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Aligning Your HubSpot Lifecycle Stages With Google Ads

Updated: Oct 3, 2024

Working in paid media for many years there’s always one missing piece I’ve found across every agency I’ve worked in. True conversion tracking and ROI.


I’m not sure why this is never addressed but if your agency or in-house paid media person isn’t doing this, I recommend they start asap! 


Typically paid media looks like this: strategy - conversion tracking (Google Tag Manager) - build and launch the campaign.


Then comes reporting. We’ve all seen this scenario play out: We drove xx leads. And the client has a confused blank stare. “We didn’t get any leads”. Right? Or the client simply nods in agreement and doesn’t question anything further.


The reality is, yes, you drove leads but what you didn’t do is convert your leads into revenue. Kind of the entire point of paid media, am I right? 


So, where’s the issue?


For starters, let’s hope your lifecycles stages are set up properly in HubSpot. You can read more about set up here HubSpot Lifecycles Stages. We’re going to use standard naming conventions for this instance. 


Lead, MQL, SQL, Opp, Customer. We will quickly define each:


Lead: downloaded a resource, like an ebook or whitepaper, or signed up for your newsletter

MQL: typically shows a little more interest than a lead. Likely filled out a form. Or downloaded more than one resource.

SQL: Reviewed by sales as a qualified lead. Ready for the next step.

Opp: Booked a meeting, is in discussions

Customer: Has turned into a paying customer


These stages can be used for commerce or lead generation with some tweaks. 


Once your lifecycle stages are defined you want to make sure that the data is flowing back into Google Ads. 


Before we get into how to do this let’s talk about why this is important.


Having your data flowing back into Google allows you to optimize your campaigns based on your leads moving through each stage. Each time a lead moves through a stage, this data is updated in Google Ads so you’ll know exactly which campaign, ad group and keyword converted and how far through your lifecycle stages they moved. 

This gives you the ability to invest in which ads actually convert into customers. And your true ROI on your paid media investment. Without this, you’re guessing and that’s what we see in most cases. 


This is what it looks like on the campaign level in Google Ads:


hubspot lifecycle stage sync

Now, we’re going to walk through how to set this up.


1. Set Up Lifecycle Stages in HubSpot


Define Lifecycle Stages: Ensure that your HubSpot lifecycle stages (e.g., Subscriber, Lead, MQL, SQL, Opportunity, Customer) align with your sales and marketing processes.


Customize Stages (if needed): If your business has unique stages, you can customize the lifecycle stages in HubSpot to fit your specific needs.


2. Configure HubSpot to Track Leads and Revenue


Enable Revenue Tracking:

Make sure your deals in HubSpot are associated with contacts and that each deal has a defined value.


Use HubSpot's default deal stages (e.g., Prospecting, Qualified to Buy, Presentation Scheduled, Closed Won) or customize them to match your sales process.


Track Lead Sources:

Ensure that the original source data for each contact is accurately recorded in HubSpot. This includes contacts generated from Google Ads.


3. Set Up HubSpot-Google Ads Integration


Connect HubSpot to Google Ads:

Navigate to the HubSpot settings and connect your Google Ads account under Marketing > Ads.


This allows HubSpot to pull in data from your Google Ads campaigns and associate it with the contacts generated from those ads.


Enable Contact Sync:

Turn on the "Sync leads with HubSpot" option to ensure that leads from Google Ads are automatically added to HubSpot.


Map Lifecycle Stages to Google Ads Conversions:


In HubSpot, go to Marketing > Ads > Attribution Reporting and map your lifecycle stages to specific Google Ads conversions.


For example, map SQLs to a "Qualified Lead" conversion and "Closed Won" deals to a "Purchase" conversion.


Set Up Google Ads Conversion Actions:

In Google Ads, set up conversion actions that match the HubSpot lifecycle stages (e.g., MQLs, SQLs, Closed Won). Ensure these conversions are properly tracked in your Google Ads account.


4. Sync Revenue Data to Google Ads


Enable Revenue Attribution:

In HubSpot, ensure that revenue data from closed deals is attributed back to the original source, including Google Ads campaigns.


Revenue Tracking in Google Ads:

Use Google Ads conversion tracking to import revenue data from HubSpot. This can be done through offline conversion imports if you are tracking revenue outside of direct e-commerce transactions.


Set Up Offline Conversion Import (if applicable):

If your sales process involves offline conversions (e.g., deals closed after a series of meetings), set up offline conversion tracking in Google Ads. Export your HubSpot contact data, including deal value, and import it into Google Ads to match with corresponding ad clicks.


5. Monitor and Optimize


Track and Analyze Conversions:

Regularly review the performance of your Google Ads campaigns in HubSpot’s Ads tool. This includes analyzing which campaigns are generating the most leads, MQLs, SQLs, and revenue.


Optimize Campaigns:

Use the insights gained from HubSpot’s lifecycle stages and revenue attribution to optimize your Google Ads campaigns. Focus on the keywords, ads, and audiences that drive the most valuable leads and revenue.


Adjust Bidding Strategies:

Based on the lifecycle data and revenue information, adjust your bidding strategies in Google Ads to prioritize high-converting and high-revenue keywords.


6. Reporting


Create Custom Reports:


In HubSpot, create custom reports that combine lifecycle stage data with Google Ads performance metrics. This helps in understanding the full funnel impact of your Google Ads campaigns.


Revenue Attribution Reporting:


Use HubSpot’s attribution reporting to understand which Google Ads campaigns contribute most to revenue, and use this data to inform your future ad spend.


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