Conversion Tracking to Maximise Your University’s Student Recruitment

23 de Agosto, 2024 Simona Peovska Medição

Understanding and optimising conversions is crucial for universities and businesses as it helps maximise the return on investment (ROI). No matter which platform you are using, tracking conversions effectively can make a significant difference in the success of your marketing campaign for attracting more national or international students. Today we will guide you through the types of conversions that can be tracked on Google and Meta specifically, how to set them up, and the potential benefits they offer to your business.

What Are Conversions?

A conversion occurs when a user takes a desired action after interacting with your ad. This could be anything from applying to a programme, filling out a contact form, downloading a brochure pdf, clicking an email link or phone number, or signing up for a newsletter. Tracking these actions allows you to understand how well your ads are performing and helps in refining your campaigns to achieve better results in student recruitment.

Tracking Conversions on Google Ads

Google offers a comprehensive set of tools for tracking conversions, primarily through Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Tag Manager (GTM). Setting up these tools might seem complex, but the benefits they offer are immense.

Configuring Google Tag Manager (GTM)

Create a GTM Account: If you haven’t already, go to the Google Tag Manager website and create a new account. Follow the prompts to set up a new container for your website.
Add GTM Code to Your Website: Once your container is set up, Google will provide you with a snippet of code. This needs to be placed in the ‘<head>’ and ‘<body>’ sections of your website.

Configuring Google Analytics 4

Create a GA4 Property: In your Google Analytics account, create a new GA4 property. This will serve as the destination for your event data.
Link GA4 to GTM: In GA4, go to the “Admin” section, then click on “Data Streams”, and select your web stream. Copy the “Measurement ID” from GA4 and use it in GTM to set up a new GA4 configuration tag.

Creating Containers and Events in Google Tag Manager

Once your accounts are set up, the next step is to create containers and events within GTM.

Creating a Container in GTM

A container in GTM is essentially a workspace for all your tags, triggers, and variables.

Navigate to your GTM account, and click on “New Container”.
Set up your container based on your website’s environment (e.g. web, iOS, Android).

Creating Events in GTM

Events are the actions you want to track (e.g. button clicks, form submissions).

In GTM, click on “Tags” > “New” > “Tag Configuration” > “GA4 Event”.
Choose your GA4 configuration tag, and name your event.
Set up the trigger for this event, such as “All Pages” for page views or a specific trigger for more granular events like specific page loads or button clicks.

Testing Events in GTM

There are two ways you can test events in GTM.

Preview Mode: Before publishing, use GTM’s ‘Preview Mode’ to test your tags. This will allow you to see if the events are firing correctly on your website.
Debug View: After setting up events in GTM, go to GA4 and use the ‘Debug View’ (located in the “Events” section) to ensure that the events are being tracked accurately.

Synchronising Events with GA4 and Google Ads

Now that your events are configured and tested, it is time to sync them with GA4 and Google Ads.

Creating Conversion Events in GA4

Default Events: GA4 comes with a set of default events (e.g. page views, scrolls). To create a new conversion event based on these, go to “Events” in GA4, select a default event, and click “Create Event” to define a new custom event.
Testing in Debug View: As before, use the ‘Debug View’ to ensure your new conversion events are tracking correctly.
Marking as Conversions: Once verified, go to “Events” in GA4, find your custom event, and toggle it as a “Conversion”.

Synchronising with Google Ads

To do this, you will have to:

Link GA4 to Google Ads: In GA4, navigate to “Admin” > “Google Ads Linking” and follow the prompts to link your accounts.
Import Conversions to Google Ads: In Google Ads, go to “Tools & Settings” > “Conversions”. Click on “New Conversion Action” > “Import” > “Google Analytics 4 (GA4)” and select the conversion events you have created.

Optimising Campaigns Based on Conversion Events

There are two ways you can optimise your Google Ads campaigns.

Primary vs. Secondary Conversions: In Google Ads, when setting up your campaign, you can designate which conversion actions are “Primary” (used for optimisation) or “Secondary” (tracked but not used for optimisation).
Use Google’s Machine Learning: Choose the target conversion actions that align with your campaign goals (e.g. sign-ups, leads) and let Google’s machine learning algorithms optimise for those actions. Set target CPAs (Cost Per Acquisition) or other bidding strategies to maximise your ROI.

