An attributed conversion is not always an identifiable inquiry
Reported ad conversions and person-level lead records are different evidence and should remain separate. An advertising platform may report a conversion total without supplying a contact identity.
Ad platforms count configured conversion actions under their attribution and counting rules. Some actions represent an accepted inquiry; others represent engagement or modeled outcomes. A headline conversion total should not be relabeled as a list of unique prospective customers.
A worked example
A hypothetical campaign reports 40 conversions across downloads, calls and form events. The intake system holds 18 identifiable inquiries, some overlapping. Neither number should be altered to match the other. First explain which actions the ad report includes.
How to apply it
- Inventory conversion actions and distinguish primary outcomes from diagnostics.
- Trace controlled examples from the ad destination to accepted inquiry records.
- Review counting, attribution windows, duplicates and unmatched cases.
What the result can establish
Use verified lead definitions for cost-per-lead calculations. Platform conversions can remain useful optimization signals without being equivalent to people. A modeled count must not be described as individually verified contact records.
Reference: Google Ads: conversion measurement.
Supporting documentation
Google Ads: conversion measurementGoogle Analytics: recommended eventsGoogle Ads: conversion tracking