GCL ID into Google Tag Manager's preview mode and checking if the cookie is created and contains the correct click ID.
- 💡 The cookie created by Conversion Linker stores information about the last ad click and is used to attribute conversions to specific ad clicks in Google Analytics.
- 🌐 Enabling 'linking on all page URLs' can help persist the GCL ID across pages, especially if consent is given on a subsequent page.
- 🔄 Cross-domain tracking is essential for journeys that span multiple domains, allowing the GCL ID to be passed and recognized across different websites.
- 🔗 To enable cross-domain tracking, enter the involved domains in the Conversion Linker settings, ensuring that the 'Accept incoming linker parameters' checkbox is checked.
- 🛠️ Advanced settings in Conversion Linker allow for customization of cookie prefixes, domain limitations, and cookie flags like 'SameSite=None' or 'Secure'.
- 🏢 For server-side tagging, ensure that the Conversion Linker tag is set up in the server-side container, allowing the server to set cookies based on the GCL ID in the Google Analytics page view request.
- 📚 If using server-side tagging, the Conversion Linker tag in the client-side container is not necessary, as the server-side container handles the tracking.
Q & A
What is a Google click ID, also known as GCL ID?
-A Google click ID, or GCL ID, is a parameter in the URL that tracks a visitor who clicks on a Google ad and lands on a website. It helps in attributing conversions to specific ad clicks.
What does the conversion Linker tag do when a visitor lands on a page with a GCL ID?
-The conversion Linker tag creates a first-party cookie that contains the value of the Google click ID, allowing for tracking of ad clicks and their conversions.
How do you create a conversion Linker tag in Google Tag Manager?
-In Google Tag Manager, you click on 'New Tag Configuration', select 'Google Ads Conversion Linker', keep the settings as they are, select 'All Pages' for triggering, name the tag, and click 'Save'.
What is the purpose of testing the conversion Linker tag with a URL containing the GCL ID?
-Testing ensures that the conversion Linker tag correctly creates a cookie when a visitor lands on a page with the GCL ID in the URL, which is crucial for tracking conversions accurately.
Why is it important to send the value of the cookie along with conversion data to Google Ads?
-Sending the cookie value with conversion data allows Google Ads to accurately attribute conversions to specific ad clicks, improving the measurement of ad performance.
What is the role of the 'Enable linking on all page URLs' setting in the conversion Linker?
-This setting ensures that the Google click ID is persisted across different pages of the same subdomain, even if the visitor hasn't given consent on the initial page.
How does cross-domain tracking work with the conversion Linker?
-Cross-domain tracking allows the conversion Linker to decorate links with Google click information when a visitor's journey spans multiple different domains, enabling consistent tracking across those domains.
What should you do if your website does not accept URL parameters due to functionality issues?
-You can instruct the conversion Linker to use fragment identifiers instead of query parameters, which appends the parameters after a hash (#) in the URL.
What is the purpose of the 'Accept incoming clinker parameters' checkbox in cross-domain tracking?
-This checkbox allows the conversion Linker to read the Google click information from the URL on the second domain and create a cookie from it, maintaining tracking consistency across domains.
How can you manage cookie settings for the conversion Linker in advanced scenarios?
-In the 'Advanced' section, you can manage cookie settings such as the cookie prefix, domain limitations, path restrictions, and cookie flags like 'SameSite=None' or 'Secure'.
What is the difference between using conversion Linker in a client-side and server-side Google Tag Manager container?
-In client-side, the conversion Linker runs in the visitor's browser, creating cookies directly. In server-side, the conversion Linker operates on the server, setting cookies in response to incoming requests, which is useful for tracking across multiple domains or complex setups.
