How do you handle tracking conversions from multiple domains in Bing Ads?

Tracking conversions from multiple domains in Bing Ads (now part of Microsoft Advertising) requires careful planning to ensure that conversions are accurately attributed, even when users interact with ads across different websites or domains. Here are the key strategies and best practices for handling conversion tracking across multiple domains in Bing Ads:

1. Use of Universal Event Tracking (UET) Across Multiple Domains
Universal Event Tracking (UET) is the primary tool for tracking conversions in Microsoft Advertising, and it can be implemented across multiple domains. The UET tag allows you to track user actions like clicks, purchases, form submissions, and more. To handle tracking across multiple domains, follow these steps:

A. Set Up UET Tags on All Domains
How it works: You need to install the same UET tag on every domain you want to track conversions for. The UET tag tracks user actions on your website and sends conversion data back to Bing Ads.

Steps:

Create a UET tag in your Microsoft Advertising account.

Install the UET tag on each domain you want to track.

Ensure that the UET tag is placed in the header or footer of all pages across these domains so it can capture all relevant user interactions.

B. Create Separate Goals for Each Domain
How it works: For each domain, you can create distinct conversion goals in Bing Ads to track specific user actions (e.g., purchases, sign-ups). You'll associate each domain's conversion goal with the UET tag to track the relevant conversions.

Steps:

In your Bing Ads account, go to the Conversion Tracking section.

Define different conversion actions (e.g., completed purchases, newsletter sign-ups) for each domain.

Link these conversions to the UET tags you've set up for each domain.

2. Cross-Domain Tracking (Using Custom Parameters)
When users navigate between multiple domains as part of their conversion journey (for example, visiting an e-commerce site and then going to a payment portal), cross-domain tracking becomes essential. You can achieve this by passing tracking data (like click ID or UTM parameters) between domains.

A. Use Custom Tracking Parameters
How it works: By using custom parameters such as the click ID (msclkid), you can pass conversion data from one domain to another as users move through the conversion funnel.

Steps:

Add custom parameters to your URLs that allow you to track users across multiple domains. For example, the URL linking between the two domains might look like https://example.com/?msclkid=12345.

Ensure that the click ID (msclkid) or other relevant parameters are carried across to subsequent pages and domains as the user moves from one site to the next.

On the second domain (e.g., the payment page or confirmation page), use JavaScript or server-side logic to read the parameters from the URL and pass them to the UET tag or conversion tracking system.

B. Linking Domains Using Referrals or Shared Cookies
How it works: Another method to track conversions across domains is by using referral data or shared cookies. When a user comes from one domain to another, the referrer or session data can be passed along with the user to ensure accurate conversion attribution.

Steps:

Set up session tracking or cookies on the first domain, which can be accessed when the user arrives on the second domain. This ensures that the UET tag on the second domain recognizes the user as the same one who interacted with the ad.

This method requires coordinating session data between domains to ensure that tracking is seamless.

3. Using One UET Tag Across Multiple Domains
If your multiple domains are related (e.g., a product page and a checkout page within the same brand), you can use a single UET tag across these domains. This allows you to track conversions on multiple domains without needing to set up separate tags for each domain.

A. UET Tag on All Domains
How it works: By placing the same UET tag across different domains, you can track the flow of users across these domains and attribute conversions to the correct campaign or keyword.

Steps:

Use a global UET tag that is installed on all relevant pages across the domains you want to track.

This allows you to track user interactions on different domains, as the UET tag can identify the user as they move between pages and domains.

B. Tracking Across Subdomains
How it works: If you have multiple subdomains (e.g., shop.example.com and blog.example.com), you can use the same UET tag across all subdomains under one parent domain. This method is simpler than using different UET tags for each subdomain.

Steps:

Install the same UET tag on all subdomains you want to track.

Ensure that the UET tag is able to communicate across subdomains, passing session data or using cookies to recognize the same user across all domains.

4. Importing Conversion Data from Multiple Domains
For more advanced tracking, you can import offline conversion data or CRM data that corresponds to user interactions across multiple domains. This is helpful if users take actions on different sites or if conversions occur offline after multiple online interactions.

A. Import Offline Conversion Data
How it works: If you track offline conversions (e.g., in-store purchases or phone calls), you can import the conversion data from multiple domains or customer sources into Bing Ads.

Steps:

Collect conversion data from different sources (e.g., different domains or offline interactions).

Upload this data to Microsoft Advertising via the Offline Conversion Import Tool.

Use unique identifiers (e.g., click ID) to link the offline conversion back to the correct ad interaction.

B. Use CRM Systems to Integrate Conversion Data
How it works: If you are using a CRM system that tracks interactions from multiple domains, you can export this data and import it into Microsoft Advertising to track conversions more effectively.

Steps:

Set up conversion tracking in your CRM.

Export relevant conversion data, including click IDs or other unique identifiers.

Upload this data into Bing Ads using the Offline Conversion Import Tool to track conversions that occur across multiple domains.

5. Attribution Models for Multi-Domain Conversions
When dealing with multiple domains, the attribution model you choose in Microsoft Advertising becomes important to understand the user journey and assign the correct value to conversions.

A. Multi-Touch Attribution Models
How it works: Multi-touch attribution models allow you to assign value to multiple touchpoints in the customer journey, which is useful when users interact with ads across multiple domains.

Steps:

Set up an attribution model (e.g., Linear, Time Decay, or Position-Based attribution) to credit multiple domains in the user's journey to conversion.

This ensures that all domains and interactions contribute appropriately to the final conversion outcome.

B. Cross-Device Tracking
How it works: Microsoft Advertising allows for cross-device attribution, so if a user interacts with your ads on one device but completes a conversion on another domain or device, the conversion will still be attributed correctly.

Steps:

Ensure your UET tags are installed across all devices and domains.

Microsoft will link cross-device interactions, attributing the conversion to the correct campaign or ad.

Conclusion
To handle conversion tracking across multiple domains in Bing Ads, it's essential to leverage the UET tag across all domains, use custom tracking parameters to pass user data between domains, and consider advanced attribution models to ensure accurate conversion reporting. Implementing cross-domain tracking, using offline conversion imports, and choosing the appropriate attribution model will help ensure conversions are properly attributed across various domains. These steps will help you track user journeys accurately, regardless of how many domains are involved in the conversion process.