Challenge
Coastal1 needed conversion tracking across multiple advertising channels including LinkedIn, Google Ads, Bing, and digital video streaming services. They had no centralized tracking system, no consistent attribution, and no way to measure which channels were actually driving account openings and loan applications.
Solution
I built a complete tracking and attribution infrastructure from scratch:
- Centralized GTM Architecture: Defined key business events and implemented them in Google Tag Manager as the single distribution point, routing conversion data to GA4 and every ad platform simultaneously using the Object Action Framework for consistent event naming.
- Cross-Domain Funnel Tracking: Configured tracking across third-party systems hosted on subdomains to capture the full application funnel from initial visit through completion, enabling end-to-end conversion tracking in Google Ads, Bing, and Facebook.
- UTM Attribution Strategy: Established strict UTM naming conventions across all advertising channels for clean, consistent attribution reporting.
- BigQuery Attribution Reporting: Connected GA4 to BigQuery and built custom Looker reports for multi-touch attribution, giving Coastal1 transparency into which advertising sources, mediums, and campaigns were driving conversions at what cost.
Results
- Lower Customer Acquisition Costs: Optimized ad spend allocation based on reliable multi-touch attribution data across all channels.
- Full Funnel Visibility: Cross-domain tracking connected the dots between ad click and completed application for the first time.
- Built to Last: The tracking architecture held up for seven years, staying clean, organized and easy for new team members to navigate.