Why it happens
Conversion tracking is broken
Conversion tracking is broken
The tag stopped firing, or the action counting conversions is not the one you think. See conversion action inactive.
Broad match is buying the wrong searches
Broad match with weak negatives pays for queries that never buy. The search terms report shows them.
The landing page does not convert
A slow page, a mismatch with the ad, a form that breaks on mobile, or traffic sent to the homepage instead of the offer.
The campaign optimizes for the wrong goal
Smart Bidding chasing a soft primary action, like page views, buys cheap traffic that never turns into leads or sales.
Not enough data yet
A new campaign, a low budget or a long sales cycle can mean conversions simply have not landed. Conversions can also post days after the click.
How to fix it, step by step
Verify tracking
Go to Goals, then Conversions, then Summary. Check the primary action is Active and recorded conversions recently, and complete a test conversion with Tag Assistant.
Read the search terms
Open Campaigns, then Insights and reports, then Search terms. Sort by cost and add every irrelevant term with spend and no conversions as a negative.
Check the goals each campaign uses
In campaign settings, open Goals. Make sure the campaign optimizes for the action that matters, and that soft actions are secondary.
Check the landing page
Open each final URL on a phone. Confirm it loads fast, matches the ad and the form or checkout works end to end.
Give it enough data
Judge a campaign over a full conversion cycle, not a few days. Compare by conversion time if your sales cycle is long.
Steps checked against Google Ads Help: About the search terms report; Google Ads Help: About conversion goals; Google Ads Help: Use Tag Assistant to troubleshoot your unverified or inactive conversion actions.
Sprites fixes this
Or let Sprites fix it
Sprites splits the problem into tracking and traffic, fixes what lives in the account, and points at what does not.
What Sprites does
- Splits conversions by conversion action, so a dead or excluded action shows up as the zero it is.
- Totals the spend on search terms and keywords with no conversions, without double counting.
- Flags final URLs off your domain, where your conversion tag cannot fire.
- Adds the junk terms as negatives, sets the right action as primary and pauses what keeps losing, after you approve.
What it doesn't do
- It does not edit your site, your tag or your Tag Manager container.
- It does not judge your landing page design or test your checkout.
Questions
Why am I getting clicks but no conversions on Google Ads?
Either the tag is not recording conversions or the clicks come from the wrong searches. Check the conversion action status, then the search terms report.
How many clicks before I should expect a conversion?
Divide 100 by your expected conversion rate. At a 3% rate that is about 33 clicks per conversion, so judge after a few times that, not after 20 clicks.
Can Smart Bidding work with zero conversions?
No. Maximize conversions and target CPA need conversion data. With none, use Maximize clicks with a bid cap or manual CPC until tracking proves itself.
Why do I see conversions in GA4 but not in Google Ads?
GA4 and Google Ads count differently and imported GA4 key events lag. See the GA4 versus Google Ads comparison in the attribution guides.
Do conversions show up immediately?
Not always. Conversions are credited to the day of the click and can post days later, so recent days look worse than they will.
Let Sprites fix it
Connect the account. Sprites finds the cause, stages the change and waits for your approval.