How to Reconcile Conflicting Numbers Across Google Ads, GA4, LinkedIn, and CRM Data
Have you ever looked at your Google Ads conversions for a certain date range, looked at the same conversions for the same date range in Google Analytics 4 (GA4), and seen the numbers not matching up?
Have you seen a similar pattern when you compare same-date-range conversions in GA4 and your CRM, such as HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, or HighLevel?
If so, you’re not alone! Read on to gain an understanding of why this happens and – most importantly – what you can do to fix conflicting data across platforms.
Why even leading marketing platforms have data that conflicts with GA4
The short answer is that platforms like Google Ads and the CRMs mentioned above, as well as other commonly used tools like Shopify, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn, will show you their version of KPIs like conversions as well as CPC, clickthrough rate (CTR), and more. But because the platform definition of KPIs can vary, our Founder, Lauren Glancy, refers to GA4 as the cross-check – or the “single source of truth.”
GA4 has earned this reputation because it integrates seamlessly with another Google tool (that’s also free to use) called Google Tag Manager (GTM). Working with GTM’s Tag Assistant, you can set up conversion events that are customized to your specific business and goals via your website and/or apps. In addition, Tag Assistant allows you to retest events that were set up in the past – including during staffing changes that may have created knowledge gaps – so you can verify if they still connect your desired visitor actions to the results you’re looking for. This encapsulates much of the work we do for our clients.
Reconciling conflicting numbers solution #1
The quickest path to data clarity is to set up custom events in GA4 and GTM, as mentioned above, and then only log into GA4 in the future to check specific KPIs. In an example where you run Google Ads campaigns, you wouldn’t look at Google Ads to tell you your conversions. Instead – using GA4 to define the USD (or your currency) value of each purchase or other action that constitutes a conversion for your organization – you can track everything that matters all inside of GA4.
Since most platforms outside of GA4 have complex interfaces that seem to grow more unwieldy by the month – including Google Ads from the example above – a benefit of this approach is that you can save some strain on your eyes (and avoid brain fog) by not having to constantly switch between platforms.
If you go this route, GA4’s Events report is your best friend. In this report, you can drill down to a specific event, like purchases or form conversions, and then add the session source/medium data column. This column tells you how ads perform along with any other traffic sources like organic search, AI answer engines, LinkedIn, YouTube, emails, and more. This data is incredibly useful to inform how you should divide up future marketing spend.
Reconciling conflicting numbers solution #2
While approach #1 has some benefits – mainly, establishing a single source of truth that disregards platform-by-platform KPI definitional differences – you will be better served over the long term by investing marginally more time (not a ton more!) in order to connect platforms both ways to and from GA4. This article digs deeper into why in the context of Google Ads and GA4.
Since many businesses run Google Ads at some point, here’s a quick how-to for connecting it to GA4. In GA4, you simply need to navigate to:
Admin (click the gear icon at the bottom left of the screen)
Product Links under Property Settings
Google Ads Links
From here, you can click the prominent blue “Link” button and follow the workflow to link your Google Ads account to your GA4 property.
You can follow a similar process as above to connect these commonly used tools to GA4 as well: BigQuery, Merchant Center, Google Play, and Google Search Console. The last one mentioned, known as GSC, allows you to track your top search keywords inside of GA4.
To complete the connection to Google Ads, you’ll also need to log into it and connect it to GA4. To do that, navigate to:
Tools & Settings (click the wrench icon)
Click Data Manager under Setup
Click Connect Product.
Under Data Source, choose Google Analytics (GA4) & Firebase.
Select your GA4 property from the list
Click Next, review, and then click Link
Completing this GA4 ←→ Google Ads connection provides these benefits:
Automatic URL Tagging: Appends tracking parameters to ad URLs automatically, enabling GA4 to accurately recognize and attribute Google Ads clicks.
Audience Sharing for Ads: Allows GA4 audiences to be used in Google Ads, supporting more tailored remarketing and targeting strategies.
Analytics Metrics in Ads Reporting: Makes GA4 engagement metrics, such as engagement rate and events per session, available directly within Google Ads reports.
GA4 Conversion Imports: Enables conversion events defined in GA4 to be imported into Google Ads and used for optimization and bidding strategies.
Establishing additional connections to GA4
If you use a CRM, it will also help you over the long term to connect it to GA4. In your CRM platform, look for a “connect GA4” option under the Settings area. If you need help with this, let us know.
The bottom line
Conflicting numbers across platforms aren’t a sign that your data is broken — they’re a signal that your systems aren’t aligned. By treating GA4 as your single source of truth, defining conversions in a way that reflects real business outcomes, and thoughtfully connecting your ad platforms and CRM back to GA4, you can move from second-guessing metrics to confidently acting on them.
