How the Google Ads Integration Works (After Setup)
IntegrationsThe Business Goal
The Google Ads integration helps Google Ads learn which ad
clicks turn into real Trackdrive conversions. Instead of
optimizing only for the original click or form activity, Google
Ads can receive the downstream conversion outcome that happens
after the lead enters Trackdrive.
This matters because the best ad click is not always the click
that creates the most leads. The better signal is the click that
creates a lead that later converts with a buyer.
The Conversion Story
A visitor clicks a Google ad and lands on your page. That click
includes a Google click id, called gclid. The gclid must be
captured before the lead reaches Trackdrive and stored with the
lead so Trackdrive can use it later.
The lead then enters Trackdrive carrying that gclid. When the
lead converts, Trackdrive uses the configured Google Ads
connection to report the offline conversion back to Google Ads.
Google Ads can then connect the reported conversion back to the
original ad click. This gives the campaign a clearer signal about
which clicks produced real business results.
What Trackdrive Matches
After setup, each conversion tracker row tells Trackdrive which
converted leads should be reported to Google Ads. A row connects:
- Trackdrive Offer: the offer whose conversions should be reported.
-
Google Click ID Token: the token that stores the
gclid. - Google Ads Customer: the client account that receives the conversion.
- Google Ads Conversion Tracker: the conversion action that receives the result.
- Google Ads Purchase Conversion Tracker: an optional second conversion action that receives the purchase value.
You can use more than one conversion tracker row when different
offers need to report to different Google Ads customer accounts
or conversion actions.
What Google Ads Receives
Trackdrive reports the conversion so Google Ads can attribute it
to the original click. Trackdrive also sends the conversion value
from the call revenue. The currency sent to Google Ads is USD.
If the converted call has no revenue, the conversion value is
reported as zero.
Google Ads records an uploaded conversion only when it is first
sent within 90 days of the ad click. Trackdrive dates each
conversion at the call, not at the moment it is sent.
Purchase Conversions
A row can also name a Google Ads Purchase Conversion
Tracker. When it does, a call with revenue also reports a
purchase conversion to that action, carrying the call revenue,
and the call conversion is reported with a value of 0.0. The
call is still counted, and the revenue reaches Google Ads once,
on the purchase.
Revenue recorded or changed after the call, such as a purchase
posted later through the API, is also sent to the purchase
conversion action. When a purchase was already reported for the
call, Google Ads updates its value rather than counting a second
purchase. Google Ads always receives the call's total revenue.
If the call's revenue drops to zero, for example because its
conversion is removed, nothing is sent to Google Ads. Google Ads
keeps any purchase value it already recorded, and the call log
says so.
When a Conversion Is Not Reported
Trackdrive does not report a Google Ads conversion when the
required match is missing. Common reasons include:
- The lead does not have a
gclid. - No conversion tracker row matches the offer.
- The Google Ads Conversion Tracker is blank.
- The Google Ads integration is disconnected.
- The call is an off-hook buyer call.
When a conversion is skipped, the call log records the reason so
your team can see what was missing.
Related Guides
To get started, read Getting Your Google Ads Integration
Set Up on Trackdrive.
For the full technical detail behind this flow, read
Google Ads Integration -- Full Technical Guide.
