In Google Ads, conversion actions are categorized as either Primary or Secondary to give you more control over your bidding optimization and reporting.
Primary Conversion actions
These are the key actions you want your campaigns to optimize for. They directly impact your bidding strategies (e.g., Target CPA, Maximize Conversions).
Secondary Conversion actions
These conversion actions are primarily for observation and reporting purposes. They provide valuable insights into user behavior and the customer engagement, even if they aren’t the direct goal for bidding optimization.
How to view Secondary Conversions in “All conversion” columns in Google Ads:
The “All conversions” column already includes your secondary conversion actions. To see the breakdown of individual secondary conversions (or any conversion action), you’ll typically use segmentation or custom columns:
“All conversions” Column:
- This column is usually available by default in your campaign, ad group, ad, or keyword reports.
- If you don’t see it, click the “Columns” icon above your statistics table.
- Click on the “Modify columns”
- Add “All conv.” from the “Conversions” category.
Segmenting by Conversion Action:
- This is the most common way to see a detailed breakdown.
- In your Google Ads account, navigate to the campaigns, ad groups, ads, or keywords view where you want to see the data.
- Above the statistics table, click on the “Segment” icon.
- Select “Conversions” and then “Conversion action.”
- This will break down your data by each individual conversion action, allowing you to see the performance of both your primary and secondary conversions.
