How to Link Google Ads to GA4 and Google Business Profile
Step by step linking for both, what each connection unlocks, and how to avoid the double-counted conversions that make cost per lead look better than it is.
Connecting Google Ads to GA4 and your Business Profile, and what each link actually gives you.
TL;DR: Quick Answer
Step by step linking for both, what each connection unlocks, and how to avoid the double-counted conversions that make cost per lead look better than it is.
Key takeaways
- Very cheap quotes (under R5,000) almost always exclude copywriting, SEO, custom design and post-launch support
- Professional copywriting can represent 20-35% of a total website project cost, and is worth it for search visibility
- On-page SEO built into the website at launch costs a fraction of what it costs to retrofit after the site is live
- Hosting, SSL, domain and maintenance add R3,000-R10,000 per year on top of build cost
- E-commerce adds significant cost due to payment gateway integrations, product data, security requirements and checkout UX
- Timeline and client responsiveness directly affect cost: slow feedback rounds extend agency hours
Two links, ten minutes each, and both give you something Google Ads cannot show on its own. GA4 tells you what happened after the click. The Business Profile puts your address and phone number into the ad itself.
Linking Google Ads to GA4
You need admin access on the Google Ads account and edit rights on the GA4 property.
In Google Ads, open Tools, then Data manager or Linked accounts depending on your interface version. Find Google Analytics (GA4), select your property, and confirm.
Enable both options offered: importing GA4 conversions into Google Ads, and sharing Google Ads campaign data into GA4.
What it gives you
Behaviour after the click. Which pages ad visitors go to, how long they stay, where they drop off. If a campaign sends traffic that leaves in eight seconds, that is a landing page problem you would never see in Google Ads alone.
Cross-channel context. GA4 shows how paid traffic compares with organic, direct and referral, and how they assist each other.
Audience building. GA4 audiences can be used for remarketing in Google Ads, such as people who viewed a service page and did not enquire.
The double-counting trap
Once linked, it is easy to end up with the same enquiry counted twice: once by a native Google Ads tag and once imported from GA4.
Your cost per lead then looks half what it really is, and smart bidding optimises towards inflated numbers.
Fix it by choosing one source per action and marking only that one as a primary conversion. Leave the duplicate as secondary so it appears in reporting without steering the bidding.
Linking Google Ads to Google Business Profile
In Google Ads, go to Tools, then Linked accounts, find Google Business Profile and request the link. If the Business Profile is under a different Google account, the owner receives an approval request.
What it gives you
Location extensions. Your address, distance and a directions link appear alongside your ads. For a business people visit, this measurably improves click-through rate and it costs nothing.
Local actions as conversions. Direction requests and calls from the location extension become measurable.
Local campaign eligibility. Some campaign types that promote physical locations require the link.
For a shop, restaurant, salon or practice this is one of the higher-return ten-minute jobs available in the account.
What each link is for
| Link | Unlocks | Worth it for |
|---|---|---|
| GA4 | Post-click behaviour, audiences, conversion import | Everyone |
| Business Profile | Location extensions, direction and call tracking | Businesses with premises |
| Search Console | Paid and organic query comparison | Anyone doing both |
| Merchant Center | Shopping campaigns | Online retail |
Search Console is worth adding while you are there. Seeing which queries you already rank for organically stops you paying for clicks you were getting free, or confirms that you should defend them.
Verify the links work
In GA4, open Acquisition and confirm Google Ads appears as a source with campaign names rather than as "unassigned". If campaigns show as direct or unassigned, auto-tagging is probably off; turn it on in Google Ads under Settings, Account settings.
For the Business Profile link, check that location extensions actually appear by searching one of your keywords on a phone.
Then confirm your conversion counts look sane. A sudden doubling after linking is the double-counting problem, not a sudden improvement.
Juicy Designs sets these up as part of account setup and checks them monthly. See Google Ads management and analytics and reporting. Related: GA4 for beginners and conversion tracking for calls.
Frequently asked questions
How do I link Google Ads to GA4?
In Google Ads, go to Tools, then Data manager or Linked accounts, find Google Analytics, and link the GA4 property. You need admin rights on both. Once linked you can import GA4 conversions and see ads data inside GA4 reports.
Why should I link them?
So you can see what ad traffic does after the click: which pages they visit, how long they stay, and whether they convert. Google Ads shows the click, GA4 shows the visit.
How do I link Google Ads to my Google Business Profile?
In Google Ads, link the Business Profile under Linked accounts. This enables location extensions, so your address and directions appear with your ads, and it lets you count calls and direction requests.
Will linking cause double-counted conversions?
It can. If the same action is tracked by a native Google Ads tag and imported from GA4, mark only one as primary so bidding uses a single source.
Do I need Google Tag Manager?
Not necessarily. It makes managing multiple tags easier and is worth using if you run several tracking tools, but a simple site with one or two conversions does not require it.