My client gets a lot of leads via forms, but the real money is in the phone calls that close weeks later. I’m struggling to attribute these back to the original keyword and ad. What is the most reliable workflow for importing offline conversion data back into Google Ads or Meta?
3 answers
You absolutely need a call tracking software like CallRail or Invoca that integrates with your CRM and Google Ads. The workflow involves capturing the GCLID (Google Click ID) when the user first visits the site. When they call, the software maps that ID to the phone number. Once the sale is closed in your CRM, you upload a CSV of those GCLIDs and their conversion values back into Google Ads. This allows the Smart Bidding algorithm to optimize for actual revenue instead of just "phone call starts," which could be anything from a lead to a wrong number.
Is there a way to do this without expensive third-party software, or is the manual upload process via Google Ads' built-in tools too prone to human error for a large volume?
We simply use a unique phone number for each campaign. It's not perfect for keyword-level data, but it gives us a very clear picture of which ad groups are driving the most calls.
Jessica's method is the easiest "quick fix." While it lacks granular data, it’s much better than having no tracking at all and guessing which ads work.
Ryan, you can do it manually using Google’s built-in conversion imports, but you still need a way to capture and store the GCLID in your lead form or CRM. For high volumes, the manual way is a nightmare. Using a tool to automate the sync ensures you don't miss any data points.