Outlines
🔗 Understanding Google Ads Conversion Linker
The script explains the process of setting up the Google Ads Conversion Linker in Google Tag Manager. It details how the linker tag works by creating a first-party cookie with the Google click ID (GCL ID) when a visitor lands on a website from a Google ad. The script covers the steps to create a new tag configuration, select all pages for triggering, and test the functionality using the preview mode in GTM. It also discusses the importance of this tag for tracking conversions and sending data to Google Ads, along with additional settings like enabling linking on all page URLs and cross-domain tracking for visitors journeying across multiple domains. The summary emphasizes the need for this tag if using Google Tag Manager for tracking Google Ads conversions.
📝 Advanced Settings for Conversion Linker in GTM
This paragraph delves into the advanced settings of the Google Ads Conversion Linker in Google Tag Manager. It covers how to enable cross-domain tracking for user journeys across different domains, using comma-separated domain entries in the linker settings. The script also explains how to handle cases where URL parameters might not be accepted by certain websites by using fragment identifiers instead. It touches on form submissions and server-side tagging, where conversion data is sent to a server-side endpoint. Advanced cookie settings are discussed, including custom prefixes, domain limitations, and cookie flags. The summary highlights the flexibility of the linker to adapt to various website structures and tracking needs, ensuring accurate conversion tracking across domains and subdomains.
🛠️ Server-Side Tagging and Conversion Linker Best Practices
The final paragraph focuses on the use of server-side tagging in conjunction with the Google Ads Conversion Linker. It clarifies that if a website uses server-side Google Tag Manager, the Conversion Linker should be implemented there rather than in the client-side container. The script explains that when a page view request is sent to the server with the GCL ID parameter, the server will set a first-party cookie in the visitor's browser. It also advises that if server-side tagging is used, there is no need for a Conversion Linker in the client-side website container. The summary emphasizes the importance of proper implementation of tags according to the website's tracking setup, ensuring efficient and accurate tracking of Google Ads conversions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Google Ads Tag
💡Google Click ID (GCL ID)
💡Conversion Linker
💡First-Party Cookie
💡Google Tag Manager
💡Cross-Domain Tracking
💡Consent Mode
💡Server-Side Tagging
💡Advanced Cookie Settings
💡GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
Highlights
Creating a Google Ads conversion linker tag in Google Tag Manager is essential for tracking conversions from Google ad clicks.
Google click ID (GCL ID) is a URL parameter that helps attribute conversions to specific ad clicks.
Conversion linker tags create a first-party cookie containing the Google click ID when the parameter is present in the URL.
Testing the conversion linker tag involves entering a URL with the GCL ID and observing cookie creation in developer tools.
The cookie holds information about the last ad click and is sent with conversion data to Google Ads for tracking.
Additional settings in the conversion linker allow for enabling linking on all page URLs and cross-domain tracking.
Cross-domain tracking is necessary when a visitor's journey spans across multiple, distinct domains.
The conversion linker can decorate links with Google click information for cross-domain tracking.
Accepting incoming linker parameters is crucial for reading and creating cookies from Google click information on different domains.
Using server-side tagging with Google Tag Manager can streamline the process of tracking conversions from Google Ads.
Server-side container setup involves configuring the Google Analytics G tag and conversion linker for tracking across domains.
When using server-side tagging, the client-side container does not require a conversion linker tag.
Advanced cookie settings in the conversion linker allow for customization of cookie prefixes and domain limitations.
The conversion linker can be configured to use URL fragments instead of query parameters in specific website scenarios.
Decorating forms is an alternative method for tracking conversions when a visitor is redirected from one domain to another after form submission.
The video provides a comprehensive guide on setting up and utilizing the conversion linker in Google Tag Manager for Google Ads tracking.
Julius from Analytics Mania offers valuable insights into Google Tag Manager and GA4 for optimizing Google Ads conversion tracking.
