How much discrepancy is too much?

Cherry Seed

10-20% difference between GA4 and Google Ads is normal and expected due to attribution differences. 20-30% is high but may be acceptable with explanation. Over 30% suggests a tracking issue to investigate. The key is understanding why the difference exists, not eliminating it entirely.

Full Answer

Normal vs problematic discrepancy: Acceptable ranges:

0-10%: Very good alignment
10-20%: Normal, expected
20-30%: Higher, understand why
30-50%: Investigate
>50%: Likely tracking problem What drives larger discrepancies: Higher is normal when:
Long consideration cycles
Heavy multi-touch journeys
Significant cross-device behavior
High Display/Video ad spend
Complex customer paths Lower is typical when:
Short purchase cycles
Single-touch conversions
Branded search dominant
Limited remarketing
Simple paths Diagnostic questions: If Google Ads shows much more:
Is data-driven attribution...

Cherry Seed

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