Can You Track Outdoor Advertising? (Yes, But Not Like Digital)

Outdoor advertising doesn’t have to be complicated, and it’s certainly not untrackable! You can track and measure outdoor campaigns very effectively, but it looks different than for digital campaigns so you’ve got to think different about what success means. It’s more than just clicks and impressions — outdoor campaigns build influence, brand lift, and real-world behaviour changes in your targets.

Direct Tracking Methods That Actually Work

QR codes have become surprisingly effective for outdoor advertising — especially after people got comfortable using them during the pandemic. Give QR codes pride of place on transit ads, bus stops, and mall displays. Places where people have time to scan them. You can track exactly how many people scan your codes and what they do afterward.

Short URLs work well because they're easy to remember and type. Use branded short links like YourBrand.com/outdoor that people can actually remember after seeing your ad. Track these URLs separately from your other marketing to measure direct response.

Promo codes designed specifically for outdoor campaigns let you track conversions directly. Use codes like BILLBOARD20 or TRANSIT15. You want to clearly indicate the source. E-commerce brands, retail, and restaurants get a lot of mileage out of this.

Phone tracking numbers dedicated to outdoor campaigns provide another direct measurement option. Use different numbers for different formats to track which placements generate the most calls.

Indirect Tracking and Location Intelligence

Brand lift studies measure the real impact of outdoor advertising on awareness, recall, and sentiment. Survey people in markets where your outdoor campaigns are running versus control markets without exposure. This shows how outdoor advertising changes brand perception and purchase intent.

Location data tracking uses mobile movement patterns to measure footfall and behavior changes. Services like Geopath track anonymized mobile data to see if people exposed to your outdoor ads later visited your stores, competitors, or related businesses — it’s almost like magic.

Search volume tracking reveals outdoor advertising's influence on digital behavior. Monitor branded search terms, product searches, and related keywords during your outdoor campaigns. Outdoor advertising typically drives 15 to 25 percent increases in branded search volume.