Transcripts
you create a Google ads tag in your
Google tag manager container and then
see this notification what is conversion
Linker and what should you do about it
let me
explain when a visitor clicks a Google
ad and then lands on your website the
URL may contain various parameters and
one of them is Google click ID also
known as GCL ID in reality the value of
this parameter will be much longer but
this is just an example so if a visitor
lands on a page and URL contains this
parameter and you fire a conversion
Linker tag on all pages of the website
then conversion Linker will create a
first party cookie that contains the
value of Google click ID let's see how
that works so in Google tag manager I
will click new tag configuration then
Google ads conversion Linker and for now
let's keep all these settings as they
are and just in triggering select all
pages then let's name this tag and click
save now we will test if this is working
so click preview then you will be asked
to enter the URL of the website where
you want to test this so I will just
copy the URL with Google click ID I
enter it right here and I click
connect now if I open developer tools
and then go to application cookies and
then select my domain here you will see
two cookies and this one is the one that
contains the click ID so I entered this
number right right here and you can see
it right here now if I close this and
then try another parameter I mean
another value so I will just enter abc1
2 3 and then we'll connect again the
conversion Linker tag will fire again
and if I check the value of the cookie
you will see that now it stores abc1 2 3
so basically this cookie will contain
the information about the last add click
then later down wrote If the visitor
converts and that conver verion is
tracked by Google analytics the value of
this cookie will also be sent together
with that conversion if you're wondering
if you actually need to install
conversion Linker on your site I have
information on my blog and I will post a
link to it below the video but to
simplify things here are just very
simple questions are you using Google
tag manager if yes then are you tracking
Google ads conversions with Google teag
manager if you answered yes to both
questions then think no more and create
the conversion link tag in your
container visually the entire process
looks like this a visitor clicks a
Google ad then lands on your website and
Google click ID is in the URL if it's
not then conversion Linker will not be
able to create a cookie so here the
cookie is created then the visitor
converts maybe signs up for something or
makes a purchase then conversion is
tracked and that conversion event
together with cookies data is sent to
Google ads now let's take a look at some
additional settings in the conversion
Linker
the first one is enable linking on all
page URLs this is related to situations
where let's say the visitor comes to
your website from Google ad the URL
contains GCL ID but the visitor still
hasn't given consent then the visitor
goes to the next page and gives consent
there normally Google click ID will be
lost on that second page but if you want
to persist that across different pages
of the same subdomain then you can
enable this option right here but keep
in mind that in in order for this to
work you also have to implement Google
consent mode then the other option is
related to cross-domain tracking if the
Journey of your website visitors spans
across multiple domains and I'm not
talking about subdomains different
domains mean for example website one.com
and website two.com so they are totally
different domains if you have let's say
blog. website.com and
www.website.com which are two subdomains
of the same domain then you don't need
cross-domain tracking cross-domain
tracking means two completely different
domains because cookies cannot be shared
between different domains but thanks to
this feature right here you can actually
mitigate that issue let's remember that
previous example of two domains website
one and website two so if your visitor
Journey spans across multiple domains
and the visitor can go from website one
to website 2 or vice versa from website
2 to website one then just enter both
the domains comma separated in this
field right here if the journey spans
across more domains then enter them
right here what this will do is that
when the visitor is on website one and
clicks the link that redirects the
visitor to website 2 conversion Linker
will decorate the link right here with
Google click information and it will be
available right here as well then on
website 2 when conversion Linker fires
it will take that information and create
a cook key on this domain as well let's
take a look at how this works also make
sure that accept incoming clinker
parameters checkbox is enabled here I
have a demo page on GTM playground.com
if I click this link it will open a tab
with another website which has a
completely different domain let's say
that both of these pages are part of the
same user Journey so I want to use cross
domain tracking that's why I will go to
Google tech manager then go to
conversion Linker and instead of of
these two fake domains I will enter GTM
playground.com and then GTM course my
shopify.com like that and then click
save then I will hit preview to refresh
the preview mode and on this first page
I will click the link and once I am
moved to the second page this is the
information that was added by conversion
Linker tag on this first page because if
I inspect it you will see that the your
