Page views are dead - long live "engagement mapping".

Microsoft announced Monday that it would begin testing a new way to measure the effectiveness of Internet advertising. Engagement mapping is due to begin (in beta of course) on March 1st. This for many has signified a radical departure from the current standard wherein marketers tie sales, leads and traffic to the last advertisement that a user clicked on online.

Engagement mapping will take into account all Internet interactions that lead consumer to purchase products, giving advertisers a more accurate assessment of how to plan their online marketing campaigns. The new approach will better convey how each ad exposure (display, rich media, search - seen multiple times on multiple properties) influences eventual purchases.

From a Reuters article, ""The 'last ad clicked' is an outdated and flawed approach because it essentially ignores all prior interactions the consumer has with a marketer's message," said Brian McAndrews, senior vice president of the advertiser and publisher solutions unit at Microsoft.