Tracking conversions and goals in Google Analytics is essential for measuring business success by monitoring user actions like purchases, form submissions, or video plays. The process differs significantly between Universal Analytics (UA) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4), with GA4 replacing traditional goals with a more flexible event-based system called key events (still referred to as conversions in Google Ads). GA4 allows up to 30 conversion events per property, compared to UA’s 20 goals per view, and provides more granular tracking through parameters and cross-platform support.

Key steps include:

• Enabling existing events as conversions in GA4’s Admin panel under "Events" or "Conversions" ^[2][10]
• Creating custom events via GA4’s interface or Google Tag Manager (GTM) for complex tracking ^[4][9]
• Assigning monetary values to conversions for ROI analysis and adjusting counting methods (e.g., "once per session" vs. "every time") ^[6][10]
• Using DebugView to verify event tracking before deployment ^[6]

GA4’s event-based model offers greater flexibility but lacks some UA features like funnel visualization for goals and offline conversion tracking ^[2]. For comprehensive attribution, third-party tools like Ruler may be needed ^[2].

Tracking Conversions and Goals in Google Analytics

GA4 vs. Universal Analytics: Key Differences

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) fundamentally changes how conversions are tracked compared to Universal Analytics (UA). In UA, goals were session-based and limited to 20 per view, with four types: Destination (URL), Duration, Pages/Screens per session, and Event ^[3][7]. Goals provided a binary "completed" or "not completed" status and could include funnels for Destination goals to analyze user paths ^[3].

GA4 replaces goals with key events (still called conversions in Google Ads), which are more flexible and event-driven:

• Event-based tracking: Every conversion is an event, allowing for additional parameters (e.g., product ID, revenue) and cross-platform tracking (web + app) ^[5][9].
• No session dependency: Unlike UA goals, GA4 conversions count every occurrence of an action, not just once per session ^[5].
• Increased limits: GA4 supports 30 conversion events per property, up from UA’s 20 goals per view ^[5].
• Simplified setup: Conversions can be enabled directly from existing events in GA4’s Admin panel under "Events" or "Conversions" ^[8][10].

Limitations in GA4:

• No funnel visualization for conversions (unlike UA’s Destination goals) ^[2].
• Attribution challenges: GA4’s data-driven attribution model may undervalue upper-funnel interactions ^[2].
• Offline conversions cannot be tracked natively; third-party tools are required ^[2].

For businesses relying on UA’s goal funnels or offline tracking, integrating tools like Ruler Analytics or adjusting to GA4’s Exploration reports for path analysis is recommended ^[2].

Step-by-Step: Setting Up Conversions in GA4

To track conversions in GA4, follow these steps, using either existing events or custom setups via Google Tag Manager (GTM).

Method 1: Enable Existing Events as Conversions

1. Navigate to Admin > Events: - In GA4, go to Admin (gear icon) > Events under the "Data display" section ^[2][10]. - Locate the event you want to track (e.g., purchase, form_submit) and toggle "Mark as conversion" ^[10].
2. Verify in DebugView: - Use GA4’s DebugView (under "Admin > DebugView") to confirm the event fires correctly before marking it as a conversion ^[6].
3. Adjust counting method: - In Admin > Conversions, select the conversion and choose whether to count it "Once per session" or "Every time" the event occurs ^[6].

Method 2: Create Custom Events via GA4 or GTM

For actions not automatically tracked (e.g., button clicks, video plays):

1. GA4 Interface: - Go to Admin > Events > Create Event. - Define conditions (e.g., eventname = 'videoplay' and video_title = 'demo') and save ^[4][10].
2. Google Tag Manager (GTM): - Create a new tag in GTM with the GA4 event configuration. - Set triggers (e.g., click on a "Submit" button) and map event parameters (e.g., value, currency) ^[9]. - Publish the container and verify in DebugView ^[6].

Best practices for custom events:

• Use descriptive names (e.g., newsletter_signup instead of event1) ^[7].
• Assign monetary values to conversions for ROI tracking (e.g., $10 per lead) ^[4].
• Avoid duplicate counting by setting the counting method to "Once per session" for actions like form submissions ^[2].

Method 3: Import Conversions from Google Ads

If using Google Ads:

1. Link GA4 to Google Ads in Admin > Google Ads Links.
2. Ensure enhanced conversions are enabled in Google Ads for improved accuracy ^[1].
3. GA4 will automatically import Google Ads conversions, labeled as "Key events" in reports ^[5].

Reporting on conversions:

• View data in Reports > Engagement > Conversions or Advertising > Traffic acquisition ^[4].
• Use Explorations for custom funnel analysis (e.g., path to purchase) ^[2].