Ad Tracking: What It Is and How To Do It?

Historically, tracking ad engagement has been difficult to track. It wasn’t easy to establish a standard that would measure the success of an advertising campaign. Until the mid-1960s, ROI (return-on-investment) was not a widely used term.

Since then, a lot has happened. Advertisers now have access to detailed ad tracking data for each campaign. Marketing teams can now use ad tracking to measure, test and revise ads accurately based on user interaction with online campaigns.

What is ad tracking?

Ad tracking is the collection of data and insights from users about the performance of online advertising campaigns. This information can be collected using various methods, including tracking URLs and tracking pixels.

It is important to think about the metrics that will make your campaign a success if you are new to online advertising. Today, ad tracking is available across many platforms and tools. Advertisers can collect data on views, clicks, impressions, and behavior across multiple sessions, websites, etc.

It can be overwhelming to have so many data options.

Once you have determined the metrics you want to track in your ads, you can search for the best ad-tracking method. There are many ad tracking options available. These will depend on where your ads are run and what tools you use. Here are some basic examples. The following ad track methods can be used together to provide powerful insights.

Tools for Technical Tracking

Technical tools are a great place to start for ad tracking. These tools include the ability to track URLs from your website, ads in emails or sidebars or webpages, and cookie-based tracking to analyze user behavior and fine-tune your marketing plan. Let’s take a closer look at each.

Tracking URLs

A tracking URL is a page URL that you link to your website, but with a tracking token at the end.

Use tracking URLs when appropriate

Tracking URLs can calculate the number of visitors, leads and conversions generated by your hard work, whether you are running a PPC campaign or sending emails.

Tracking Pixels

A small transparent image measuring 1px by 1, a tracking pixel can be embedded in an email, display advertisement, or on a web page. It sends back a signal to your tracking tool when it loads that the page has been viewed.

Tracking pixels can also collect detailed data about a user’s activity and browser configuration. However, you should only track information directly relevant to your buyer’s journey. This will ensure a more personal experience for your target customers.

When to use tracking pixels?

The tracking pixels can be extremely useful in helping you track the success of your online marketing campaigns at every stage of your conversion process. These pixels can provide insight into user interactions with your ads and help you optimize every stage of your customer journey, from the initial touch to the final purchase.


Cookies can track user activity on your website over multiple sessions. Before using cookies to track users’ activity, marketers must obtain explicit consent. Cookies can be used to personalize a user’s experience if explicit consent has been obtained. Here’s a deeper dive if you’re interested in learning more about how cookies work.

From an ad tracking standpoint, cookies are the main driver behind most ad-retargeting campaigns. Cookies can be used to build a person’s profile based on their web activity and other habits. Advertisers can use this profile to show ads that match their observed interests. Cookies can also collect information about the user’s web browser configuration, preferred language, and location.

When cookies should be used?

Cookies can be used to show ads relevant to a user’s web browsing history or retarget them with ads about products they have shown an interest in. Cookies can be used to personalize your website’s experience based on previous interactions. For example, you could create an email for abandoned cart emails when customers place items in their carts and leave your site.


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