Does Bing Ads track view-through conversions differently for different types of ads (e.g., display ads vs. video ads)?

Yes, Bing Ads may track view-through conversions differently for various types of ads, such as display ads and video ads. The distinction between ad types often influences how conversions are tracked, attributed, and optimized. Here's how view-through conversion tracking may vary across these ad types:

1. Display Ads
For display ads, view-through conversions are typically tracked based on the impression of the ad, even if the user does not click it right away. The process is as follows:

Ad Impression: When a user sees a display ad (banner, image, text ad, etc.) on a website or app, a cookie is placed on their browser or device.

View-Through Conversion: If the user later converts (e.g., makes a purchase, signs up for a newsletter) within the attribution window (usually 1 to 30 days, depending on the settings), that conversion is attributed to the display ad that they viewed, not necessarily the one they clicked on. This is known as a view-through conversion.

Frequency Capping: To ensure that users are not overexposed to the same display ad too often, frequency capping is often applied. This ensures the ad is not shown too many times to the same user, which can lead to diminishing returns or inaccurate attribution.

2. Video Ads
Video ads have unique characteristics that may influence how view-through conversions are tracked:

Longer Engagement: Video ads typically require users to engage for a longer period (watching the ad for a certain amount of time), which can increase the likelihood of a view-through conversion as the user may be more engaged with the content.

Interaction with the Video: Some video ads might have interactive elements (e.g., clickable overlays, calls-to-action, etc.). If the user clicks on these elements, the conversion might be tracked as a click-through conversion, but if they view the video without clicking, it could still lead to a view-through conversion later if the user converts within the attribution window.

Attribution Window: The length of the attribution window may differ for video ads compared to display ads. Since video ads often have a stronger emotional and psychological impact, view-through conversions from video ads might be tracked for a longer time period (e.g., 30 days) compared to display ads.

Engagement Metrics: Video ads may have additional engagement metrics (e.g., percentage of the video watched, video completion rate) that can provide more granular insights into the effectiveness of the ad in driving conversions. These metrics can help advertisers optimize their campaigns based on how users interact with the video.

3. Key Differences in View-Through Conversion Tracking
Here are some of the key differences in how view-through conversions are tracked for display ads vs. video ads:

User Interaction: Video ads may have a higher likelihood of influencing user behavior due to their more engaging format, leading to delayed view-through conversions that could happen after a longer period.

Attribution Window: Video ads may have a longer attribution window for view-through conversions due to the higher level of engagement, while display ads might have a shorter window (e.g., 1-7 days).

Tracking Methodology: Both ad types use cookies to track user interactions, but video ads might also utilize additional engagement data (e.g., how much of the video was watched) to refine attribution, while display ads mainly focus on the initial ad impression.

Frequency and Exposure: With display ads, the same user might be exposed to the ad multiple times, so frequency capping becomes important to avoid over-attribution of conversions from repeated impressions. Video ads, on the other hand, might engage the user differently, and the impact of a single video view can be more significant in generating view-through conversions.

4. Cross-Channel Considerations
Bing Ads also tracks view-through conversions across different devices and channels, meaning that a user who views a display ad or a video ad on one device and later converts on another will still be credited to the original ad view. This is important for cross-channel attribution.

Conclusion
While the general concept of view-through conversion tracking is the same for display ads and video ads, the engagement level, attribution windows, and ad format can lead to differences in how conversions are tracked. Video ads often have a longer attribution window and may include more detailed engagement data, while display ads focus on impression-based tracking with frequency capping. Ultimately, the tracking methodologies for both types of ads are designed to ensure that view-through conversions are attributed accurately, reflecting the unique nature of each ad format.