Marketing & SEO

Everything You Need To Know About Ad Tracking

Igor Zagradanin 10 July, 2020

Wouldn’t it be great if you could see how users interact with your ads once you start a campaign? Wouldn’t it be useful to figure out how your ads grab their interest? Well, you will be glad to find out that ad tracking is possible.

ads tracking

Ad tracking is an excellent method that should be in your advertising arsenal. It will help you understand who interacts with your ads and what interests them the most.

Take a look below to learn more about this business ‘weapon’ and what you need to do to take full advantage.

What is Ad Tracking Exactly?

Ad tracking can be described as collecting data and user insights that will help you get a better understanding of how your internet advertising campaigns perform.

There are several ways that marketers use to collect this type of data, such as:

  • Tracking URLs
  • Tracking cookies
  • Tracking pixels

Experienced advertisers and marketers know that they need to carefully consider the specific metrics that determine the success of their advertising efforts. And that is why they use numerous tools and platforms to get the most out of ad tracking.

What Can Be Tracked With Ad Tracking?

Ad tracking allows you to obtain specific metrics regarding your audience’s behavior and interests on your website and within the ads you push. Some of the parameters that can be tracked include views, clicks, impressions, and various other online behaviors.

Ad tracking tools offer a platter of metrics that can be useful for your business. However, it is essential to narrow them down and choose the most effective ones that can help you craft better ad campaigns.

Utilize Software to Better Track Ads

It would be wise to utilize advanced technology to make the most out of ad tracking. To be precise, you should use a reliable analytics reporting tool to gain the best possible insights. For example, advertisers on iOS can integrate SKAdNetwork with their chosen ad tracking tool. Similarly, those operating on alternative platforms, like Android, can utilize analytics solutions such as Flurry Analytics or Amplitude to enhance their ad-tracking capabilities.

Tools of this kind can gather all important metrics you must pick out separately if using GMB, Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, etc. Also, these tools can integrate with multiple platforms, so you will get simple reports that indicate what you should change and improve to achieve better results.

When you use an ad tracking tool, you will receive weekly emails on crucial metrics and modify your marketing campaigns accordingly. Instead of accessing each tool separately, you can enjoy the benefits of having one dashboard for everything.

Why would you do all tasks separately if you can make your life easier by using such a tool?

Ad Tracking Strategies

There are numerous ways for ad tracking, but let’s focus on those that have proven to be the most efficient ones.

Pixel Tracking

Pixel tracking starts with a 1×1 pixel image space. This pixel fits into the body of an email you send to your subscribers. Once they open the email, the tracking pixel notifies that the subscriber has opened your message.

pixel ad tracking

This gives you essential insights into your customers’ buying journeys. Also, it helps you gain a better perspective of their overall relationships with your brand.

However, keep in mind that this has to be used carefully. You should only track data that is relevant to the relationship you are building with your customers. Furthermore, remember that you should offer them a great user experience.

Cookies

Almost all users who regularly surf the web are familiar with cookies. Authority websites nowadays usually ask new visitors to agree to cookies when they visit for the first time.

Cookie ad tracking

Cookies can be described as temporary internet files. They help marketing teams acquire valuable insights related to user behavior on their websites.

As a website owner, one has to acquire explicit consent from visitors to use cookies. That is one of the reasons why cookie requests exist on nearly all more significant websites. This question usually appears once the home page (or the landing page) loads up.

DoubleClick ad Tracking

In 2008, Google bought the DoubleClick ad platform. However, the system remains the same. Presently, its purpose is to run online advertising campaigns on various channels.

doubleclick by Google

In case you have browsed a product on sale recently on a specific eCommerce website and afterward noticed ads for it following you around the web, the DoubleClick ad tracking platform is the main culprit for that.

After the platform was rebranded, it has included:

The platform analyzes user behavior and determines the best way to use advertising space on a particular website using first and third-party cookies. It is not uncommon for Google to even release free tools that can benefit your business website. So, it is worth checking out.

Facebook Ad Tracking

Even so many years after it emerged, Facebook is undoubtedly the most prominent social network. Countless companies now use Facebook advertising as one of the leading digital marketing channels.

Facebook ad tracking

The Facebook ad tracking pixel is a good enough reason for this. It is used by businesses to target audiences with custom-tailored ads. Also, you can utilize it to obtain insights about user interactions with the Facebook page and how this affects visits to the company website and determines purchase intent. You may want to connect your Facebook Ads to Excel to have an option to use advanced formulas to analyze your ad data better. Besides that, exporting your ad results is also a kind of data backup, which is always necessary.

URL Tracking

This is most likely the purest form of ad tracking. It works like this:

  • A user clicks a link on your ad
  • You receive a report about what exact channel generated the link

URL tracking is a great way to track the success of one ad campaign for which you use numerous ad channels. It can give you an insight into the best and worst-performing channels so you can optimize your campaign accordingly.

Start Ad Tracking Today, See Results Tomorrow

Ad tracking is a powerful method for any business to better understand the audience’s browsing and buying behaviors.

You can make a more personalized ad experience for your audience by using the data you obtain through ad tracking. The final result you will get from ad tracking is more conversions and sales.

Getting to know your audience better helps a lot. It benefits you and the individuals seeking your products to solve their problems.

Now that you are familiar with the concept and know what technology should be used, it is up to you to start reaping the maximum rewards of ad tracking.

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Tags: digital marketing marketing marketing strategies marketing tools online marketing
Author: Igor Zagradanin
Igor is a content marketing expert with a proven track record of helping businesses by adding value to their brands, developing a content marketing strategies, as well as educating and connecting with their audiences on a personal level. In his spare time, he plays guitar, produces electronic music, does yoga, learns how to ski, and (with more or less success) tries to get in touch with his inner child