Why Google and Meta's Conversion Numbers Don't Match

Attribution discrepancies between ad platforms aren't measurement noise—they're built into competing definitions of what constitutes a conversion, timing windows, and cross-device tracking methodologies. For performance marketers, this fragmentation means budget allocation decisions rest on incomparable metrics, forcing teams to either develop proprietary conversion tracking or accept that platform reporting serves platform interests first. The gap widens as iOS privacy changes and cookie deprecation reduce shared data, making platform-level conversion claims unreliable for optimization and ROI calculations.