Google conversions
Google Ads enhanced conversions setup
Recover search match data with GEC.
Secure SHA256 hashed matching recovering lost search-to-lead tags.
Google Ads enhanced conversions supplement your conversion tags with hashed first-party data — email address, phone number, name and address — so Google can match more conversions to the ads that drove them. Enhanced conversions for leads goes further: it lets you upload what happened to a lead in your CRM, so Smart Bidding learns from qualified leads and closed deals instead of every form submission.
We set up both, alongside the measurement basics that make them work: clean conversion actions with the right primary and secondary settings, Consent Mode where required, and values that reflect what a conversion is worth to the business. The result is a Google Ads account bidding toward outcomes your finance team would recognise.
The problem
Lost tracking cookies cause Google Ads to misattribute conversions, leading to incorrect bidding and higher ad spends. Enhanced conversions require SHA256 hashed data feeds.
What we do
- Map checkout input variables
- Configure SHA256 data hashing on-site
- Integrate Google Enhanced Conversions
- Verify attribution matches
What you get
- GEC data flow architectures
- Secure user data hashing scripts
- Google Ads sync verification sheets
- Setup documentation
Hashed first-party data loops that match search terms to customer leads.
How it runs
- Map Fields. We isolate user contact fields (email, phone) on lead and checkout forms.
- Write Hashing. We implement one-way SHA256 script hashing inside the browser container.
- Configure Tags. We connect hashed contact fields to Google tag parameters.
- Audit Matches. We monitor Google Ads dashboard diagnostic logs, verifying matching status is active.
Who this is for
- Lead-generation and B2B advertisers whose Google Ads conversions are form fills that sales mostly rejects
- E-commerce advertisers seeing conversion counts drop as browser tracking weakens
- Accounts running Performance Max or broad match, where bidding quality depends entirely on conversion data
- Advertisers in the UK and EEA who need Consent Mode configured correctly
What's included
- Conversion action audit: duplicates, primary/secondary settings, values and counting
- Enhanced conversions for web via Google tag, Google Tag Manager or the Google Ads API
- Enhanced conversions for leads, connected to your CRM for qualified-lead and closed-deal uploads
- Offline conversion import or conversion adjustments where your stack needs them
- Consent Mode setup and verification for UK/EEA traffic
- Diagnostics review and a measurement document your team can maintain
Why form fills make Smart Bidding worse
Smart Bidding, Performance Max and broad match all learn from the conversions you report. If every form submission counts the same, the system learns to find people who submit forms — including students, competitors, job seekers and people who never answer the phone. The cheaper those submissions are, the more of them it buys. Cost per lead falls while cost per customer rises, and the account looks healthy until someone checks the CRM.
The fix is to tell Google which leads became valuable. Enhanced conversions for leads captures hashed identifiers when the form is submitted and lets you upload later stages — qualified, opportunity, won — with values. You can then make a later stage the primary conversion, so bidding optimises toward it. Our comparison of Demand Gen and Performance Max for B2B pipeline shows why this matters most for automated campaign types.
Getting the setup right
Enhanced conversions only help if the underlying conversion actions are sound. We start by removing duplicate actions, checking that only the conversions you want to bid on are primary, and setting values. For web, we capture identifiers from the page or data layer at the moment of conversion and hash them before they are sent. For leads, we agree with sales which CRM stages to upload, how often, and how to keep the identifiers that link a CRM record to the original ad click.
Google requires advertisers to accept its customer data terms before using enhanced conversions, and in the UK and EEA, Consent Mode signals determine what can be used. We configure both and use Google Ads diagnostics to confirm match rates and upload health after launch.
Measuring the effect honestly
Enhanced conversions usually increase the number of conversions Google can attribute, which can make reported performance look better overnight. That is a measurement change, not necessarily a business change. We compare before and after against CRM outcomes and revenue, and we judge success on cost per qualified lead or cost per acquired customer — the numbers that decide profitability.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between enhanced conversions for web and for leads?
Enhanced conversions for web adds hashed customer data to conversions that happen on your site, improving how many Google can match. Enhanced conversions for leads lets you upload what happened to leads later — qualified, opportunity, sale — so bidding can optimise for those outcomes.
Do we still need offline conversion import with GCLID?
Some setups still use GCLID-based offline imports and they continue to work. Enhanced conversions for leads is Google's recommended route for most lead businesses because it does not depend on capturing and storing the click ID, but the right choice depends on your CRM and stack.
Is enhanced conversions compliant with privacy rules?
Data is hashed with SHA-256 before it is sent, and you must accept Google's customer data terms. In the UK and EEA, Consent Mode determines what can be used. We configure the setup to respect your consent signals; your legal team decides your consent policy.
How long before Smart Bidding adapts to new conversion goals?
Expect a learning period of a few weeks after changing primary conversion actions, longer for low-volume accounts. We change goals deliberately and avoid other major edits during that window.
Which CRMs can upload lead outcomes to Google Ads?
HubSpot and Salesforce have native connections, and most other CRMs can upload through Zapier, Make, a data warehouse or the Google Ads API. Our guide to the best CRMs for Google enhanced conversions compares the options.
What is Google Enhanced Conversions?
A feature that matches hashed first-party user data from your forms to Google accounts, recovering lost conversion attribution.
Is sending contact data secure?
Yes. All emails and phone numbers are hashed using one-way SHA256 algorithms before they are sent.
How much conversion data does GEC recover?
Typically, it recovers 10% to 15% of lost search-to-lead tags, leading to more accurate bidding.
Pricing: monthly retainers by region
Every engagement is a monthly retainer priced on scope — never a percentage of ad spend. The range depends on the number of channels, markets and the depth of tracking and CRM work involved.
| Region | Monthly retainer |
|---|---|
| United States | $2,500–$6,000 per month |
| India | ₹1,00,000–₹5,00,000 per month |
| United Kingdom | £2,200–£5,000 per month |
| United Arab Emirates | AED 4,000–AED 10,000 per month |
| Australia | A$3,000–A$7,000 per month |
| Canada | C$3,000–C$7,000 per month |
| Singapore | S$3,000–S$7,000 per month |
| Europe | €2,500–€5,000 per month |