The discrepancies between GA 4 and Google Ads can be mainly summarized into three types:
The discrepancy of Google Ads clicks VS GA 4 users;
The difference between Google Ads clicks and GA 4 sessions;
The number of Google Ads conversions is higher than Google Analytics 4.
In this article, we will introduce the details of Google Ads clicks vs GA 4 users, take a deep analysis and give some optimization suggestions when the number of sessions is much lower than the clicks.
Common Reason for the discrepancy of Google Ads clicks VS GA 4 Users
GA 4 Users VS Google Ads Clicks: Small Discrepancy
 It is normal as there could be some discrepancies, due to the metrics measured are different. The total number of clicks means how many times your ads are clicked by users, while the User indicates the number of unique visitors actually enter and view your website pages. So a user may click twice on your ad within a 30-mintue, but this only be counted as one user.
When many clicks occur, it doesn't mean the same number of people will definetely view the landing page. In a word, the "link clicks to page visitors ratio" can vary from different backgrounds. According to Google authorities, the normal percentage would be more than 60%. If lower than 60%, it probably needs to be improved.
The amount of data collected is too small, and the collection dates are not uniform. Even when there is a considerable disparity in the data, it does not necessarily point to an anomaly.
In addition, it's essential to look at the specific metrics being compared. Differences in internet environments, user habits, and preferences across regions or devices may also lead to some variation in these proportions. For instance, users in India are more likely to click, visit, and submit inquiries and have lower expectations for web experience compared to users in North America. It's recommended to ensure a sufficient data sample and to monitor ongoing churn rates and trends.
GA 4 Users are much lower than Google Ads Clicks (below 60%)
Your Google analytics 4 tracking code is not installed correctly. You can use Google Tag Assistant to monitor if the set up is OK.
Auto-tag is off, or analytics media resource account is not matched with ads ID, which means some of the data would be recorded as the other traffic channel sources.
The final ads URLs are incorrectly tagged.
Filters in the GA 4 report have removed Google Ads data.
Use many broad keywords or cross-network invalid traffic, or some fraud click, resulting in a large number of You can view the invalid clicks data by modifying the columns.
Fraud website attack, abnormal data.
The website's load speed is too slow.
Users face extended loading times when they access the web page for the first time. Consequently, some abandon the site before it fully loads, while others who do manage to enter quickly become frustrated and exit, resulting in insufficient data collection in GA 4.
Generally, an excellent web page load time on the first visit is within 3 seconds, with 4-5 seconds being average. If it exceeds 5 seconds, users are likely to leave before the page finishes loading, especially after clicking an ad.
GA 4 Users VS Google Ads Clicks: Other Uncommon Reasons
Your site has a server side URL rewrite.
Your landing page might redirect to a different page. Redirects in landing pages can keep the Analytics code from launching and properly identifying the traffic as having come from a paid search campaign.
Users might have set their browser preferences in ways that prevent Analytics used on websites from collecting data.
How to Improve Google Ads Clicks to GA 4 Users Ratio
The principle of optimizing data essentially comes down to either increasing the numerator or reducing the denominator in the formula.
1.Increase more related traffic, reduce invalid clicks, and minimize junk traffic to the website.
2.Improve website load speed, aiming to keep it within 3 seconds.
Minimize unnecessary plugins that slow down the website without affecting its functionality.
Compress images as much as possible while retaining clarity; the main image on the homepage should generally not exceed 100 KB.
Regularly check website load speed using tools such as GTmetrix, Google PageSpeed Insights, and Pingdom, and requires the web developers to follow the provided instructions.
3.Ensure consistency in data collection.
4.Check GA 4 tracking configurations to make sure of the tracking implemented correctly.
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