Set Up Conversion Signals on Google Ads

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Overview

Innkeepr Conversion Signals are modified conversion events sent to Google Ads in place of standard conversion data. Depending on the optimization type, Innkeepr adjusts either the number of conversions (count-based) or the value of each conversion (value-based). Both types are adjusted based on the historic incremental contribution of each touchpoint. Google’s bidding algorithm processes these adjusted signals the same way it processes standard conversion data. No changes to campaign structure or bidding strategy type are required. This guide covers the setup of Innkeepr Conversion Signals on Google Ads campaigns.

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Prerequisites

Technical Requirements:

• Active Google Ads account
• Enhanced Conversions enabled in your Google Ads account
• Enhanced Conversions for Leads enabled in your Google Ads account
• Email address passed to Innkeepr for each user session — this is required for matching conversion events to users. Email handoff works via one of two methods:
  • Shop system integration (e.g. Shopify) — email is captured automatically at checkout
  • Innkeepr Identify — for custom implementations where you pass the email via the Identify call

Both Enhanced Conversions and Enhanced Conversions for Leads must be active in Google Ads. Without these, Google cannot match Innkeepr’s adjusted conversion values back to individual users. See Google’s documentation for setup instructions.

Timeline at a Glance:

Important: Do not evaluate performance before the 60-day mark. Google’s bidding algorithm needs time to recalibrate based on the new conversion values. Early results are unreliable.

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How Conversion Signals Work

Innkeepr provides two types of conversion signals, depending on whether the campaign’s bidding strategy optimizes for conversion count or conversion value. Count-Based Conversion Signals Used with bidding strategies that optimize for conversion count (e.g. Maximize Conversions, Target CPA). Innkeepr modifies the number of conversions that Google Ads receives. Conversions with low predicted incremental impact are withheld — Google does not see them. Conversely, for sessions where the model predicts high incremental impact but no conversion was recorded, Innkeepr generates a synthetic conversion event. The result is a conversion count that reflects incremental volume rather than total volume. Value-Based Conversion Signals Used with bidding strategies that optimize for conversion value (e.g. Maximize Conversion Value, Target ROAS). Innkeepr adjusts the reported value of each conversion event. A conversion where the ad had high incremental impact retains most of its original value. A conversion where the user would likely have purchased anyway receives a reduced value. The total number of conversions stays the same — only the values change. In both cases, Google’s bidding algorithm processes the signals the same way it processes standard conversion data. No changes to campaign structure or bidding strategy type are required.

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Setup Instructions

Step 1: Verify Prerequisites Before requesting signal setup, confirm the following:

• Enhanced Conversions is enabled in Google Ads (Settings → Conversions → Enhanced Conversions)
• Enhanced Conversions for Leads is enabled in Google Ads
• Email address is being passed to Innkeepr for each user session via shop system integration or Innkeepr Identify
• Sufficient conversion history is available (minimum 30 days recommended)

Step 2: Request Signal Setup Conversion signal setup is currently configured manually by the Innkeepr team. To start the process: Send an email to product@innkeepr.ai with your Google Ads account ID (MCC or individual account). Our team will configure the conversion signals for your account and confirm once the setup is complete. Step 3: Set Up A/B Testing via Google Experiments To measure the impact of conversion signals, use Google Ads Experiments to create a controlled test:

1. Navigate to Experiments in your Google Ads account (Campaigns → Experiments)
2. Create a new experiment based on the campaign that will receive conversion signals
3. Set the traffic split — we recommend a 20–30% test / 70–80% control split
4. Apply the conversion signal only to the experiment variant (the Innkeepr team will coordinate this with you)
5. Set the experiment duration to a minimum of 60 days

Google Experiments handles traffic splitting and statistical significance calculations automatically, which makes it the preferred method for testing conversion signals compared to manual campaign splits. Step 4: Adjust Bidding Targets After conversion signals are applied, the data Google Ads receives changes — either in conversion count (count-based) or conversion value (value-based). This affects how the bidding algorithm evaluates performance, and bidding targets may need to be adjusted. For value-based signals (Target ROAS): The total reported conversion value will typically be lower than with standard tracking, because values now reflect incremental contribution. If the tROAS stays the same as the control, Google may restrict bidding because the target becomes harder to reach with lower reported values. For count-based signals (Target CPA): The total number of reported conversions will change — some conversions are withheld, others are added synthetically. If the tCPA stays the same as the control, Google may over- or underspend depending on the net change in conversion count. How to approach this:

1. Start the experiment with the same bidding targets (tROAS or tCPA) as the control
2. After 7–14 days, check whether the experiment variant is receiving sufficient budget
3. If the experiment variant underspends, reduce tROAS by 5–10% or increase tCPA by 5–10% and wait another 7–14 days
4. Repeat until the experiment variant spends its allocated budget consistently

Example (value-based): With standard tracking, a €100 order reports €100 in conversion value. With Innkeepr conversion signals, that same order might report €60 if the model estimates 60% incremental contribution. The same tROAS target becomes harder to reach with lower reported values, so Google reduces spend.

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Monitor & Optimize

Weeks 1–2: Spend Verification

• Monitor that the experiment variant is receiving sufficient spend — if delivery is too low, reduce tROAS by 5–10% and wait another 7–14 days (see Step 4)
• Verify that conversion signals are being recorded correctly in Google Ads

Weeks 2–4: Early Evaluation

• If the experiment variant is still underspending, continue reducing tROAS in 5–10% increments
• If the experiment variant is overspending relative to the control, increase tROAS slightly
• Allow 7–14 days after any adjustment before re-evaluating

Weeks 4–12: Performance Review

• Aim for 50–100+ conversions in both experiment and control before drawing conclusions
• Google Experiments will report statistical significance — wait until the experiment reaches at least 90% confidence before making decisions
• Compare actual revenue from your attribution system, backend, or GA4 (not Google-reported conversion value) between experiment and control to assess true performance impact

Key distinction: The reported conversion values in Google Ads will look different between experiment and control because the conversion signals adjust the values. Always compare on actual revenue from your attribution system, backend, or GA4 — not on Google-reported ROAS.

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Best Practices

Comparing Experiment vs. Control Because conversion signals change the reported data in Google Ads, you cannot directly compare Google-reported metrics between the experiment and control. Use data from your attribution system, backend, or GA4 instead. Compare relevant metrics depending on your objective and business model, such as ROAS, new customer ratio / CAC, AOV, or CPA. tROAS Calibration Finding the right tROAS for the experiment variant is an iterative process:

• Start with the same tROAS as the control campaign
• Check spend allocation after 7–14 days
• If the experiment underspends, reduce tROAS by 5–10% and wait another 7–14 days
• Repeat until the experiment spends consistently

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Troubleshooting

Experiment Variant Not Spending Conversion Values Look Unexpectedly Low This is expected behavior. Innkeepr conversion signals adjust values based on incremental impact — the reported conversion value in Google Ads reflects the incremental contribution, not the full order revenue. Compare on actual backend revenue instead. No Conversions Recorded