It seems like a simple question: if someone fills out a form or books a demo, that’s a conversion — right?
Yes… but it depends on where you’re measuring it.
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), a conversion is just a flagged event. In your CRM, a goal is usually tied to actual revenue impact or deal progress.
Both matter — but they track different parts of the buyer journey. Here’s how to understand the difference (and avoid mixing up your numbers).
Solution: Understand What Each System is Actually Measuring
In GA4:
- A conversion is any event you manually mark as important (like a form submission, a button click, or a page view).
- It’s usually an engagement signal — something that happened online, whether or not it leads to revenue.
- Conversions can fire even if the lead is anonymous or unqualified.
In your CRM:
- A goal is usually tied to a specific business milestone — like a new opportunity, a closed deal, or a lead reaching a lifecycle stage (like MQL).
- CRM goals reflect actual qualification and sales process advancement — not just activity.
In other words:
- GA4 tracks what happened.
- CRM tracks what matters for pipeline and revenue.
Suggested Help Docs for Platform Setup
If you want to dig into how each system handles these concepts, check out:
- Google Analytics
Tutorial: Set up a key event - HubSpot
Create and customize lifecycle stages
Understand goals - Salesforce
Goals
Pro Tips
- You should expect your GA4 conversions and CRM goal counts to be different — and design reporting accordingly
- Always label GA4 conversions clearly (e.g., “Form Submit – Demo Request”) so you can tie them back to CRM records when possible
- If you use UTMs or hidden fields on forms, you can link GA4 session data to CRM contact records for better attribution
- Don’t assume GA4 conversion = Sales Qualified Lead — it’s just the first click toward it
Final Thought
GA4 shows you where the engagement starts. Your CRM shows you where the revenue comes from. You need both — but you can’t treat them like they’re the same number.
Get clear on what each system measures, and your marketing reports suddenly make a lot more sense. If you want help syncing those signals properly, that’s what we build every day at Langer Labs.