What data points does Bing Ads collect to attribute view-through conversions accurately?

To accurately attribute view-through conversions in Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads), several key data points are collected and used to track users' interactions with ads, even if they don't click on the ad. Here's a breakdown of the essential data points that Microsoft Advertising collects for this purpose:

1. Ad Impression Data:
Impression Timestamp: The exact time when the ad was shown to the user. This is crucial for determining when a user saw an ad and linking it to any later conversion.

Ad Placement: Information about where the ad was shown, such as whether it was displayed in the search results, on the Microsoft Audience Network, or on the Bing Display Network.

Ad Format: Data about the type of ad shown, such as display ads, video ads, text ads, or shopping ads. View-through conversions are typically tracked for display and video ads.

Ad Creative/Variation: Information about the specific ad creative the user was exposed to (e.g., which image, video, or text was shown). This helps in analyzing which creatives lead to view-through conversions.

Frequency of Exposure: How often the user was exposed to the same ad. This data point helps with determining the effectiveness of frequency capping and prevents the over-attribution of conversions due to excessive exposure.

2. User Interaction and Tracking Data:
Unique User Identifiers: Microsoft Ads uses cookies or anonymous identifiers to track users across sessions and devices. These identifiers are crucial for attributing conversions back to the user who saw the ad, even if they don't click on it immediately.

Device Information: Data on the device the user used to view the ad (e.g., desktop, mobile, tablet). Cross-device tracking helps link the ad exposure to a later conversion that might happen on a different device.

Browser Information: The browser used to view the ad is also collected, allowing Microsoft Ads to better understand the user's behavior and ensure that conversions are correctly attributed across different browsers.

3. Conversion Data:
Conversion Timestamp: The time when the conversion (e.g., purchase, sign-up, download) occurred. If the conversion happens within the attribution window (e.g., 14 days), it's considered a view-through conversion.

Conversion Type: The specific type of conversion, such as a purchase, form submission, or other user-defined actions tracked in the conversion setup.

User's Path to Conversion: Microsoft Ads tracks the actions that lead up to a conversion. For view-through conversions, it will note the ad view but no click, followed by the user converting within the designated attribution window.

4. Attribution Model:
Attribution Window: The period in which the conversion can be attributed to the ad view. Typically, the window is set to 14 days by default, but it can be customized based on the advertiser's needs.

Attribution Model Used: Microsoft Ads allows advertisers to select different attribution models (e.g., last-click, first-click, linear). For view-through conversions, the attribution model ensures that impressions (rather than clicks) are accounted for as the first touchpoint in the user's conversion journey.

5. Geographical and Demographic Data:
Geographic Location: Information on the location where the user saw the ad. This is helpful for analyzing how ads perform in different regions and whether geographic location affects view-through conversions.

Demographics: Age, gender, and other demographic information (if available) to help advertisers understand which user segments are more likely to view ads and later convert.

Audience Segmentation: Microsoft Ads collects data on specific audience segments (e.g., remarketing lists, custom audiences, or in-market audiences) that saw the ad. This helps track how specific audiences respond to view-through conversions.

6. Campaign and Ad Group Information:
Campaign ID: Identifies the specific campaign in which the ad was displayed. This data is linked to the conversion to understand which campaigns contribute to view-through conversions.

Ad Group ID: Tracks the ad group within the campaign, allowing for more granular reporting and optimization based on specific ad group performance.

Bidding Strategy: Data on the bidding strategy used (e.g., manual CPC, enhanced CPC, or automated bidding strategies). This helps evaluate how different strategies affect view-through conversion rates.

7. Custom Tracking and URL Parameters:
Tracking Templates and URL Parameters: Advertisers can use custom tracking parameters (such as UTM tags) to capture additional data related to ad campaigns. These can be used to analyze the effectiveness of different ads and how users who saw an ad but did not click later converted on the website.

8. Event Tracking Data:
Custom Events: If custom events are set up (e.g., specific actions on the website after viewing an ad), these events can also be tied to view-through conversions, providing further granularity into what actions were taken after ad exposure.

9. Cookie and Privacy Compliance Data:
User Consent Data: Microsoft Ads must comply with privacy laws like GDPR, CCPA, etc., which means that advertisers need to ensure user consent for cookie tracking. Without proper consent, view-through conversion tracking may be disabled for certain users.

Summary of Key Data Points Collected by Bing Ads for View-Through Conversions:
Ad Impression Data: Timestamp, placement, format, creative, and frequency.

User Interaction Data: Unique identifiers (cookies), device and browser information.

Conversion Data: Conversion timestamp, type, and the user's path to conversion.

Attribution Model: Attribution window and selected model (e.g., last-click).

Geographic and Demographic Data: Location, age, gender, and audience segments.

Campaign and Ad Group Information: Campaign and ad group IDs, bidding strategy.

Custom Tracking: URL parameters and custom events.

Privacy Compliance Data: Consent management for tracking.

By collecting and analyzing these data points, Microsoft Ads is able to attribute view-through conversions accurately, providing a more comprehensive understanding of how ad impressions contribute to conversions even without direct clicks.