URL is decorated in the preview mode I
see that on container loaded my
conversion link are fired so this is
happening on the second website and if I
go to the developer tools of the second
website and I look for the aw cookie or
any cookie that starts with gccl then
you will see that its value contains
abc123 which is the same as right here
so now the cookie value is the same
across both websites and if the
conversion happens on the second site
Google ads will be be able to track that
and attribute that properly so this part
right here is responsible for decorating
the URL which means that we have this
and this checkbox is responsible for
reading this parameter on the second
domain and then creating cookie from it
on most websites adding the parameter
with a question mark which means that
this is a URL parameter will work just
fine however in very rare cases on very
few websites this is not accepted
because it might break the functionality
of the website in that case you can tell
conversion Linker to use not query
parameters but fragment instead this
means that instead of this question mark
the parameter will be added like this
but again I want to emphasize that in
most cases the question mark will work
just fine then if the website visitor
moves from one domain to another domain
with the form submission for example the
form is submitted and then the visitor
is redirected to a completely different
domain then you can try to use decorate
forms however keep keep in mind that
there are various ways how forms can be
tracked and not all forms will be
supported by this feature and then there
is one more section which is Advanced
and that is rightfully so because in 99%
of situations you will not need this
section basically here you can manage
cookie settings for example conversion
Linker when it creates a cookie or
actually two cookies they start with GCL
but if for some reason you want to use a
different prefix for example gcl2 or
something else then you can add that new
prefix right here then by default when
the cookie is created it is set on all
subdomains of the website it will be dot
then your domain and then or something
else but if again for some reason you
want to limit the domain of the cookie
for example you just want to set it on
one subdomain only then you would need
to enter that domain or that subdomain
right here for example like that in this
case the cookie will be accessible only
on this subdomain then by default the
cookie is set on all pages of the
subdomain for example demo page SL
homepage SL contact whatever so anything
will be covered by this but if for some
reason you want to limit that to just
particular page paths for example just
to the English version of the site you
can enter it like that and then if
needed you can also insert some cookie
Flags an example is visible right here
same site none or secure but as I've
said this is definitely Advanced and in
most situations you will not need this
section so don't overwhelm yourself too
much with this and then the final tip is
related to server side tagging so if you
have Google tag in the client side
Google tag mag container and that Google
tag is sending data to your server s
side endpoint which means that of course
all other tags in your container are
also using this server container URL
then all ge4 requests will be sent to
your server side Google teag manager
then in server side container it will be
enough for you to have the Google
analytics G for client and then go to
tags click new tag configuration
conversion Linker and then if you're
working with multiple domains then
enable this option right here and then
here there are also some things related
to Advanced cookie settings but again in
in many cases you might not need that
because the default options are more
than enough and then here in the
triggering set to fire on all pages of
course in your server side container you
would also need to have the Google ads
tags but this video focuses on
conversion Linker that's why I'm showing
just this part so what will happen here
is that when Google analytics page view
request is sent to your server then this
tag will fire and if the request
contains the GCL ID parameter then
thanks to the this tag the server will
set the first party cookie in the
visitors browser and one final thing is
that if you're using server side tagging
and your website container has Google
analytics tracking code while your
server s side container has the
conversion Linker you don't need
conversion Linker in the client s side
container which means the website
container so if you're not using server
side tagging but you're running Google
ads and you're using website Google tag
manager then have conversion Linker in
your website container but if you're
using servicei tagging and your Google
ads are being tracked in the server
container then have conversion Linker
here and you don't need conversion
Linker in the website container
hopefully this video cleared the doubts
about the conversion Linker basically if
you're using Google tag manager and you
have Google ads tags inside of it then
create the conversion Linker tag to if
you found this video useful hit the like
button below the video that will help me
understand what videos do you like and
what should I create in the future also
if you want to learn more about Google
tag manager or ga4 then subscribe to
this channel my name is Julius this is
analytics Mania and I'll see you in the
next video
[Music]
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