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If you’re a marketer running ads on Meta, you might’ve come across the term Event Match Quality Score (EMQ). The chances aren’t huge, since many people don’t even know this score exists, while it plays such a crucial role in the success of your ads.
So, what exactly is this EMQ score, and why does it matter for your ads?
Simply put, a high Event Match Quality Score helps Meta understand your website visitors’ data better. The more accurate data you provide, the more effectively Meta can target ads, which ultimately boosts your Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).
That probably sounds like music to your ears, but let’s be real—you’ve probably still got questions. 😉
In this blog, I’ll explain what an event is, what the EMQ Score is based on, how you can optimize it, and how TrackBee can help.
First things first: what is an event?
An event refers to any action a visitor performs on your digital channels. Examples include viewing a product, adding a product to their cart, or purchasing a product. These actions are valuable because they provide insights into customer behavior and preferences.
For example, if a customer adds a product to their cart but then leaves the page, you’ll eventually want to reconnect with that person. The best way to do that is through ads, but to target them effectively, you’ll need as much data about them as possible.
Wat is Event Match Quality Score?
For every event on your website, Meta checks how much data you’re sending and how well it matches their user database. It also evaluates the completeness of the data you provide. Meta then assigns a score, which is your Event Match Quality Score.
The event data Meta measures on your website, like an initiate checkout event, consists of various parameters. The more parameters you include per event, the higher your score.
Here are some examples of parameters:
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
- First and last names
- Locations
- IP addresses
As shown in the image, the Event Match Quality Score for an event in Meta is a combination of the scores for each parameter. The more parameters you send from your website to Meta, the better the data matches their user database, resulting in a higher overall score.
For example, to improve the score for the Initiate Checkout event shown, you’d want to send more email addresses, phone numbers, and names. But be careful. Sending incorrect data is pointless because Meta uses this data for ad targeting. If the data is useless, it’ll hurt your ROAS.
Why does a low Event Match Quality Score hurt your ads?
If your Event Match Quality Score is low, your ads might not reach the right audience. You’re not maximizing the potential of your ad targeting, which means your ROAS will likely be lower than it could be. On top of that, your ad campaigns can’t learn and optimize properly, causing you to miss out on a lot of potential.
The benefits of a higher EMQ score can be summarized in three key points:
- A higer EMQ score results in a higher ROAS
- A higher EMQ score results in a lower CPM
- Your advertisements have shorter learning phases during the optimization process
Where can you find the Event Match Quality Scores in Meta?
Here’s how to find them:
- Open Facebook Ads Manager and log in.
- Open the side menu and select Events Manager.
3. Select the pixel whose Event Match Quality Score you want to see.
4. You’ll now see a page showing all the events tracked by your pixel and their corresponding Event Match Quality Scores.
The importance of more data
Every parameter you send to Meta increases the chance of a match with their user database. If your website visitor is recognized in Meta’s database, your ads can be targeted more effectively. Limited parameters mean limited targeting potential for your campaigns.
Summarized:
- Sending more parameters to Meta increases the chances of a match between your data and their database.
- Accurate data allows Meta to target ads effectively and efficiently, boosting your ROAS.
- Inaccurate data makes effective targeting impossible, lowering your ROAS.
Often-overlooked parameters
Advertisers often provide incomplete data because they underestimate the importance of parameters like postal codes and browser types. While these may not seem essential for online targeting, they can make a big difference.
For instance, postal codes are crucial for regional ad targeting. Ads are more likely to match the right audience when information like postal codes or city names is available to Meta. Similarly, browser type helps optimize ads for specific devices. This highlights why sending complete datasets with as many parameters as possible is so important.
How does TrackBee improve your Event Match Quality Score?
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably already brainstorming ways to improve your Event Match Quality Score. TrackBee is the perfect tool to boost your score automatically and hassle-free.
Here’s how.
More data
Platforms like Meta use client-side tracking to collect data. Client-side tracking pulls data from a user’s browser, but its effectiveness is limited by things like cookies and AdBlockers.
TrackBee takes it a step further by combining client-side tracking with server-side tracking. Server-side tracking is a technique where data about user interactions on a website is not processed directly in the browser but instead through the website owner's server. Instead of tracking pixels or scripts sending information directly to external parties (such as advertising platforms), the server forwards the data. The combination of server-side and client-side tracking provides significantly more data to send to Meta.
Richer data
TrackBee doesn’t just collect more data—it also enriches it with additional information, like browser types and IP addresses. The more parameters you provide, the higher your Event Match Quality Score.
An example:
Imagine you’re tracking purchases in your webshop. Without TrackBee, you might only collect the basic details the customer provides during checkout. With TrackBee, you’d also capture additional details like phone numbers, IP addresses, and device types. This extra data increases the chances of a match with Meta’s database, boosting your Event Match Quality Score.
Petrol Industries | Event Match Quality Score
Petrol Industries, a leading fashion retailer, struggled with underperforming Meta campaigns due to a low Event Match Quality Score. Before using TrackBee, their scores averaged around 4/10, limiting their ability to optimize campaigns and reducing ROAS.
After integrating TrackBee, they enriched their data with missing parameters like ZIP codes, browser types, and device IDs. The results were game-changing:
- Event Match Quality Score jumped from 4/10 to 8/10.
- Two months after installing TrackBee, the ROAS for Meta has doubled, and for Google Ads it has shown a 20% lift
This proves the impact a higher Event Match Quality Score can have on campaign success. Petrol Industries now relies on TrackBee as a core part of their marketing strategy.
Manual tips to improve your Event Match Quality Score
While TrackBee offers an automated solution, you can also take manual steps to boost your score:
- Check your pixels: Regularly ensure all your Meta pixels are set up correctly and collecting the right parameters.
- Gather more data: Look for opportunities to collect additional customer data during the customer journey. For instance, make phone numbers a required field at checkout.
- Double-check your data: While the quality of your parameters doesn’t directly impact your score, clean data improves your ad targeting, which boosts ROAS
Why TrackBee is the easy choice
Time is money, and manual improvements take a lot of both. TrackBee handles everything—from collecting data to enriching it—ensuring your data is always as complete as possible, hassle-free. It’s easy to set-up (less than 5 minutes!), and your EMQ scores will improve within 48 hours.
A high Event Match Quality Score means better ad targeting, higher ROAS, and more successful campaigns. If you want to unlock the full potential of your ads, TrackBee is your go-to solution.
Got questions after reading this blog? Contact our support team!
