"Why does my data look different in Google Ads?"
Maybe you've found yourself (or your client) asking the same question when comparing conversions in WhatConverts and Google Ads.
So, what's the big deal?
First off, this disparity doesn't necessarily mean there's an error involved with either platform. So don't rush off to change your settings just yet.
Instead, it's usually caused by one of two problems:
One of the most common causes for data discrepancies in WhatConverts vs. Google Ads comes from when a conversion is counted.
Within WhatConverts, it's when the conversion takes place. For Google Ads, it's when the click happens, not the conversion.
So for instance, let's say someone clicked on your Google Ad two weeks ago but made a call (i.e., converted ) just yesterday. Since the click took place two weeks ago, it wouldn't show up as a conversion in this week's reporting in Google Ads. But it would show up in this week's WhatConverts reporting since that's when the conversion happened.
As you can see, the data isn't so much wrong on either platform. It's just a different way of deciding when to count it.
What You Can Do About It
Add the Conversions (by conv. time) or All conv. (by conv. time) column to your Google Ads reporting to see when conversions (not clicks) take place.
Conversions (by conv. time) shows only primary conversion actions (which impact your bidding) and All conv. (by conv. time) shows all conversion actions, including secondary actions that don’t impact your bidding.
This is a sneaky one.
Have your call extension leads errored out when sending them to Google? The culprit is likely that your ad's call extension hasn't met a hidden click threshold yet.
Before Google Ads will replace your call extension number with their own (which lets them track call extension conversions in their reporting), your call extension needs to bring in a certain number of clicks.
The general consensus among advertisers is that this hidden click threshold is:
If your ad group's call extension does not meet that threshold, you'll likely see call extension leads inside WhatConverts that you won't see inside Google Ads.
If you are having this problem, you may see an error message under the "Google Ads Conversion" column (see below) and your WhatConverts number not being swapped out in your ad's call extension.
If you see an error message like this, be sure to hover your cursor over it to get an explanation of why the error is occurring.
Important Note
If you’re seeing errors with call extension leads, be sure you have Call Reporting enabled in your Google account. This may also return errors similar to those above.
Our support team is happy to help troubleshoot any misaligned conversion issues.
Alex Thompson is a professional copywriter and content writer with a passion for turning complex ideas into digestible, educational content that keeps readers engaged. He specializes in content marketing, SEO, and B2B marketing.
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