How does Bing Ads handle cross-device view-through conversions?

Bing Ads handles cross-device view-through conversions by utilizing user identification and tracking mechanisms that attempt to link user activity across multiple devices (such as desktops, smartphones, and tablets) and attribute conversions accurately. While there are some inherent challenges, Bing Ads employs various strategies to improve tracking and attribution of view-through conversions across different devices.

Key Features of Bing Ads' Cross-Device View-Through Conversion Tracking:
User Identification Through Microsoft Account:

One of the primary ways Bing Ads tracks cross-device conversions is through the use of the Microsoft account. If a user is signed into their Microsoft account on multiple devices, Bing Ads can track their behavior across those devices more accurately.

When a user views an ad on one device (e.g., mobile) but later returns to complete a conversion on another device (e.g., desktop), their Microsoft account helps link these actions, and the view-through conversion can be attributed correctly to the initial ad exposure.

Device Fingerprinting and Cookies:

Cookies placed in the user's browser or app can be used to track view-through conversions. Bing Ads uses cookie-based tracking to link a user's ad impression with their future conversion, even if the user does not click on the ad.

When a user switches devices, Bing Ads may try to correlate these cookies across devices, especially if the user is logged in to a common platform (like a Microsoft account), allowing for cross-device conversion attribution.

Device fingerprinting (a method of tracking unique device identifiers) may also be used in some cases to recognize users across multiple devices, although this is less common than cookie-based tracking.

Cross-Device Conversion Attribution:

Cross-device tracking allows Bing Ads to attribute view-through conversions to the correct ad campaign even when the user completes the conversion on a different device.

For example, if a user sees an ad on their mobile device and then later purchases the product on their desktop within a specific attribution window, the conversion will still be counted as a view-through conversion from the mobile ad impression, as long as it falls within the predefined window (typically ranging from 1 to 30 days).

Attribution Windows:

The attribution window plays a critical role in cross-device view-through conversion tracking. The longer the attribution window (e.g., 30 days), the more likely the user's cross-device activity can be linked together for conversion attribution.

If the attribution window is too short, cross-device conversions may not be captured, especially when a user sees an ad on one device but takes time to convert on another device.

Enhanced Conversions with UET (Universal Event Tracking):

Bing Ads uses UET (Universal Event Tracking) tags to track user behavior across devices. UET tags are placed on the advertiser's website and help track user interactions, such as views, clicks, and conversions.

If a user who saw an ad on one device later converts on a different device, UET tracking allows Bing Ads to link these events together, facilitating accurate cross-device view-through conversion tracking.

Data Integration Across Channels:

Bing Ads can integrate with other Microsoft products and services, such as LinkedIn and Outlook, which may help build a more comprehensive user profile and enhance the ability to track cross-device activity.

Data from these services, combined with Microsoft's own platform ecosystem, helps improve the accuracy of cross-device attribution by identifying user behavior across devices and linking them back to specific ad campaigns or impressions.

Challenges and Limitations:

Device Disconnect: If a user does not use a signed-in Microsoft account or a cross-platform service (like LinkedIn), the ability to track their behavior across devices may be limited. In these cases, Bing Ads may have to rely on traditional cookie-based methods, which may not always be as effective at linking cross-device behavior.

Privacy Concerns: Privacy regulations, such as the GDPR and CCPA, limit the use of certain tracking methods like cookies and device identifiers, which can impact the accuracy of cross-device conversion tracking. Users who opt out of tracking or use ad blockers may also result in incomplete data.

Attribution Complexity: Cross-device attribution remains complex, especially when users take longer to convert or interact with multiple touchpoints (e.g., viewing an ad on mobile, researching on desktop, and purchasing on a tablet). Proper attribution depends on the user behavior patterns and the platforms involved.

Conclusion
Bing Ads leverages a combination of Microsoft account-based tracking, cookie-based methods, and UET tags to improve cross-device view-through conversion tracking. While there are limitations, such as privacy concerns and potential user identification challenges, Bing Ads makes significant efforts to track user behavior across devices and provide more accurate conversion attribution. As privacy regulations evolve and user behavior changes, ongoing optimization of cross-device tracking will continue to be important for effective campaign performance measurement.