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In today's privacy-focused digital landscape, accurate conversion tracking has become increasingly challenging. With third-party cookies being phased out and users more selective about their data sharing, marketers need more reliable ways to track campaign performance. Google Enhanced Conversions offers a powerful solution that improves measurement while respecting user privacy preferences.

Whether you're an e-commerce retailer, lead generation business, or service provider, implementing Enhanced Conversions can significantly improve your ability to measure marketing performance in an increasingly privacy-centric web environment. Let's explore how to set it up properly.

Why Implement Enhanced Conversions?

Improved Conversion Accuracy

Traditional conversion tracking is increasingly hampered by browser restrictions and privacy controls. According to Google's 2023 data, advertisers implementing Enhanced Conversions see an average of 17% more conversions in their Google Ads reporting. This more complete view of performance allows for better budget allocation and optimization.

Privacy-Compliant Measurement

Enhanced Conversions uses a privacy-first approach. Customer data is hashed (transformed into an unreadable string of characters) using SHA-256 encryption before leaving your website. Google never receives the actual email addresses or phone numbers โ€“ only the encrypted values that can be matched against similarly hashed data in Google's systems.

Better Campaign Optimization

With more accurate conversion data, Google's machine learning algorithms can make better bidding decisions. Advertisers using Enhanced Conversions report an average 12% improvement in conversion-based automated bidding performance, leading to more efficient ad spend.

Key Components of Enhanced Conversions

Required User Consents

  • ad_storage: Consent for cookies used for advertising measurement
  • ad_personalization: Consent to use data for remarketing and personalized advertising
  • ad_user_data: Consent to use provided personal data for advertising purposes (will be more prominent in Consent Mode v2)

Data Collection Methods

  • Email addresses from forms, checkouts, or account creation
  • Phone numbers, especially for call-focused businesses
  • Address information including name, street, city, postal code
  • All data is hashed before leaving your website

Consent Mode Integration

  • Must use a Google-approved CMP (Consent Management Platform)
  • Approved vendors include CookieBot, OneTrust, TrustArc
  • Learn more at: Google's CMP list

How Enhanced Conversions Work

Enhanced Conversions collect first-party data like emails and phone numbers directly from your website forms. This data is securely hashed on your site before being sent to Google. Google then compares these hashed values with their database of logged-in user information to improve conversion attribution โ€“ all while maintaining user privacy.

Step-by-Step Implementation Guide

1

Preparing Your Website

Ensure your website has a Google-approved Consent Management Platform that supports Consent Mode, forms that collect supported data types (email, phone, address), and Google Tag Manager implemented.

2

Google Tag Manager Configuration

Navigate to your conversion tag, add parameter allow_enhanced_conversions with value true, set required consent settings, and configure data collection using automatic or manual methods.

3

Google Ads Configuration

Go to Google Ads account โ†’ Tools โ†’ Conversions โ†’ Settings โ†’ Enhanced Conversions and turn it on. Then enable it for each individual conversion action you want to enhance.

4

Testing and Verification

Use Tag Assistant or Chrome Developer Tools to verify your implementation is collecting and sending data correctly before considering it fully deployed.

Detailed Implementation Instructions

1. Tag Manager Setup

For each conversion tag you want to enhance:

  • Add parameter: allow_enhanced_conversions - true (optional as it's now the default in newer implementations)
  • Set required consents: personalization_storage, ad_storage, ad_user_data
  • Enable the checkbox: "Include user-provided data from your website"
  • Choose between automatic detection or manual configuration for user data

Example of Manual Configuration

// Example of user-provided data variable in GTM {
email: {{Form Email Input}},  // GTM variable capturing email field
phone_number: {{Form Phone Input}},  // GTM variable capturing phone field
address: {
first_name: {{First Name Input}},
last_name: {{Last Name Input}},
street: {{Street Address Input}},
city: {{City Input}},
region: {{State Input}},
postal_code: {{Zip Code Input}},
country: {{Country Input}}
}
}

