Why Your Google Ads and Analytics Data Don’t Match
Your client saw 500 clicks in Google Ads and only 425 sessions in Google Analytics, and now they’re asking what went wrong.
Here’s the truth: a 10–20% difference is normal, and no, it doesn’t mean your tracking is broken.
TL;DR - Watch Dana explain why your data doesn’t match
Clicks and sessions measure different things.
Clicks = someone clicked the ad.
Sessions = the page fully loaded and tracked the visit.
So what causes the mismatch?
- Back button behavior: If a user clicks and immediately bounces, Ads still counts the click, but Analytics may not capture the session.
- Multiple ad clicks, one session: If the same person clicks multiple times within a 30 minute time period, Google Ads will count each click but GA4 may group all the clicks into one session.
- Redirects or broken tracking: Lost gclid parameters mean the session gets attributed to "Direct" instead of Paid Search.
- Ad blockers or privacy tools: These can stop Analytics from tracking the visit, even though the ad click happened.
And then there’s conversion tracking. Different attribution models and lookback windows across platforms mean the same conversion might get credited in Ads, but not in GA4 (or vice versa). Google Ads tends to favor its own clicks. GA4 spreads the credit across the full customer journey.
💡 What to say when clients ask about discrepancies:
- Lead with empathy: People click, bounce, return days later, this normal behaviour causes data differences.
- Set clear expectations: A 10–20% variance is typical. You’ll dig deeper if the gap is bigger.
- Focus on trends: If clicks go up, sessions should trend up too, even if the totals differ.
- Explain the value of both: Ads show brand reach. Analytics shows site engagement.
👉 Read the full post to see how Dana explains this to clients (and what to check when the difference actually is a problem).
Plus, if you're tired of scrambling for answers, now’s the time: Analytics for Agencies is 50% off.
Two years. Hundreds of marketers. One powerful analytics solution.
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WEBINAR
Escape the CRO Hamster Wheel: Strategies That Actually Drive Growth
Join conversion strategist Talia Wolf today for a live webinar on why most optimization efforts stall and how to fix the problem.
Here’s what you’ll walk away with:
The 3 biggest mistakes killing your growth (and how to avoid them)
A practical audit toolkit to sharpen your strategy
Behind-the-scenes examples from top brands that actually moved the needle
Ready to stop spinning your wheels and start converting with purpose?
Register now and take the first step toward smarter optimization.
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ROI-Boosting Measurement: Google Leader Shares What's New (And Next) in GA4
What’s changing in GA4 and how can you make the most of it? Steve Ganem, director of product management at Google, joined Dana to walk through GA4’s evolutions from product analytics to a full-scale business intelligence tool.
Here are the standout updates:
✔️ More complete attribution.
GA4 will soon include impression data from platforms like TikTok and Snap, so you can track conversions beyond just clicks.
✔️ AI that actually helps.
You’ll be able to chat with GA4 to ask questions, explore trends, and get help without digging through menus or exporting data.
✔️ Built-in budget planning.
Google is rolling out two new features: a Projections report to monitor campaign pacing and performance against your KPIs, and a Scenario planning tool to test different budget strategies and see how changes could impact your results.
✔️Assisted conversions are back (finally).
This long-requested report will show which channels supported a conversion, not just the one that closed it.
Want to see how GA4 is evolving (and what it means for you)? Get the full rundown →
Are search rankings really that important anymore? I'm ranking well but not seeing the business results I expected.
If you're still treating search rankings like your end game, it's time for a reality check. SEO is more than just a numbers game, and focusing solely on rankings might be holding your business back.
Three reasons rankings don't tell the whole story:
- Clicks ≠ conversions: Traffic without buyers is just empty numbers. Focus on content that drives users through your conversion funnel.
- Rankings don't pay bills: Real revenue comes from building trust with customers, not chasing positions.
- AI reads everywhere: Google's AI pulls from social posts, podcasts, reviews, and videos, not just your blog. Build your brand across platforms.
The shift you need:
Stop chasing chart-topper rankings. Start being top of mind by focusing on:
- Trust with your actual audience
- Conversions that matter to your bottom line
- Digital presence that survives algorithm changes
Focus on conversions over clicks. The goal isn't just to be found—it's to be chosen by the right people at the right time.
If you’re stuck on rankings, watch this. Liz tells it like it is. 👉
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Articles worth reading
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📍 Should you optimize for ‘near me’?
Sammy from BrightLocal tackles the eternal question: is it worth it to include "near me" information on your website? We know that it's something that people do Google (e.g. "Thai food near me") but other than naming your business that, is it possible or worth it to optimize for those terms?
Instead of guessing, check out this research →
🔮 How to future-proof your SEO strategy with relevance engineering
Jonathan Berthold from Moz introduces "Relevance Engineering", which is a framework for adapting to Google's AI Mode rollout. The shift? LLMs are now consuming your content first, not users. Instead of optimizing individual pages for keywords, focus on passage-level optimization, topical depth, and creating citation-worthy content that AI actually wants to reference.
Get the four-step implementation guide →
🧠 There’s a new dominant intent in AI search
Josh Blyskal analyzed millions of ChatGPT prompts and found that 37.5% are generative, making this the largest category of user intent, bigger than both navigational and informational requests. People are asking AI to make something: write an email, generate a plan, draft code. It's a major shift from traditional search, where the goal was to find content. In AI search, the output is the goal, and that changes how we think about keywords, content strategy, and attribution.
See the full intent breakdown→
🌭 Hot dog vs. sandwich: what "counts" as SEO these days?
Ruth Burr Reedy tackles the classic “Is SEO dead?” question by reframing it. If SEO is just ranking for keywords, then maybe. But if it’s about helping people find what they need online, wherever they’re looking, it’s very much alive. SEO has always been changing. Now it’s just changing faster. Whether we call it GEO, relevance engineering, or something else, the job is still about visibility, connection, and adaptability.
Read her full take on why the semantic debate doesn't matter →
📊 GA4 gets new lead reports
Brais Calvo Vázquez spotted two new lead-focused reports rolling out in GA4: lead acquisition and lead disqualification and loss. They're built on GA4's recommended lead events and include metrics like new leads, qualified leads, and converted leads. These metrics aren’t available in the API or scans yet, so keep that in mind when pulling data.
See the screenshots and full breakdown →
🧾 The AI search content optimization checklist [with examples + Google Sheets]
Aleyda Solis has created the ultimate guide to making your content AI-ready. With AI search engines shifting how they retrieve and synthesize info, this checklist walks you through how to stay visible. Key actions include optimizing for chunk-level retrieval, topical depth, citation-worthiness, multimodal support, and more, with examples and a free Google Sheets template to implement it all.
Grab the checklist + examples →
Reporting & Looker Studio Training at brightonSEO
Tired of templated dashboards that don’t answer your real marketing questions? Join Dana DiTomaso at brightonSEO San Diego for a full-day Reporting & Looker Studio workshop on September 22.
You'll learn how to turn messy data into custom, high-impact reports your team will actually use. From foundational setup to advanced features, this hands-on session will walk you through creating meaningful, actionable reports with Looker Studio.
👉 Enroll now →