Conversion tracking is an essential part of a successful PPC campaign.
Given that the only way to track conversions is to use conversion tracking pixels/tags on your website, it makes sense to wonder what impact these codes have on website performance.
In this month’s Ask the PPC, Ralph from Deventer asked:
“Does the implementation of metapixels (Facebook) negatively impact the performance of the site (e.g. loading speed)?”
In answering Ralph’s question, we’ll look at the following questions:
- What is a conversion tracking pixel?
- How do they affect website speed?
- What strategies can advertisers employ to reduce site performance risk?
While the question is about Meta’s pixels, we’ll be looking at most major ad network tracking, as these lessons can generally carry over to all ad networks.
That being said, if we miss a network and you have additional questions, let us know and we’ll update the post.
What is a conversion tracking pixel?
Conversion tracking pixels are snippets of code that help communicate what happens after a click on your website.
Advertisers only need to install once per domain, accounting for individual conversion actions across the ad network.
Depending on the ad network, you may decide to use Google Analytics Conversion tracking events or conversion tracking pixels for native ad networks.
The benefit of using Google Analytics conversion events is that it is the same source of truth that your SEO team will use, eliminating the risk of discrepancies.
But keep in mind that some ad networks need their own conversion tracking anyway to perform network-specific actions (calls, local actions, etc.).
How do pixels affect website speed?
The actual impact of a single pixel on site speed is negligible.
Problems arise when redundant pixels are incorrectly added or installed.
Hard-coded pixels are more likely to slow down your site than pixels in Google Tag Manager (GTM).
a study Analysis mania Found that the website loaded about 10% Saving tracking pixels with GTM is faster than hardcoding.
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Image via AnalyticsMania.com, March 2022
By adding pixels to GTM, you can ensure greater control over when pixels fire and maintain greater visibility into installed content.
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Image via AnalyticsMania.com, March 2022
While it is true that some tracking pixels may need to fire immediately, most can be persisted until postloading.
Strategies to Reduce Site Speed Risk
The most significant risk is redundant tracking pixels, which can slow down your site and potentially cause data collection to fail.
Regular reviews of tracking pixels are critical, preferably monthly or quarterly.
The most important things to check are:
- Duplicate labels from old suppliers.
- Don’t use tags from channels anymore.
- Redundant containers or labels.
Brands may choose to send all paid traffic to a subdomain, which often makes it easier to manage site speed.
This is achieved through more strategic fire tracking calls.
Although site verification does not directly affect website speedotherwise the pixel may be unavailable.
Verify pixels within the first few weeks of account setup to avoid a vicious cycle of installs and uninstalls.
last point
Tracking pixels don’t really affect website speed significantly.
Human error can cause problems. However, you can alleviate most problems with GTM.
Questions about PPC?by submitting this form Or tweet @navahf with the hashtag #AskPPC. See you next month!
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Featured image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Magazine