Tracking Conversions on Meta Ads

Meta (formerly Facebook) offers a powerful tool called the Meta Pixel, which allows you to track various user actions on your website after they interact with your ads on Facebook or Instagram. This involves adding a small piece of code to your website that records specific events.

Types of Events You Can Track

Standard Events: These include predefined actions like “Lead”, “Complete Registration”, “Add to Cart” and “Purchase”.
Custom Events: Same as on Google Ads, you can define your own events that are specific to your business, such as a form submission or tracking a button click on a unique page.

By configuring these events, you gain insights into how users engage with your website after seeing your ad. More importantly, this data allows you to optimise your campaigns to drive the most valuable actions. For example, if your goal is to generate more leads, you can optimise your ads to target users who are more likely to complete a lead form. And again, same as on Google Ads, you can set specific Cost Per Result (CPR) goals so your ad spending is optimised.

How to Install the Meta Pixel

Before you begin, ensure that you have:

Access to a Facebook Business Account: You need to have admin access to a Facebook Manager account.
A Website: The Meta Pixel code will need to be added to your website’s header.

Step 1: Create a Meta Pixel

Log in to Meta Business Suite.
Click on “Events Manager” in the left-hand menu.
Select ‘Pixels’ under the “Data Sources” tab on the left.
Click the ‘Add’ button by the search bar at the top to create a new pixel. Enter a name for your pixel (e.g. the name of your business) and add your website URL.

Step 2: Install the Meta Pixel on Your Website

You have three options to choose from to install the Pixel.

Option 1: Manually Install the Code

For those who have direct access to their website’s code (usually the web developer):

Copy the Pixel Code: In “Events Manager”, click on ‘Install Pixel’ and select ‘Manually Add Pixel Code to Website’.
Paste the Code into Your Website Header: Place the Pixel code between the ‘<head>‘ and ‘</head>’ tags on every page of your website. This can usually be done by accessing your website’s header file.

Option 2: Use Google Tag Manager

If you use Google Tag Manager (GTM), you can add the Pixel via a GTM tag.

Create a New Tag: In Google Tag Manager, create a new tag.
Select Tag Type: Choose ‘Custom HTML Tag’ and paste your Pixel code into the HTML box.
Set a Trigger: Set the trigger to ‘All Pages’ to ensure the Pixel fires on every page.
Publish: Save and publish your changes.

Step 3: Verify Your Pixel is Working

Once the Pixel is installed, it is crucial to ensure it is working correctly.

Install the Meta Pixel Helper: Download the Meta Pixel Helper Chrome extension.
Visit Your Website: Navigate to the website where you installed the Pixel (you should see it already on the homepage if you installed it with GTM).
Check for Activity: The Meta Pixel Helper will show a green checkmark if the Pixel is installed correctly and actively tracking.

Step 4: Set Up Events

To track specific actions (such as button clicks or thank you page visits), you will need to set up events.

Go to “Data Sources”: In Meta Business Suite, navigate to “Events Manager” and then “Data Sources” on the left.
Create Custom Events: Towards the bottom of the page, click on ‘Add Events’ and choose the type of event you want to track.

Step 5: Optimise Your Ads

With the Meta Pixel installed and tracking, you can now optimise your Facebook and Instagram ads.

Custom Audiences: Use the data collected by the Pixel to create custom audiences of users who have visited your site.
Lookalike Audiences: Create lookalike audiences to reach new potential customers who have similar profiles to your existing customers.
Conversion Tracking: Set your ads to optimise for specific conversions like sign-ups, leads, or other important actions.

Maximising ROI with Next Level Marketing

Understanding and optimising for conversions is not just about gathering data; it is about using that data to make informed decisions that drive better business outcomes. By tracking conversions on Google and Meta ads, we at Next Level Marketing can help you:

Maximise Your ROI: Focus your campaign budget on the most effective ad strategies.
Refine Targeting: Reach users who are more likely to take desired actions.
Improve Campaign Performance: Continuously optimise your ads to align with your business goals.

In essence, conversion tracking provides you with the insights and tools needed to ensure that every euro or dollar spent on advertising contributes to your overall business success. Whether you are a university looking to increase student enrollment or a business aiming to boost sales, mastering conversion tracking is key to unlocking your full advertising potential.

Contact us at hello@nextlevelmkt.net if you need help setting up conversion tracking for your business and would like to find out more about how we can utilise it to maximise ROI.