What is Behavioural targeting?

Behavioural targeting is approaching potential customers based on a user’s search history.

What is Behavioural targeting?

With behavioural targeting, the search history can be used to determine what information someone has searched for. Potential visitors can be approached on the basis of this information. For example, you can create an advertisement that is based on the online behaviour of users. This advertisement should then lead to more purchases.

Behavioural targeting can have many positive effects, but it also sometimes leads to negative effects. As a user, you can notice that you are being followed and that can influence people’s surfing behaviour. It is therefore important to take two factors into account. First of all, transparency: it is important that you are transparent and that you give users confidence by making known what information can be collected. Second, the guarantee of privacy: you have to take into account the amount of information and the type you collect. Creating an ad based on interests can have a positive effect. But sensitive information, such as age or location, can lead to a negative effect.

How does it work?

The behavioural targeting process usually consists of four steps:

• Collecting cookies;
• Creating a user profile;
• Designating consumer groups;
• Sharing relevant information with users

The information that is often collected can be divided into a number of categories:

• Data from mobile devices;
• Geographic location;
• Subscription or registration entry;
• Demographic information through different networks

What consumer behaviour is being looked at? Below is a summary of a number of things to follow.

• Frequently visited pages;
• Number of page views;
• Ads and links clicked;
• Personal web searches;
• Interactions between the elements on pages;
• Transaction progress;
• Purchase history;
• Time intervals between visits.