Bidding for page views
A Thiruvananthapuram clinic’s Google Ads showed 400 conversions a month and a cost per conversion of ₹60. The clinic got about 40 patient enquiries.
A “page view” action imported from GA4 was set to Primary next to the real form submit. Smart Bidding was chasing cheap page views.
We set page views to Secondary and kept form submits and calls as Primary. Reported conversions fell to 45, cost per conversion rose to ₹520, and real enquiries increased the following month.
Illustrative example based on a common pattern in Kerala e-commerce accounts. Numbers rounded.
What a conversion action is
You create conversion actions in Goals → Conversions, by tag, Google Analytics import, calls, or offline imports from a CRM. Each belongs to a goal category like Submit lead form or Purchase.
Primary actions appear in the Conversions column and train Smart Bidding. Secondary actions appear in All conversions for reference only.
Primary = bidding + Conversions column · Secondary = reporting only
Conversion action settings check
Open Goals → Conversions → Summary and tick what is true.
0 of 6 done (0%)
Big gaps. Start with the first unticked item; each one is a quick win.
Stuck on one? Join the community and post it for doubt-clearing.
Key settings
| Setting | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Action optimisation (Primary/Secondary) | Whether it trains bidding |
| Count (One/Every) | One per click for leads, every one for purchases |
| Click-through window | How long after a click a conversion counts |
| Value | What each conversion is worth to the business |
How experienced marketers use Conversion action (Primary / Secondary)
1. Clean bidding signals
One clear Primary action per goal stops Smart Bidding chasing the wrong thing.
2. Track micro-actions safely
Keep WhatsApp clicks or brochure downloads as Secondary for insight without skewing bidding.
3. Bid for quality
Import CRM-qualified leads as Primary once volume allows.
What good looks like
| Business type | Starting rule | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary actions per goal | 1–2 | More often means double counting. |
| Count for leads | One | Every for purchases. |
| Volume for Smart Bidding | 30+ a month | Starting rule. |
When the number lies
- Double counting
- A tag and a GA4 import for the same lead, both Primary, double the conversions.
- Micro-conversions inflating results
- Clicks and page views as Primary make cost per conversion look cheap.
Mistakes to avoid
Every action set to Primary
Smart Bidding optimises for easy actions, not customers.
Count Every for lead forms
One person submitting twice counts twice.
Ignoring status warnings
Bidding runs on missing data for weeks.
Related terms
Questions people ask about a conversion action
What is a conversion action in Google Ads?
A result you track, such as a form submit, call or purchase, with settings that control how it’s counted and used.
What is the difference between Primary and Secondary conversions?
Primary actions are used for bidding and the Conversions column; Secondary are reported in All conversions only.
Should lead forms count One or Every?
One, so repeated submissions from the same click count once.
Why does my conversion action say Needs attention?
Usually the tag stopped sending data, a CRM import has no recent matches, or settings need review. Check the diagnostics.
Put it into practice
- SOP 025: Google Ads Conversion Tracking: Set It Up with Google Tag Manager →
- SOP 306: Audit a Google Ads Account and Write a Fix-First Plan →
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