How to keep accurate conversion Tracking on your Website after it has Been Upgraded to HTTPS
When you or your developer is transitioning your site from HTTP to HTTPS there are some important steps to follow if you want to maintain accurate conversion tracking.
This short article will show you how to maintain accurate conversion tracking for all online sales now that your site has been upgraded.
I wrote this after a huge assortment of my client sites needed to be updated and I thought it would be helpful to document the process for others to follow.
STEP 1. Get the correct domain for your site
This sounds dumb, but more than 75% of site owners I've spoken with have gotten this first - and critical step wrong.
- Type your website's homepage address into your favorite browser.
- Copy the adress from the browser by clicking into the browser address bar and choosing edit > select all > copy.
- Paste the address into a text document so you'll have a record of it for the steps below.
- *** Note if it is in www.domain.com or just domain.com format. This is the part most site owners get wrong! ***
Step 2. Update your Google Analytics Settings
Update your Google Analytics Property Settings
- Log into Google Analytics and select the property you want to update in the top left corner of the screen
- Click the gear icon in bottom left hand corner of the screen.
- On Next Screen, Click Property Settings in Middle Column.
- Change the Default Url from http:// to https://
- **Confirm the domain matches the domain from Step 1.
- Scroll Down and Hit Save.
- After you see a success message, click the gear icon in bottom left hand corner of the screen. You'll be taken back to the admin dashboard.
Update your Google Analytics View Settings
- From the Admin Dashboard Screen hit View Settings in right hand column.
- On next Screen Change the Website's Url from http:// to https://
- Pro tip: scroll down and make sure that the Bot Filtering Checkbox is checked so that bot traffic doesn't impact your tracking data.
- Scroll Down and Hit Save.
Update your Google Analytics Goals
If you are tracking Goals, which you really should, you'll want to make sure that these haven't also been impacted by the the change to https.
We will be looking at each goal and checking the "Goal details" for hardcoded URLS that need to be updated to https.
- From the Admin Dashboard Screen click Goals in right hand column.
Here's the process to follow for each Goal
- Grom the Goals dashboard, click on a goal's name.
- Click Goal Details.
- Change URL if necessary.
- Hit Save.
- Rinse and Repeart for all your goals.
Update your Google Search Console Settings
Add https domains to Google Search Console
- Log into Google Search Console
- Click Red Add a Property Button on right side of page.
- Enter https://domain.com (replacing domin.com with your actual domain name) and then click Add.
- On Next Screen Choose Google Analytics as verification method.
- Click Verify and you should see a success message.
- Repeat this same process to add the https://www.domain.com
Link your new preferred domain between Google Analytics and Google Search Console
- Find the correct version of the Domain from the text document from our first Step 1.
- Click that domain in your list of properties and you'll be taken to another screen.
- On that Screen, click the Gear icon in top right, and choose "Google Analytics Property" from the dropdown.
- On next Screen select the radio button for the correct domain. Scroll down and Hit Save.
Updating AdWords and Google Merchant Center
Update your Google Adwords Final URLS for all your Text and Display Ads
- Log Into Adwords and edit all your search and display ads to change the final Urls to match your updated https landing pages.
- Click on each Ad and update the final URL to point to the new final URL.
- Look at your keyword list.
- If you can't see Final URL as a column in the result grid, you'll have to add it.
- To do this, hit the Columns button
- Hit Modify columns
- Choose Attributes, then choose Final URL by clicking the arrow on right of text.
- Scroll down and hit apply
- Scroll down and look at all the rows of keywords and update any Final Urls to reflect the new domain.
Update Google Merchant Center
We're doing this to ensure your shopping ads land on the correct domain.
- Log into Merchants.google.com
- Click Business Information in left Column.
- Click "About your business"
- Click the Website from middle row on right and update your website address.
- You'll next need to claim and verify the website by clicking Website Row from the screenshot below
- Click verify Button
Verify feed is pointing to the new https:// site
- Hit Products in left column.
- On Next Screen Click Feeds.
- Click your Primary feed Name.
- On next screen choose Download file.
- Open the downloaded file and look at the text for web addresses. Specifically, you're looking to see https:// in product urls. If you are seeing product addresses with https in from then your Shopping ads will be landing on the correct domain. This means your conversion data will now flow through correctly.
My feed is pointing to http:// what do I do?
If you see that the products are pointing to http:// and not https you will want to renew the feed inside whatever e-commerce platform or tool you used to build the feed.
This could very well involve Google's support team. To reach them call 1-866-246-6453.
Make sure to have your Adwords 10 digit account # (found in the top right hand corner of your adwords screen handy) when you call as this will get you to a support rep fastest.