Google Analytics Audit Test #

37

Bing/Microsoft Attribution for All 'msclkid'

Why It Matters:

Critical to understanding where your traffic is coming from and assigning appropriate credit.

Industries:

All

Checks For:

Accuracy

How accurate is your recent data?

Insight Category:

Attribution

Can you tell which marketing efforts are working?

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Background

A GA4 audit is essential for uncovering missing insights—key data points that organizations don't yet know and can act upon. A well-done audit evaluates both behavioral tracking and traffic attribution, ensuring each is accurate and useful. It also assesses whether the data collected truly supports business decisions and reporting.

Test Detail

This test checks whether clicks with Microsoft Ads click IDs (msclkid) are properly attributed in GA4. Missing attribution can lead to traffic being bucketed as direct or organic incorrectly.

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How to Conduct This Test

Basic Tests

  • Use Explore to view Session source/medium and manually review campaign attribution.
    • Compare Bing Ads traffic volume in platform vs. traffic in GA4.
    • Look for spikes in "direct" or "organic" sessions that align with paid Bing campaigns.

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How To Fix

  • Ensure auto-tagging is enabled in Microsoft Ads.
  • Verify msclkid is captured by your site or resolved via UTMs.
  • Use UTM fallback for Microsoft Ads if auto-tagging isn’t consistent.
  • Hire a pro to verify and fix Microsoft Ads attribution setup.

Tips from a Google Analytics Consultant

Focus on Insights

Every Google Analytics audit should result in a plan for more insights.

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An insight is:

  • something you don't know
  • and can act on to improve performance

The Goal

Identify and remove insight blockers. Don't get tempted to track things you can't act on!

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