How do you identify underperforming keywords using conversion tracking in Bing Ads?

Identifying underperforming keywords using conversion tracking in Bing Ads involves analyzing key metrics to determine which keywords are not driving desired actions such as conversions or sales. Here's a step-by-step approach to identify underperforming keywords effectively:

### 1. **Set Up Conversion Tracking**

- **Define Conversions**: First, ensure that you have set up conversion tracking in Bing Ads. Define what constitutes a conversion for your e-commerce business—typically, it could be a completed purchase, a sign-up, a download, or any other valuable action on your website.

- **Tag Implementation**: Implement the Bing Ads conversion tracking tag on your website. This tag tracks when users complete a conversion action after clicking on your Bing Ads.

### 2. **Access Conversion Data**

- **Navigate to Reports**: Log in to your Bing Ads account and navigate to the Reports section. Select the appropriate time period and ensure that you have included conversion data in your report.

- **Select Conversion Metrics**: Choose metrics such as conversions, conversion rate, and cost per conversion (CPA) to assess the performance of your keywords.

### 3. **Analyze Keyword Performance**

- **Sort by Conversions**: Review your keyword performance by sorting them based on the number of conversions generated. Identify keywords that have generated the highest number of conversions, indicating their effectiveness.

- **Compare Conversion Rates**: Evaluate the conversion rates of keywords. Keywords with a low conversion rate relative to others may indicate underperformance, even if they generate some conversions.

- **Assess Cost per Conversion (CPA)**: Compare the CPA of different keywords. Keywords with a high CPA and low conversion volume may be less efficient in generating conversions and could be considered underperforming.

### 4. **Identify Underperforming Keywords**

- **Low or No Conversions**: Keywords that have generated few or no conversions over an extended period may indicate underperformance. Evaluate whether these keywords align with your business objectives and customer intent.

- **High CPA**: Keywords with a high CPA relative to your target cost per acquisition may be inefficient in driving profitable conversions. Consider whether adjustments in bids, ad messaging, or landing page relevance could improve performance.

### 5. **Optimization Strategies**

- **Bid Adjustments**: Reduce bids for underperforming keywords that are not converting efficiently. Allocate budget towards higher-performing keywords to maximize ROI.

- **Ad Copy and Relevance**: Review the alignment of ad copy and landing page content with underperforming keywords. Ensure that your ads are compelling and relevant to the search intent behind these keywords.

- **Negative Keywords**: Identify irrelevant or low-converting search terms using Bing Ads' search term reports. Add these terms as negative keywords to prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches.

### 6. **Monitor and Iterate**

- **Continuous Monitoring**: Regularly monitor the performance of your keywords using Bing Ads' reporting tools. Track changes in keyword performance over time and make adjustments based on ongoing data analysis.

- **A/B Testing**: Experiment with different ad variations, landing pages, and bid strategies to identify opportunities for improvement. Test new keyword ideas and closely monitor their impact on conversions and CPA.

By following these steps, e-commerce businesses can effectively use conversion tracking in Bing Ads to identify underperforming keywords, optimize campaign performance, and allocate resources more efficiently to keywords that drive meaningful conversions and ROI. Regular analysis and adjustment based on performance data are key to maximizing the effectiveness of your Bing Ads campaigns.