Primary vs secondary conversion
Also called Primary action, Secondary action.
Every conversion action in Google Ads is marked primary or secondary. Primary actions appear in the Conversions column and steer bidding; secondary actions are recorded in the All conversions column and are there to observe.
Why it matters
It decides what Smart Bidding is actually trying to get. Switching to value-based bidding means making the value action primary and the old lead-count action secondary. Leave both primary and every lead is counted twice, once as a flat lead and once with its value.
What goes wrong
It is also the safest first step there is. Send your lead values as a secondary action and Google records them against every campaign without changing a single bid. A few weeks later you can see which campaigns bring valuable leads, before you have risked anything.
The switch itself is a change of goals, and Google treats it as one: the campaigns bidding on it go back into learning. Change it once, on purpose, not back and forth.
What this product does about it
The setup steps on the report name the value action primary and the old lead action secondary, in that order, and the evaluation reads results from the day you switched.
How to check it on your own account
In Google Ads, Goals, then Conversions: look at the Action optimization column. Your value action and your old lead action should not both say Primary.
Next to this
- Conversion actionGoogle AdsThe object in Google Ads a conversion is recorded against, with its own counting rules, attribution window and goal category.
- Smart BiddingGoogle AdsGoogle's automated bid strategies, which set a bid for every individual auction using signals about the user, the query and the context.
- Learning periodThe stretch after a bid strategy changes while the platform gathers enough outcomes to bid confidently.
Where this comes up
- Value-Based Bidding for Lead Generation - The Complete GuideA lower cost per lead looks good in a report. It means much less if those leads never become customers. How to estimate what a lead is worth, send it to Google Ads, and check whether the bids brought better business.
- Google Ads Value-Based Bidding Migration Guide: What to Expect When You SwitchA staged migration, in Google's own order. What resets the learning period, why it is measured in conversions and not days, and when you can honestly read the result.
- Journey-Aware Bidding: Google's Lead-Gen Bidding Upgrade, and What It Does Not DoJourney-aware bidding is an upgrade to Smart Bidding, not a new strategy. Target CPA campaigns learn from every stage between a form fill and a sale. What changes for lead-gen advertisers, what does not, and what to prepare.
How it applies in your trade
The same method, worked through for each kind of business: what a lead is worth, what is known on arrival and what to prepare.
The rest of this step
Measure this on your own data
The diagnostic reads a CRM export in your browser and reports your volume, your match rate and the spread between your leads against the thresholds in this glossary. Nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.