What Conversion to Track on Google Analytics?

Deciding what conversions to track in Google Analytics can feel like a trick question. While the answer seems obvious - track the sales! - the reality is that your website visitors do much more than just buy a product or fill out a contact form. This article will walk you through how to identify the right macro and micro conversions for your business model and how to start tracking them effectively in Google Analytics 4.

First, Understand Macro vs. Micro Conversions

Not all conversions are created equal. The key to meaningful reporting is to understand the difference between the primary goals of your website (macro conversions) and the smaller steps that lead users toward those goals (micro conversions). Tracking both gives you a complete picture of your user journey.

Macro Conversions: The Big Wins

Macro conversions are the ultimate actions you want users to take. They represent the primary objectives of your website and are directly tied to your business's revenue and core goals. Think of them as the finish line.

Examples of macro conversions include:

• Making a purchase (e-commerce)
• Submitting a lead form (B2B service)
• Requesting a demo or quote (SaaS)
• Signing up for a paid subscription (media/publishing)

Micro Conversions: The Steps Along the Way

Micro conversions are the smaller, supporting actions users take that indicate they are moving in the right direction. While not the final goal, these steps are crucial engagement points that build trust and move a visitor through your funnel. Think of them as the mile markers in a marathon.

Examples of micro conversions include:

• Signing up for a newsletter
• Creating an account
• Adding a product to the cart
• Watching more than 75% of a video
• Downloading a PDF or whitepaper
• Spending more than 3 minutes on a key page

Why track micro conversions? Because 98% of your website traffic probably won't complete a macro conversion on their first visit. By tracking these smaller steps, you can see which marketing channels are bringing in engaged users, even if they aren't converting right away. You can also identify roadblocks in your user journey. For example, if you see lots of "add to cart" events but very few purchases, you know you need to investigate your checkout process.

Choosing Your Conversions by Business Model

The specific conversions you should track depend entirely on what you're trying to achieve. Here’s a breakdown of essential macro and micro conversions for common business types.

For E-commerce Stores

For online retailers, the customer journey from discovery to purchase is everything. Your conversion tracking should map directly to this funnel.

• Macro Conversions:
• Micro Conversions:

For Lead Generation & B2B Businesses

Lead-gen sites aim to start a conversation. Your goals revolve around collecting contact information from qualified prospects so your sales team can take over.

• Macro Conversions:
• Micro Conversions:

For SaaS (Software as a Service) Companies

SaaS businesses often have a dual focus: acquiring new users and ensuring those users stay engaged with the product.

• Macro Conversions:
• Micro Conversions:

How to Set Up Conversions in Google Analytics 4

Unlike old versions of Google Analytics that used "Goals," GA4 operates on an event-based model. Essentially, any event can be marked as a conversion. GA4 tracks many common actions (like page_view, scroll, and click) automatically. For e-commerce, it includes a helpful set of recommended events like purchase, add_to_cart, and begin_checkout.

Here’s the basic process for setting up your main conversions:

1. Identify Existing Events to Use as Conversions

Many of your goals might already be tracked as events without you doing anything. For example, if you want to track a "thank you" page visit after a form submission, GA4’s page_view event has you covered.

1. Navigate to your GA4 property and go to Admin > Data streams > Events. Here you'll see a list of all events being collected.
2. Review the list to find events that represent your business goals, like purchase or form_start.
3. On the right side of the event you want to track, simply toggle on the switch under "Mark as conversion."

That's it. Within 24 hours, that event will start appearing in your conversion reports.

2. Create a New Conversion Event from an Existing One

What if you want to track visits to a specific page as a conversion, like yourwebsite.com/thank-you? You can create a new, more specific event based on the general page_view event.

1. In the Events screen, click "Create event."
2. Click "Create" again and give your new event a descriptive name, like generated_lead.
3. Under "Matching conditions," set up the rules. For a "thank you" page, you'd specify:
4. Click "Create." Your new generated_lead event will now trigger every time someone views a page with "/thank-you" in the URL.
5. Finally, go back to the Events list, find your new generated_lead event, and toggle "Mark as conversion."

Don't Make These Common Conversion Tracking Mistakes

Setting up conversion tracking is a great first step, but it's easy to fall into a few traps.

• Tracking too many things: Don't mark every single micro-conversion as a primary goal. Your main Conversions report should be reserved for your macro conversions. Use explorations and secondary dimensions to analyze your micro conversions.
• Forgetting to assign a value: If you know a lead is worth around $50 to your business, assign that value to your generated_lead conversion either in Google Tag Manager or within GA4. This helps you move from simply counting conversions to understanding their real business impact.
• Only tracking the final step: If you only track the final sale (purchase), you're blind to the entire journey that led to it. Tracking micro conversions like add_to_cart and begin_checkout gives you visibility into where users are dropping off.
• Setting it and forgetting it: Your business goals will change. A conversion that was critical last year might be less important now. Review and refine what you’re tracking every quarter to ensure your analytics align with your current business strategy.

Final Thoughts

Tracking the right conversions in Google Analytics is less about technical setup and more about business strategy. By clearly defining your macro and micro goals based on your business model, you transform raw data into a clear roadmap that shows you what’s working, what isn't, and where you should focus your efforts.

Of course, your Google Analytics data doesn't live in a vacuum. To truly understand performance, you need to see how your ad spend from Facebook and Google connects to on-site behavior and, ultimately, to revenue in your CRM or e-commerce platform. Instead of spending hours pulling CSVs to connect these dots, we built Graphed to do the heavy lifting for you. We connect all your marketing and sales data, so you can ask simple questions in plain English - like "Which campaigns are driving the most trial signups?" - and get instant, real-time dashboards that show you the full story.