Enhanced Conversions and GA4 Import: Stop Losing 30% of Your Attribution

Matheus Figueiredo · 2026-10-07

Direct tag vs. GA4

The direct Google Ads tag gives you a more immediate view of conversions, but it may not capture every user interaction. GA4, on the other hand, gives you a more complete picture, using events and parameters that help you understand customer behavior. By integrating GA4 with your campaigns, you can improve attribution accuracy and avoid leaving a significant share of conversions without credit. The recommendation is to use both tags together to maximize data capture.

Email and phone hashing

Hashing email addresses and phone numbers is essential to protect user privacy, especially in the European Union. You should hash the data you collect and send it to Google Ads. This improves visitor matching, since Google can recognize users who have already interacted with your brand, increasing the chances of conversion. Use hashing algorithms like SHA-256 to keep the data unrecognizable and secure.

Consent mode in the EU

Consent Mode is a key tool for GDPR compliance. It lets you adjust how Google Ads and GA4 tags behave based on user consent. If a user doesn’t consent, you can choose not to track personal data while still capturing aggregated information. Set this up correctly to make sure you don’t lose valuable data and to improve campaign performance.

Diagnostics check

Periodically check your tags and GA4 settings in Diagnostics. Use Google Tag Assistant or DebugView to identify tracking issues. Make sure conversions are being recorded correctly and that there are no discrepancies between what Google Ads reports and what GA4 shows. Regular checks like this can prevent surprises and make sure you’re not losing attribution.

Conversion window for COD

Your conversion window for cash on delivery (COD) should be adjusted to reflect your audience’s behavior. The default window is usually 30 days, but for higher-ticket products or services that require more consideration, consider extending it to 60 or even 90 days. This helps capture more conversions that may not happen right away, especially in segments where COD is widely used.

By following these practices, you can stop losing up to 30% of your attribution and get more accurate data to optimize your campaigns.

What’s your current conversion rate, and what conversion window do you use for COD?