How does conversion tracking differ for app installs in Bing Ads?

Tracking app installs as conversions in Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising) involves a slightly different setup compared to tracking website conversions, primarily due to the nature of the conversion itself—an app install rather than a web-based action (like a form submission or purchase). Microsoft Advertising provides specific tools to track app installs across both Android and iOS devices.

Here's how conversion tracking for app installs works in Bing Ads and how it differs from traditional web-based conversion tracking:

1. App Install Conversion Tracking Overview
For app installs, Microsoft Advertising offers the ability to track installations directly through integration with mobile app stores (Google Play for Android and Apple App Store for iOS). This is usually done using Universal Event Tracking (UET) combined with tracking links and integration with platforms like Microsoft Advertising Universal App Campaigns (UAC).

2. Setting Up App Install Conversion Tracking
To track app installs in Bing Ads, you need to follow these steps:

A. Create an App Install Campaign (Universal App Campaign)
App Install Campaign: Instead of a standard search or display campaign, you'll set up an App Install Campaign, which is designed to drive app installs. Microsoft Advertising automatically optimizes these campaigns to show ads across search, audience networks, and the Microsoft network (Bing, MSN, etc.).

Campaign Goal: The primary goal of this campaign is to generate app installs, and it is built to track conversions specifically for that action.

B. Link Your App with Microsoft Advertising
To track app installs, you first need to link your app to Microsoft Advertising. This involves associating your app with your account in Microsoft Advertising.

Link Your App to Your Microsoft Advertising Account:

Android Apps: If you're tracking installs for an Android app, you'll link your Google Play Store account to Microsoft Advertising.

iOS Apps: For iOS apps, you'll link your Apple App Store account to the platform.

Set Up Conversion Tracking for App Installs:

When you create an app install campaign, you can choose "App Install" as the conversion type.

You can link your app's store URL, which allows Microsoft Advertising to automatically track the installs when users click the app install ad and download the app.

C. Use UET for App Install Tracking (Optional)
For app install campaigns, UET can still be used to track additional app events (like in-app actions post-install, such as purchases or sign-ups), but the app install itself is tracked differently compared to a website conversion.

Track Install Conversions with Tracking Links: When users click on your ad for the app install, they will be taken to the app store (Google Play or the Apple App Store). If the user installs the app, Microsoft Advertising tracks this installation as a conversion without needing UET tags directly in the app.

3. Tracking App Installs as Conversions in Microsoft Advertising
Automatic Tracking for App Installs: For both Android and iOS apps, when a user clicks on an App Install Ad in Microsoft Advertising, they are redirected to the appropriate app store to install the app. Once the app is installed, the conversion is automatically recorded by the system as a successful app install conversion.

Event Tracking (Post-Install): In addition to tracking the app install, you can also use UET to track in-app actions (post-install events). This means you can see how users interact with your app after it has been installed, such as completing a registration or making an in-app purchase.

For example: You might track actions like:

User Sign-Ups (When the user opens the app and registers for an account)

In-App Purchases (When the user buys something within the app)

For these events, you would need to implement event tracking in your app (usually done through integration with an SDK or app analytics tool).

4. Bid Strategies for App Install Campaigns
When tracking app installs as conversions, you typically use bid strategies that are optimized for mobile app installs, such as:

Maximize Conversions: This strategy automatically adjusts your bids to get the most app installs for your budget. It uses Microsoft's machine learning algorithms to bid in real-time for each auction to maximize the number of installs.

Target CPA (Cost per Acquisition): If you have a specific target cost for acquiring each app install, you can set a Target CPA bidding strategy. This helps you control how much you're willing to pay for each app install, and Microsoft Advertising will automatically adjust bids to try and achieve that target CPA.

Enhanced CPC: You can use Enhanced CPC (ECPC) to adjust bids for clicks that are more likely to result in an app install, providing a balance between control and automation.

5. Tracking Conversion Attribution for App Installs
Attribution for app installs is typically done through the app store platform (Google Play or the Apple App Store), and Microsoft Advertising uses these app store reports to count app install conversions. This differs from traditional website conversions, where attribution might rely on tracking pixels or UET tags on the website.

Last-click attribution is generally used for app installs, meaning the install is attributed to the last ad click before the app was downloaded. However, post-install actions (e.g., in-app sign-ups or purchases) can be tracked separately using event tracking via UET.

6. Monitoring App Install Conversions in Bing Ads
Once your app install campaign is live and the conversion tracking is set up, you can monitor performance through the Microsoft Advertising dashboard.

App Install Metrics: You can see metrics like:

Number of app installs.

Cost per app install.

Conversion Rate for app installs.

Total conversion value (if you've assigned a value to each app install or in-app conversion).

In-App Actions: If you've set up post-install event tracking, you can track additional app interactions beyond just the install, like:

In-app registrations.

Purchases made within the app.

These metrics will help you understand the overall performance of your app install campaign, and you can optimize your campaigns for better ROI.

7. Key Differences in Conversion Tracking for App Installs
App Install Conversion: With app installs, the conversion happens when the user installs the app via a click on an ad. The app store (Google Play or Apple App Store) handles the tracking, and you don't need UET tags to track the install itself.

Website Conversions: For website conversions (like form submissions or purchases), you need UET tags on your website to track the user's action. UET is typically used to track interactions that happen on your website, not within the app.

Post-Install Events: For tracking in-app actions after the install, UET tags can be used, but the setup requires custom event tracking inside the app (via SDKs or third-party analytics tools).

Bid Strategies: App install campaigns often use Maximize Conversions or Target CPA bid strategies, which are focused on optimizing app installs, whereas traditional campaigns might use CPC or Enhanced CPC for website actions.

Summary
Tracking app installs in Bing Ads is a bit different from traditional web conversions:

Set up an App Install Campaign to focus on driving app installs across mobile devices.

Link your app to Microsoft Advertising (via Google Play or the Apple App Store).

Track app installs automatically when users click on the ad and install the app from the app store.

Use UET to track additional in-app actions after installation.

Use Maximize Conversions, Target CPA, or Enhanced CPC bidding strategies to optimize app install campaigns.

Monitor app install and post-install performance through your Microsoft Advertising dashboard.