---
title: AviaryAI GA4 & UTM Attribution Issues
type: article
created: '2026-03-11'
updated: '2026-03-11'
source_docs:
- raw/2026-03-11-aviaryai-weekly-call-129176325.md
tags:
- analytics
- ga4
- gtm
- utm
- conversion-tracking
- attribution
- client:aviaryai
layer: 2
client_source: null
industry_context: null
transferable: true
---

# AviaryAI GA4 & UTM Attribution Issues

Identified during the [[wiki/clients/aviaryai/_index|AviaryAI]] weekly call on 2026-03-11. Two related but distinct data integrity problems are causing GA4 to underreport email-driven traffic and conversion activity.

## Problem 1: Email Traffic Misattributed as 'Direct'

### Symptom

GA4 shows only **5 sessions** attributed to the email channel despite an active ABM campaign with ~60% open rates and ~30% click rates across 101 accounts. A large portion of the ~886 "Direct" sessions are suspected to be email visits that were not properly tagged.

### Root Cause

UTM parameters are missing or malformed on some links inside the ABM email sequences. When a recipient clicks a link without UTM tags, GA4 cannot identify the traffic source and falls back to "Direct."

> "It's a policy in our organization that we use UTM links on every link, but I say that some of them don't get done sometimes." — Mark Hope

### Impact

- Email channel performance is severely understated in GA4.
- Direct channel is inflated, masking the true source mix.
- Cannot accurately measure ABM campaign ROI through web analytics.

### Fix

Audit all links in active HubSpot email sequences and ensure every link carries correct UTM parameters:

| Parameter | Expected Value (example) |
|---|---|
| `utm_source` | `hubspot` |
| `utm_medium` | `email` |
| `utm_campaign` | `abm-sequence-1` |

**Owner:** Karly Oykhman / Sebastian Gant  
**Status:** Assigned — see [[wiki/clients/aviaryai/meetings/2026-03-11-abm-campaign-review|2026-03-11 meeting]]

---

## Problem 2: Conversion Events Not Surfacing in GA4

### Symptom

The only event marked as a **GA4 key event** is the "Schedule a Demo" button click. No other user actions (form fills, downloads, video plays, etc.) appear as key events in GA4 reporting.

### Root Cause

Additional conversion actions (e.g., lead form submit, newsletter signup) were configured in **Google Tag Manager as Google Ads conversions only**. They were not simultaneously marked as GA4 key events. This means:

- Google Ads can count them as conversions for bidding purposes.
- GA4 does not surface them in key event reports or funnel analysis.
- Organic and email-driven conversions of these types are invisible in GA4.

> "I think it's only tracking on the ads goals as conversions rather than on GA4 showing the organic key events." — Justin Dwyer

### Current GTM Conversion Setup (as of 2026-03-11)

| Conversion Action | Google Ads | GA4 Key Event |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule a Demo click | ✅ | ✅ |
| Submit a lead form | ✅ | ❌ |
| Newsletter signup | ✅ | ❌ |
| Video plays | ❌ | ❌ |
| Document downloads | ❌ | ❌ |
| Phone calls | ❌ | ❌ |

### Impact

- GA4 cannot be used as a unified view of conversion performance across channels.
- Google Ads bidding is stuck on "maximize clicks" because there are insufficient conversion signals to switch to "maximize conversions" (requires 5–6 active conversion actions with meaningful volume).
- Cannot attribute organic search or email conversions to specific content or campaigns.

### Fix

Implement **5–6 new conversion actions** in GTM and mark each as both a Google Ads conversion and a GA4 key event:

1. Video demo plays
2. Document / case study downloads
3. Contact / lead form submissions
4. Phone call clicks
5. Appointment / calendar bookings
6. (Optional) Gated content downloads (playbooks, reports)

**Owner:** Sebastian Gant (GTM implementation) / Mark Hope (GA4 event configuration)  
**Status:** Assigned — target completion before next Google Ads optimization cycle

---

## Why This Matters for Google Ads

The two issues compound each other. Without sufficient conversion data in GA4 and Google Ads:

- Campaigns remain on the suboptimal "maximize clicks" bidding strategy.
- The planned evolution to a full-funnel campaign structure (ToFu → MoFu → retargeting, 8–10 campaigns) cannot proceed.
- Current spend: ~$300/month, 3k impressions, 7% CTR, $0.10 CPC — healthy ratios but low volume with no conversion signal.

See [[wiki/knowledge/google-ads/conversion-threshold-for-maximize-conversions]] for general guidance on conversion volume requirements.

---

## Related

- [[wiki/clients/aviaryai/meetings/2026-03-11-abm-campaign-review|AviaryAI Weekly Call — ABM & Campaign Review (2026-03-11)]]
- [[wiki/clients/aviaryai/_index|AviaryAI Client Overview]]
- [[wiki/knowledge/web-analytics/utm-tagging-best-practices|UTM Tagging Best Practices]]
- [[wiki/knowledge/google-ads/google-ads-campaign-maturity-model|Google Ads Campaign Maturity Model]]