Understanding the complete customer journey is a pillar of success for digital marketing strategies. Often, the journey that begins with a click on an ad culminates in an offline transaction, such as in an office or over the phone.
Offline Conversions: What They Are and Why They’re Crucial
Offline conversions represent valuable actions customers take in the physical world after interacting with an online ad. Measuring what happens after a click or a call to your business transforms how we analyze campaign performance. Importing data from transactions occurring outside the internet into digital advertising platforms like Google Ads connects online media investment with tangible sales results.
Our measurement models indicate that integrating primary data—such as email addresses and phone numbers—alongside click identifiers (GCLIDs) into offline conversion imports results in a median 10% increase in recorded conversions. This data connection not only reveals ads’ true impact but also fuels automated bidding algorithms with richer insights, leading to smarter budget allocation.
The upgraded version of this functionality, known as “Enhanced conversions for leads,” uses user-provided data to supplement imported information. The process involves matching hashed customer data collected on your website (e.g., via a lead form) with data from Google-logged users who interacted with your ads. This offline conversions methodology increases measurement accuracy and bidding performance.
How to Implement Offline Conversion Measurement
Implementation involves two main steps: creating a conversion action in your ad platform and configuring your website and lead tracking system.
Step 1: Create a Conversion Action
Create a new conversion action for each offline event type you want to measure (e.g., “qualified lead” or “deal closed”). You can measure as many conversion actions as your business requires.
Access your Google Ads account.
Navigate to Goals > Conversions.
Create a new conversion action.
Select Import as the source for conversions you want to track.
Choose Other data sources or CRMs > Track conversions from clicks.
Name the conversion action (e.g., “Contract Signed”).
Configure other settings (category, value, count).
After creating the action, wait 4-6 hours before uploading conversions to avoid data delays.
If using multiple Google Ads accounts, ensure all are linked to a Manager Account (MCC). Upload conversion files via the MCC, and the system will import conversions originating from linked accounts.
Step 2: Configure Your Website and Lead System
This phase involves three technical steps to ensure necessary data is captured and stored correctly.
Enable auto-tagging: Automatically adds the GCLID (Google Click ID) parameter to your ad landing page URLs. The GCLID is a unique click identifier essential for tracking.
Modify website code: Update your site’s code to capture/store the GCLID (via cookie or local storage). Use the script below. When implementing, update var gclidFormFields to include all form field IDs where the GCLID should be stored:
<script>
function getParam(p) {
var match = RegExp('[?&]' + p + '=([^&]*)').exec(window.location.search);
return match && decodeURIComponent(match[1].replace(/\+/g, ' '));
}
function getExpiryRecord(value) {
var expiryPeriod = 90 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000; // 90-day expiry in milliseconds
var expiryDate = new Date().getTime() + expiryPeriod;
return {
value: value,
expiryDate: expiryDate
};
}
function addGclid() {
var gclidParam = getParam('gclid');
var gclidFormFields = ['gclid_field', 'foobar']; // Add all GCLID form field IDs here
var gclidRecord = null;
var currGclidFormField;
var gclsrcParam = getParam('gclsrc');
var isGclsrcValid = !gclsrcParam || gclsrcParam.indexOf('aw') !== -1;
gclidFormFields.forEach(function (field) {
if (document.getElementById(field)) {
currGclidFormField = document.getElementById(field);
}
});
if (gclidParam && isGclsrcValid) {
gclidRecord = getExpiryRecord(gclidParam);
localStorage.setItem('gclid', JSON.stringify(gclidRecord));
}
var gclid = gclidRecord || JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('gclid'));
var isGclidValid = gclid && new Date().getTime() < gclid.expiryDate;
if (currGclidFormField && isGclidValid) {
currGclidFormField.value = gclid.value;
}
}
window.addEventListener('load', addGclid);
</script>Add this script to all website pages, placing it just before the closing </body> tag to prevent data loss.
Adjust your lead management system (e.g., CRM): Modify your system to store the GCLID alongside prospect data when receiving lead information from a form.
Step 3: Import Conversions into Google Ads
After configuring your account and website, import transaction data. We recommend using Google Ads Data Manager to simplify and automate this process.
Three import methods:
Google Ads Data Manager: Simplest and most robust way to connect/activate primary data.
Third-party integrations (e.g., Zapier): Use if your connector isn’t supported by Data Manager.
Manual/scheduled upload: Prepare a file (Excel/CSV/Google Sheets) for one-time uploads or schedule recurring imports.
The file must include columns: Google Click ID, Conversion Name, Conversion Time, Conversion Value, and Conversion Currency.
Additional Tips & Best Practices
For refined tracking, apply these practices from our projects:
External attribution: If using fractional attribution (crediting conversions across multiple clicks), select Use external attribution when creating the conversion action.
Custom variables: Create custom variables to segment conversions more granularly.
Upload scheduling: Maintain data freshness (critical for automated bidding) via scheduled uploads (Google Sheets, HTTPS/SFTP).
Error checking: Review upload results regularly to identify discrepancies—common during initial setup.
Call tracking: Import call conversions to identify ads/keywords driving sales calls. Configuration varies based on call origin (ad vs. website number). For website calls, install the global site tag and phone snippet that replaces your number with a Google forwarding number.
Enhanced conversions for leads: Upgrade to this for maximum accuracy. Uses durable, high-quality primary data capture (via Google Tag Manager or direct site tagging) to optimize reporting and insights.
By following these guidelines, your business will gain a complete view of advertising ROI, connecting online actions with real-world results—an essential capability in today’s marketing landscape. Offline conversions bridge this integrated vision.