Microsoft Advertising is making strides to simplify the lives of advertisers by introducing a new feature that allows them to import conversion goals from Google Ads. This move aims to streamline cross-platform workflows and enable marketers to work more efficiently across both Google and Microsoft’s ad platforms.
The ability to import conversion goals from Google Ads is a game-changer for advertisers. It eliminates the need for manual entry of conversion goals, saving time and effort. By default, conversion goals are imported with each import, making it seamless for advertisers to optimize their campaigns.
This feature is particularly beneficial for advertisers using value-based bid strategies like Max Conversions. It allows them to leverage their existing conversion goals from Google Ads and apply them to their Microsoft Advertising campaigns, maximizing the effectiveness of their bidding strategies.
However, there are potential challenges when it comes to attribution. The tracking codes used by Google and Microsoft are different on an advertiser’s site. This could lead to discrepancies in tracking conversions accurately and attributing them correctly to the respective ad platforms.
To address this issue, Microsoft recommends setting up a Universal Event Tracking (UET) tag with Google Tag Manager. This ensures that new goals can receive conversion events accurately, minimizing any potential attribution problems.
This move by Microsoft reflects the increasing competition in the ad tech space. By reducing friction for advertisers heavily invested in Google’s ecosystem, Microsoft aims to make its platform more appealing and gain a larger share of the advertising market.
Kirk Williams, owner of Zato Marketing, was among the first to share this news with the PPC community. He expressed concerns about the automatic import of conversion goals and its potential to cause issues for advertisers. Williams highlighted the differences between UET and Google Tag codes on websites and questioned the practicality of importing conversion goals by default.
Advertisers who wish to opt-out of this feature have the option to uncheck the “Import conversion goal” box. This gives them control over whether they want to utilize this new functionality or continue with their existing conversion tracking methods.
Overall, Microsoft Advertising’s support for importing Google conversion goals is a significant development in the ad tech industry. It offers convenience and efficiency for advertisers working across multiple platforms. However, it also presents challenges in terms of attribution. Advertisers must be aware of these potential issues and take necessary steps to ensure accurate tracking and attribution of conversions.
