CDK Integration with Google ads
I want to be able to link Google ads with CDK witch is CRM used by auto dealers mostly.
Google ads provides seamless integration with sales force. How about CDK?
Any suggestions where I should start? I tried Zapier and they do not have such linker.
TIA
The short answer is:
CDK Global does not have a seamless, direct integration for Google Ads like the one built for Salesforce, and Zapier confirms there’s no ready-made connector for this specific purpose, especially for offline sales and service conversions.
Your starting point should be to leverage the CDK CRM APIs provided through the Fortellis platform, which is CDK’s commerce exchange.
The most excellent and reliable solution for you is to implement Google Ads Offline Conversion Tracking by capturing the Google Click ID (gclid) on your website, storing it in CDK CRM with the lead data, and then sending the conversion event data (like Vehicle Sale or Service Completed) from your CDK system directly to Google Ads using a server-side solution like the Google Ads API implemented through Google Tag Manager (GTM) Server Container and a host like Stape or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
The long answer is:
Your challenge is common for automotive dealers who use industry-specific CRMs like CDK and need to connect their valuable final sale data back to Google Ads for accurate Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) optimization.
Since the primary conversions (the actual car sale or service completion) happen offline, you must use Google Ads Offline Conversion Tracking (OCT).
To do this reliably, you need three connected components: Your Website, CDK CRM, and Google Ads.
First, on your website, you must capture the Google Click ID (gclid
You use JavaScript to capture this gclid and, crucially, you must store it in a hidden field when a user fills out a lead form.
Second, your CDK CRM system must be configured to receive and store that gclid alongside the customer’s lead details.
CDK provides a suite of CDK CRM APIs on its Fortellis platform, specifically the CDK CRM Direct Post Sales Leads API, which allows you to programmatically send lead data (including the gclid) into the CRM from your website.
This is the critical link that identifies the user’s initial ad click.
Third, you need a mechanism to send the conversion back to Google.
When the lead finally converts to a sale in your CDK CRM, you need to trigger an event that sends that data back to Google Ads via the Google Ads API.
Building a direct integration between CDK’s API and the Google Ads API is costly and requires significant developer time.
This is where the GTM Server Container solution shines as an excellent and cheap alternative.
You can use a webhook from your CDK system to send the conversion data (including the stored gclid, conversion name, value, and time) to a custom endpoint hosted on a GTM Server Container, which is a lightweight, scalable, and affordable server environment provided by services like Stape or by setting up a basic server on GCP.
Inside the GTM Server Container, you use a Google Ads Conversion Tag to take that data and forward it to Google Ads using the Google Ads API.
This server-side setup provides a direct, highly secure, and reliable data path that bypasses browser-based tracking issues.
The result is that your Google Ads campaigns are optimized based on real-world sales and high-value Standard Events, giving you the most accurate ROAS possible.
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