Why your GA4 and Google Ads numbers never match (and which one to trust)
GA4 and Google Ads count conversions in different ways, so their totals rarely agree. Most of the gap is expected. Some of it is a tracking problem worth fixing.
I'm Anthony McGrath, a freelance Google Ads and PPC specialist in Leeds with 22 years in paid media. I run Google Ads and Meta Ads, build fast websites, and get B2B and DTC brands found in Google and in AI search like ChatGPT. Then I fix the tracking underneath, so every pound you spend is measured properly. One person doing the work, no account managers in between. Available for projects, retainers and contract or full-time roles.
Or call 07828 224315

About me
I'm a freelance Google Ads specialist and digital marketer based in Leeds, with 22 years in paid media, from running my own agency to managing marketing in-house. My lucky break was a pixel tracking fix for FIFA in 2014, and I have been fixing tracking and building ad accounts ever since.
Today I work with B2B firms, online shops, local businesses and agencies across Leeds, Yorkshire and the rest of the UK. I like plain English, honest numbers and work that pays for itself. Outside work you will find me with my kids, in the kitchen, or out somewhere dark with a telescope.
I am open to contract and full-time remote roles. Have a look at my CV.
Businesses in Leeds, Yorkshire and across the UK that spend real money on marketing and want to know it is working. I have done this for 22 years, from agency to in-house, so you are not paying me to learn.
Search and LinkedIn-style lead generation for B2B firms, with offline conversions so Google Ads learns which leads turn into customers, not just form fills.
Shopping, Performance Max and Meta ads for online shops on Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento, reported on profit rather than ROAS alone.
A fast website that turns visitors into calls, local SEO so you show on Google Maps, and Google Ads that only pay for the searches that matter.
Extra hands for agencies. I build and fix Google Ads, Meta and tracking under your brand, and your client never needs to know I exist.
Most ad accounts optimise on broken numbers: double-counted sales, missing conversions and consent banners that switch tracking off. I set up GA4, Google Tag Manager and server-side tagging properly, with enhanced conversions for Google Ads and the Conversions API for Meta, then check the numbers against your real sales or CRM.
Freelance Google Ads and PPC management, Meta Ads, web development, SEO, GEO, AEO and server-side tracking. Hire me for one or all of them.
Search, Shopping, Performance Max and YouTube campaigns built around what makes you money, not vanity numbers. Tight keywords, clean structure and honest reporting.
Facebook and Instagram campaigns with proper creative testing, sensible audiences and retargeting that does not burn your budget.
Fast, mobile-first websites and landing pages built to turn visitors into enquiries and sales, with tracking wired in from day one.
Technical fixes, site structure and content that ranks. Keyword research tied to what your customers search for and buy, not just traffic.
Generative engine optimisation. Get your brand mentioned and recommended when people ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Google AI Overviews for advice.
Structure your pages and schema so search engines, voice assistants and AI tools pick your answer first.
GA4 and Google Tag Manager set up properly, server-side tagging, Meta Conversions API, enhanced and offline conversions, and Consent Mode v2.
A full audit of your ads, website and tracking with a list of fixes in priority order, then Looker Studio reporting your team will actually read.
Websites, ad campaigns and brands I have worked on as a freelance digital marketer.








Better ROAS
Most accounts I audit are not short of budget. They are wasting it: broad keywords, broken tracking and campaigns bidding on numbers that are not real. Fix those first and ROAS goes up without spending a penny more.
Plenty of marketers report what the ad platforms claim. I report enquiries, sales and revenue matched to your own records, and which ad, search or page produced each one.
Clients on what changed when I took over their ads, website or tracking.
Ads, SEO and tracking advice, without the jargon.
A freelance Google Ads specialist plans, builds and manages your Google Ads campaigns, then keeps improving them: keywords, ads, bidding, budgets and landing pages.
I also make sure every lead or sale is tracked properly in GA4 and Google Ads, so the campaigns learn from real results and you can see exactly what you get for your money.
You work directly with the person doing the work, usually for less than an agency charges, and nothing gets lost in handovers between account managers and juniors.
With 22 years in paid media, including running an agency, I bring agency-level experience without the agency overheads.
A freelancer. You deal with me directly from the first call to the monthly report. I ran an agency for years, so I know how agencies work, but I prefer doing the work myself.
For bigger projects I bring in people I trust, and I will always tell you when I do.
It depends on the job. One-off work like a tracking set-up, an audit or a website is quoted as a fixed price. Ongoing ad management is a monthly fee. Your ad budget is separate and paid straight to Google or Meta.
Tell me what you need and I will give you a clear price, usually within a day.
No. Ongoing work is month to month after an initial period we agree up front, usually three months, because ads need time to learn. Then you stay because it works, not because of a contract.
I am based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, and work with businesses across Leeds, Yorkshire and the rest of the UK, mostly remotely. Video calls and a shared report do the job for most clients. Happy to meet in person if you are nearby.
Yes. I am open to remote contract and full-time roles in paid media, tracking and digital marketing leadership. My CV is on this page, or get in touch and I will send it over.
Mainly Google Ads (Search, Shopping, Performance Max and YouTube) and Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram). I also set up Microsoft Ads for clients where it makes sense.
There is no fixed minimum, but ads need enough budget to learn. For most businesses that means at least a few hundred pounds a month on Google, and a bit more on Meta. I will tell you honestly if your budget is too small to be worth it.
They count conversions differently, so a small gap is normal. A big or growing gap usually means a tracking fault, such as sales counted twice or consent set up wrongly. A tracking check finds out which it is.
It sends sales and leads to Google, Meta and GA4 from a server you control, so fewer go missing to ad blockers and browser privacy settings. It is worth it once you spend seriously on ads, especially on Meta.
Yes. Fast, mobile-first websites and landing pages on Shopify, WordPress or a custom build, with SEO and tracking set up from day one.
GEO, generative engine optimisation, helps your brand get mentioned in AI answers from tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. AEO, answer engine optimisation, structures your pages so search engines and assistants can pick your answer first. Both build on good SEO.
Technical fixes can show results within weeks. New pages and content usually take three to six months to rank well, depending on your competition. I report progress monthly so you can see it moving.
Plain-English advice on Google Ads, SEO, GEO, AEO and tracking.
GA4 and Google Ads count conversions in different ways, so their totals rarely agree. Most of the gap is expected. Some of it is a tracking problem worth fixing.
SEO gets you ranked, GEO gets you mentioned by AI assistants, and AEO gets your answer chosen first. They overlap more than the acronyms suggest.
A 3x ROAS sounds good until you learn you needed 3.5x to break even. Work out your breakeven ROAS first and every ads decision gets easier.
Browser tracking misses a share of your sales and leads. Server-side tracking sends them from a server you control, so your ad platforms see more of what really happens.
Ads send people to your website. If the site is slow, unclear or untracked, you pay for every visitor and keep very few of them.
Tell me what you are working on. I will come back with what I would do first and what it costs. Based in Leeds, working across the UK.
Get in touchPhone 07828 224315
Email ppcmarketingkey@gmail.com