Conversion tracking issues between Google Analytics (GA4 and UA) and Hubspot

[globert]

Hi all,
We're currently facing a discrepancy in the number of hubspot form submissions compared to the number Google Analytics conversions (Universal and GA4).

My forms are embedded on external pages (non-hubspot pages). I have created the HS listener for tracking hubspot form submissions with GTM - as suggested in a couple of articles within the community.

Please see the sample below:

In the first column, you can see the total submission reported by Hubspot.
This is followed by the figures pulled from Google Analytics Universal and then Google Analytics GA4. The date range is the same for all of them.

UA

• The Pre-Sessional doesn't seem to be collecting submissions at all.
• The IFY form seems to be missing one submission only.

GA4

• Again, the Pre-Sessional form doesn't seem to be collecting any submissions.
• Differently from UA, the other forms seem to have collected all submissions but they are duplicated.

Does anyone know what might be causing this behavior?

Many thanks,

Regards, 

Thiago

[Jonno_Price · Accepted solution]

Hi @globert / Thiago

The HubSpot count of form submissions is more accurate in this scenario because this is counted on actual form submissions received (contacts created) regardless of any potential tracking issues. For example if a user has a cookie blocker extension in their browser then GA would not be able to count the submission, whereas HubSpot would.

In the example of the cookie blocker HubSpot would lose attribution but it would still have the actual form submission. For this reason I prefer to build out all my reporting in HubSpot directly. GA / GA4 is perhaps good for comparison but a question could be whether you really need to build your reporting in GA if you already have HubSpot?

With regards to GA4 duplicating the submission count - this could potentially be down to GA4 automatically picking up form submissions and counting these as a submission.  e.g. I'm not sure that you need the HS form listener in GA4 and so perhaps it is seeing this conversion twice - once natively and once due to form listener. 

Not sure if that helps and good luck with getting to the bottom of it. 

[fthemes · Accepted solution]

Hi @globert,

In this case, HS is the most trustable data source as HS have more control over its things rather than GA.

And the data difference between all sources may be due to multiple reasons which need to be explored at your end.

Hope this helps. Thanks.

[CTA9 · Accepted solution]

Hi @globert,

UA and GA4 have very different kinds of tracking algorithms. UA is working on the bases of "sessions" created by a user and GA4 is tracking everything as an "event".

The data difference between all 3 data sources, is due to the tracking algorithms. But always truth HubSpot data in this kind of scenario, as the form you have used is the part of HubSpot ecosystem.

Thanks

[kvlschaefer]

Thanks for sharing, @CTA9! 

[fthemes · Accepted solution]

Hi @globert,

In this case, HS is the most trustable data source as HS have more control over its things rather than GA.

And the data difference between all sources may be due to multiple reasons which need to be explored at your end.

Hope this helps. Thanks.

[kvlschaefer]

Thanks for sharing, @fthemes!

[Jonno_Price · Accepted solution]

Hi @globert / Thiago

The HubSpot count of form submissions is more accurate in this scenario because this is counted on actual form submissions received (contacts created) regardless of any potential tracking issues. For example if a user has a cookie blocker extension in their browser then GA would not be able to count the submission, whereas HubSpot would.

In the example of the cookie blocker HubSpot would lose attribution but it would still have the actual form submission. For this reason I prefer to build out all my reporting in HubSpot directly. GA / GA4 is perhaps good for comparison but a question could be whether you really need to build your reporting in GA if you already have HubSpot?

With regards to GA4 duplicating the submission count - this could potentially be down to GA4 automatically picking up form submissions and counting these as a submission.  e.g. I'm not sure that you need the HS form listener in GA4 and so perhaps it is seeing this conversion twice - once natively and once due to form listener. 

Not sure if that helps and good luck with getting to the bottom of it. 

[globert]

Many thanks for the tags @kvlschaefer !

Hi @Jonno_Price , I appreciate you getting back to me.
It's a good point, I didn't consider the cookie blockers would be preventing GA from capturing all conversions/form submissions. 

I will keep this post open for a while and see if any of the other colleagues will come up with a different hypothesis. However, it sounds like a plausible explanation considering it is not a large discrepancy between both reports.

In fairness, I feel GA provides a more comprehensive set of information as well as concentrates all historical data from previous years (prior to signing up for Hubspot) -- or perhaps it's just my familiarity with Google's interface. 🙂

Many thanks once again for your input!
All the best.
Thiago

[kvlschaefer]

Hi @globert,

Thanks for reaching out to us! 

I want to tag some of our experts on this - @NicoleSengers, @Jonno_Price, @karstenkoehler do you have any thoughts for @globert on this? 

Thanks,

Kristen