How to get conversions and audiences from Shopify into Google Ads

Updated on 2024-02-05

Link Google Ads with Google Analytics

Google provides two ways to get conversion events into Google Ads:

  1. By adding conversion tags for Google Ads directly to your site
  2. By linking a Google Analytics account and syncing conversion events with Google Ads

Littledata recommends the 2nd approach, to improve data consistency and for compatibility with our server-side Google Analytics events. This will also:

  • Eliminate discrepancies between Google Ads and Google Analytics revenue reporting
  • Report on any Goal or Ecommerce transactions in Google Ads
  • See detailed shopping funnel metrics in Google Ads
  • Set up more complete remarketing audiences

Although the conversion event count may be different between Google Ads and Analytics, we believe it is less confusing to have a single source of truth for sales volumes and value.

You can use Google Analytics conversions alongside other Google Ads conversion tagging already set up, provied you set the others as secondary conversions.

When do you need Google Ads conversion tags?

In a few situations where you may need to add Google Ads conversion tags for your store:

  • When you need to track view-through conversions from display ads
  • When you care about reporting on the ad-click date rather than the conversion (order) date
  • When you want to 'greedier' conversion attribution in Google Ads, rather than the multi-channel (and in GA4, data driven) attribution from Google Analytics

In this case, we have a way to add the Google Ads tags in Littledata's settings, or if you are using Segment you could add their client-side Google Ads destination.

How to add Google Ads conversion tracking tags

tip:

Littledata recommends linking Google Analytics conversions as an easier way to see accurate data in Google Ads.

This guide is to add a Google Ads account ID to Littledata's tracking script on your storefront.

This removes the need to set up Google Ads tracking via Google Tag Manager, but will only work for Littledata's client-side events (not Add to Cart or Checkouts).

Step 1. Open the Shopify to Google Analytics 4 connection > General

Step 2. Enter one or more Google Ads Conversion IDs (and optionally labels) and click SAVE.

How to add Google Ads conversion setting

You can add either just the conversion ID (e.g. AW-111111) or a conversion ID and label, separated by a slash (e.g. AW-11111/z13cLuSc199).

The next time a customer goes through the checkout this conversion will be tracked in Google Ads.

How to connect Google Analytics 4 with Google Ads

Before starting the connection process, please make sure that:

Then,

  1. Sign into your Google Analytics account.
  2. Click on the Admin cog on the bottom left-hand corner.
  3. In the Product Links column, you will find "Google Ads Links".

link adwords google analytics

  1. After that you would need to click on "Link".

select adwords account ga

  1. You'll be then taken to the "Create a link with Google Ads" pannel, where you will need to click on "Choose Google Ads accounts" and after that select your Google Ads account and click on "Confirm".

link website data google analytics

  1. After clicking "Next" two times and then "Confirm" you will see that the link has been created.

link adwords account to ga account

  1. Your set up is complete now! :)
  2. Now when you go to Google Ads Links, you'll be able to see your linked accounts!

adwords linking

Adding remarketing audiences from Google Analytics 4

Once your Google Analytics 4 account is linked you can automatically sync audiences with Google Ads.

In the "Property" column, click on "Audiences" and then on "New audience".

Adding remarketing audiences from Google Analytics 4

You have three options for creating an audience:

You can use any of the ecommerce events that Littledata's app sends, or custom dimensions like Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) to build these audiences.

Some examples of remarketing audiences you could build:

  • Only viewed a product - users who saw product details but no adds to cart in the last 30 days
  • Abandoned cart - users who added to cart but did not purchase in the last 30 days
  • Purchasers - users who made one or more orders in the last 30 days

If you want to remove the Ads linking go to Admin > Product Links > Google Ads Links. Click on your Account, then on the three dots in the top right, and you will see "Delete".

Unlink google ads from google analytics