Hoiling WongIn March, Bing will begin migration for phase 2 of their unified device targeting update. This phase includes the elimination of explicit mobile device targeting. Last year, Bing launched unified device targeting as a way to simplify Bing Ads for advertisers. For those unfamiliar with unified device targeting, the first phase was the consolidation of tablet and PC/laptop campaigns. With this change, targeting selection for mobile will be merged along with desktop and tablet devices. While Unified Device Targeting no longer allows advertisers to target devices explicitly, Bing is allowing for bid modifiers available for tablet and mobile.
A few benefits to be expected from this change include simplifying the workflow for managing Bing ads with more streamlined targeting and making it easier, and more efficient, for advertisers on multiple search publishers to manage ads now that Bing ads will be structurally compatible with Google.
In preparation for the migration, here are three best practice tips to keep in mind:
Tag your URLs by device
URLs are the key to tracking revenue and conversions back to keywords. For any advertisers that want to get conversion and revenue reporting data by device, it is recommended that they tag their URLs by device type.
Use this as an opportunity to improve your Bing ads overall
Advertisers should use this opportunity to figure out why their ads may be under-performing. As advertisers are taking the time to review their campaigns, they should keep in mind factors that might be getting in the way of them reaching their advertising goals. Things that advertisers should consider – Are my budgets reasonable and high enough to factor in additional volume from mobile? How are the Quality scores for my ads? Perhaps it may be worth revamping my landing pages. Are there any keywords I should add to target mobile users?
Don’t be shy when it comes to testing out new ideas on a few campaigns before the deadline.
Use this as an opportunity to improve your advertising strategy overall
For any advertisers that have been considering leveraging a third party platform to help with managing their campaigns, this is a great time to bite the bullet. Platforms, such as Marin Software, can not only help advertisers with the migration process, but also offer tools that allow advertisers additional levels of control.
For example, even though Bing campaigns will be now target all devices, advertisers can optimize at the device level using Marin device level reporting and modify their bid adjustments accordingly.
By being prepared, advertisers can ensure that their campaigns play well and succeed with mobile, tablet and desktop device.
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