16.2 Setting Up Ad Attribution Tracking (CRUCIAL for ROI)

(Recap & Integration of Details - Requires Admin Setup in Ad Platforms)

Why It's Absolutely Critical:

To understand which specific advertising campaigns, ad sets, individual ads (Facebook/Instagram), or keywords (Google Ads) are actually generating leads that ultimately convert into closed deals and commission revenue, you MUST correctly pass tracking information from your ads into Close Master. Without proper tracking setup, the Ads Reporting and especially the vital Attribution Reporting sections will be incomplete or inaccurate, making it impossible to truly measure your advertising Return on Investment (ROI).

The Core Method: Adding URL Parameters:

This involves adding specific tracking tags (UTM parameters) and platform-specific click identifiers (gclid for Google, fbclid for Facebook/Instagram) to the Destination URLs (the landing page links) used in your ads.

Setup Steps (Typically performed by whoever manages your agency's paid ad campaigns):

• Google Ads Setup:
  1. Connect Google Ads Account: Ensure the correct Google Ads account is connected in Close Master Settings → Integrations.
  2. Enable Autotagging: Log into your Google Ads account → Go to Account Settings → Ensure Auto-tagging is turned ON. This automatically adds the gclid (Google Click ID) parameter to your ad URLs, which Close Master uses for attribution.
  3. Apply Close Master Tracking Template: This is the most robust method.
     • Obtain the latest recommended Close Master Tracking Template URL string from Close Master help documentation or The Close Agency. It typically looks something like {lpurl}?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc...&gclid={gclid} (the exact parameters may vary slightly).
     • In your Google Ads account, navigate to Account Settings → Tracking.
     • Paste the full Close Master Tracking Template URL string into the Tracking template field at the *account level* (or potentially campaign/ad group level if needed, but account level is usually best). Do NOT put it in the Final URL Suffix.
     • Save the settings in Google Ads. This automatically appends the necessary parameters (including UTM tags and gclid) to your ad landing page URLs.
  4. (Recommended) Install Precautionary Script: Close Master often provides a small JavaScript Google Ads Script. Install this script within your Google Ads account (Tools & Settings → Bulk Actions → Scripts) and schedule it to run Hourly. This script acts as a backup to capture gclid data that might occasionally be missed by the tracking template alone.
• Facebook/Instagram Ads Setup:
  1. Connect Facebook Ad Account: Ensure the correct Facebook Ad account (linked to your Page and Instagram profile) is connected in Close Master Settings → Integrations.
  2. Apply Close Master URL Parameters:
     • Obtain the recommended Close Master URL Parameters string for Facebook Ads from help documentation or The Close Agency. It typically looks like: utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{adset.name}}&utm_term={{ad.name}} (uses Facebook's dynamic placeholders).
     • In Facebook Ads Manager, when creating or editing your ads, go to the Ad Level.
     • Find the Tracking section and the field labeled URL Parameters.
     • Paste the entire Close Master URL Parameters string into this specific field. Do NOT add a ? at the beginning here.
     • Apply this to all relevant ads.
  3. (Optional but Recommended) Set Up Facebook Conversion API (CAPI): For more reliable tracking (especially with iOS changes), set up CAPI using the Facebook Conversion API action in relevant Close Master Workflows (e.g., trigger on Form Submit -> send 'Lead' event via CAPI). See Chapter 17.3.

Result:

When someone clicks your ad, these parameters are attached to the URL they land on. The Close Master tracking script on your landing page (or the platform itself if using native forms/calendars) captures these parameters and associates them with the resulting Contact or Opportunity, enabling accurate attribution reporting.