2. Google Ads Settings

  • Navigate to: Conversions โ†’ Settings โ†’ Use enhanced conversions
  • For each conversion: Edit โ†’ Enable "Use enhanced conversions" โ†’ Select "Tag" implementation method

How to Test Your Implementation

Using Tag Assistant:

  • Open Google Tag Manager โ†’ Preview โ†’ https://tagassistant.google.com/
  • Add your domain and trigger a conversion event
  • Look for the event in left navigation (e.g., "Form Submit")
  • Check variables โ†’ Find "userProvidedData" โ†’ Verify email appears correctly

Using Developer Tools:

  • Open Chrome Dev Tools โ†’ Network tab
  • Filter for "google" requests
  • Complete a conversion action
  • Look for requests containing parameter "tv.1-em" which indicates Enhanced Conversions data

Data-Driven Insights

Imagine a line chart titled "Conversion Reporting Accuracy Before vs After Enhanced Conversions." The X-axis shows weeks (Week 1 through Week 8). The Y-axis shows conversion accuracy as a percentage from 0% to 100%. The line starts at 65% accuracy in Week 1 (before implementation), then gradually increases after Enhanced Conversions implementation in Week 3, reaching 90% by Week 8, representing the improved measurement capability.

Another chart, a bar graph titled "Conversion Volume Comparison," could show two sets of bars: "Standard Tracking" and "Enhanced Conversions" across different conversion types like "Purchase," "Lead Form," and "Sign Up." The Enhanced Conversions bars consistently show 15-25% higher volumes, highlighting the additional conversions captured with this methodology.

"After implementing Enhanced Conversions, we discovered that we had been underreporting conversions by nearly 23%. The improved data showed that our Google Ads campaigns were actually performing much better than we thought, allowing us to scale up our best-performing campaigns with confidence." - Sarah L., E-commerce Marketing Director

Common Implementation Challenges

Missing Consent Configuration

The most frequent issue is improper consent setup. All three consent types (ad_storage, personalization_storage, and ad_user_data) must be properly implemented and granted by the user.

Incorrect Form Field Mapping

When using manual configuration, ensure your variables correctly map to the actual form fields. Mismatched selectors or changed form IDs can break data collection.

International Phone Format Issues

Phone numbers should ideally be collected in international format (with country code) for better matching rates. Consider adding field validation to your forms.

Best Practices for Enhanced Conversions

  • Prioritize Email Collection: Email addresses typically provide the highest match rates with Google's logged-in user data.
  • Tag Naming Standards: Use consistent naming like "ADS - form_click (+ EC userProvidedData automatic)" for Google Ads tags and "GA4 - form_click (+ EC)" for GA4 tags.
  • Segment Reports: Create segments to compare conversions tracked via standard methods versus Enhanced Conversions to understand the impact.
  • Regular Audits: Schedule quarterly reviews of your consent implementation to ensure ongoing compliance as regulations evolve.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to the customer data collected via Enhanced Conversions?

Customer data is hashed on your website before being sent to Google. Google never receives the actual email addresses or phone numbers โ€“ only encrypted versions that cannot be reversed. This hashed data is then matched against Google's similarly hashed user data.

Do Enhanced Conversions work with all Google Ads campaign types?

Yes, Enhanced Conversions work with all Google Ads campaign types and conversion actions where you're using a Google tag for tracking.

How long does it take to see results from Enhanced Conversions?

While technical implementation can be completed in a day, you should expect a learning period of about 30 days before seeing the full benefit in your reporting and optimization.

Can Enhanced Conversions work without Google Tag Manager?

Yes, you can implement Enhanced Conversions directly with Google Ads tags, but the implementation is more streamlined and flexible when using Google Tag Manager.

Additional Resources

Ready to Improve Your Conversion Tracking?

Enhanced Conversions provides more comprehensive measurement in a privacy-first world. Start implementing today to get more accurate data for your marketing decisions.