Learn How to Avoid Duplicate Conversions and Recreating the Conversion Funnel for GA4

Have you ever got up early on a Sunday morning, took a cold shower, and reached an address before time, only to find out it was the wrong address? That’s precisely what your users might feel when they realize you haven’t accurately monitored their actions and behaviors on your website, depriving them of a smooth user experience. 

The shift from Google Analytics to GA4 has been momentous. Marketers and data nerds take charge of their GA4 conversion tracking at the earliest. It is high time to stop drowning in duplicate conversions. Instead, embrace GA4 to the fullest and outshine your competitors. 

What do we mean by Duplicate Conversions?

The term “Duplicate Conversions” was used by Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to describe instances where a single user creates several models of a given conversion event. 

A conversion may get counted more than once if triggered by the same user in the same or different sessions. However, several potential causes of duplicate conversions exist, including the user refreshing the page, clicking the back button, or returning to the site within a specific time limit.

GA4 provides several methods for removing unnecessary conversions, including custom dimensions, session settings, and conversion event deduplication. 

In the following sections, we will talk about how you can fix this.

Why do Duplicate Conversions Occur in the First Place?

There could be three reasons:

1. User Behaviour

Conversion events can be triggered many times by users, either in the same or different sessions. For example, it may occur if they use the browser’s refresh or back buttons or revisit the same site quickly. For example, if a customer adds an item to their cart, deletes it, and then adds it again, that’s two “Add to Cart” event conversions.

2. Technical Issues

Duplicate conversions can also be due to technical difficulties with a website or tracking implementation. For example, it is possible to record the same user twice as a conversion if, for instance, a tracking code is fired several times on the same page or a page is loaded numerous times owing to technical challenges.

3. Measurement Settings

GA4’s measurement settings may affect the occurrence of recorded duplicate conversions. For example, if a conversion event is programmed to be triggered several times each session, then for every user interaction, it will log duplicate conversions.

What the user does is not in our hands. However, we must focus on what’s in our hands— fixing the technical issues on our website and the measurement settings.

What’s so Bad About Duplicate Conversions?

1. Inflated conversion rates:

Duplicate conversions can lead to inflated conversion rates, which might misrepresent the success of a marketing campaign or the achievement of a company’s objective. It can cause people to jump to the wrong conclusions and make rash choices.

2. Misinterpretation of user behavior:

Duplicate conversions can cloud the picture of user behavior, making it hard to decipher how people interact with a website or mobile app. It can negatively affect the user experience, leading to inaccurate inferences about user preferences and needs.

3. Inaccurate data analysis:

Duplicate conversions get in the way of obtaining an accurate data analysis, making it harder to spot trends and patterns. It can lead to unhelpful inferences about user behavior, undermining marketing efforts and ultimately hampering your ROI. 

4. Waste of resources:

The most apparent problem with duplicate conversions is the potential loss of time and money on marketing and product development activities that provide no measurable outcomes.

• provide no measurable outcomes. 

How to Avoid Duplicate Conversions and Recreate the Funnel for GA4?

Set up unique conversion events. 

Create individual conversion events for each specific user activity (such as a purchase or form submission) that indicate a conversion has occurred. For example, setting a conversion event to occur just once per session or employing deduplication settings are two best practices for tracking and reporting you should consider. 

Use meaningful conversion event names. 

Select event names like “Purchase Completed” and “Form Submission” that accurately describe the user action that resulted in the conversion. You can quickly analyze user behavior and the conversion funnel by adopting event names that are both descriptive and meaningful.

Use consistent naming conventions. 

Using consistent naming standards is crucial for preventing unnecessary repeat conversions in GA4. Establish a consistent naming convention for conversion events, such as assigning the same category and action to all conversion events. 

Businesses can guarantee that their GA4 data is organized and easily comprehended by utilizing uniform naming conventions, making it simpler to spot trends and patterns in user activity. 

Use conversion event parameters. 

Each conversion event is further described by these factors, including the item purchased, the transaction ID, or the user ID. By tracking conversions with distinct factors, organizations may avoid counting the same user more than once and gain insight into customer preferences. For example, you can add parameters for conversion events to a company’s GA4 tracking code or use it directly from the GA4 admin interface. 

Implement server-side tracking

Instead of relying entirely on client-side tracking via JavaScript tags, server-side tracking sends conversion data directly from the server to GA4. This method guarantees reliable conversion monitoring even when user-side tracking is unreliable, like when an ad blocker operates. Furthermore, server-side tracking can offer additional security and privacy precautions since communicating sensitive data is impossible via client-side scripting. 

Use custom dimensions and metrics. 

You can capture extra data points using custom dimensions, metrics, and basic GA4 event parameters, such as user location, device type, or campaign source. You are less likely to record duplicate conversions when you define specific dimensions and metrics that help distinguish between conversions, like first-time sign-ups and repeat purchases. 

Set up conversion event deduplication. 

This will prevent recording already occurring conversions, resulting in more reliable data for analysis and decision-making. Selecting the suitable options can be done through the GA4 admin panel’s “Conversion event settings” menu. 

Use advanced matching 

You can enhance the accuracy of user matching by passing extra information about users to GA4, such as email addresses or phone numbers. With GA4’s ability to determine when a conversion event already has a link to a specific user, you may decrease the likelihood of recording duplicate conversions.

Use session timeout settings. 

Selecting a suitable session timeout can prevent the incorrect counting of duplicate conversions. For example, a session timeout can distinguish between multiple conversions within a short period, such as a purchase and a form submission. 

Set up conversion value tracking. 

With this function, companies may put a dollar amount on each conversion event, giving them a clearer picture of how much money their app or website makes. For example, using the GA4 Admin Panel’s “Conversion event settings” menu, organizations may assign a monetary value to each conversion they wish to track. 

Visualizing and Recreating the Conversion Funnel 

Using funnels, you can monitor your customers’ every move as they progress from the initial landing page to the ultimate conversion. You can reduce the possibility of duplicate conversions by increasing the probability of consumers finishing the conversion process on the first try by improving the conversion funnel. 

Use cross-domain tracking 

Cross-domain tracking enables you to monitor your customers’ actions. When your visitors move between different platforms, such as when they switch from browsing your website to the mobile app, you can track their mobility. And, also if they make a purchase, you’ll learn whether they bought from the website or the app. 

You can implement cross-domain tracking by modifying their GA4 tracking code to incorporate cross-domain tracking parameters like referring and destination domains. 

Use conversion modeling 

This function employs machine learning methods, which take into account several factors, including user behavior, type of device, and demographic characteristics, to identify potential duplicate conversion events and exclude them from further consideration. 

Regularly review and refine your conversion tracking

You must track conversion events, examine the conversion funnel, and regularly fine-tune the tracking code and settings to ensure accuracy. 

In addition, companies should monitor user activity and website/app functionality for any changes that may impact conversion monitoring. 

Key Takeaways

• Duplicate conversions occur when a user creates several instances of a given conversion event.
• Duplicate conversions can also occur due to user behavior, technical issues, and measurement settings.
• Duplicate conversions can inflate conversion rates, misinterpret user behavior, and lead to inaccurate data analysis and waste of resources.
• GA4 provides several methods to remove duplicate conversions, such as custom dimensions, session settings, and conversion event deduplication.
• Best practices to avoid duplicate conversions include setting up unique conversion events, using meaningful conversion event names, establishing consistent naming conventions, implementing server-side tracking, and using custom dimensions and metrics.

The insights above will help you tackle duplicate conversions in GA4 and recreate a conversion funnel that will guarantee improved results. If you’re still dealing with duplicate conversions, schedule a brief GA Consulting session with our experts.