Cold email campaigns live or die by the quality of their data. Yet many B2B sales teams undermine performance without realising it, simply by neglecting one critical factor: custom tracking domains. This small technical adjustment can dramatically improve both deliverability and analytics accuracy, directly impacting your ability to optimise campaigns and close deals.
What Are Custom Tracking Domains?
Custom tracking domains are branded web addresses used in your email campaign links. Instead of the generic, third-party URLs provided by email platforms (e.g. click.mailservice.com/track), you use a branded variation like insights.yourcompany.co.uk.
This subtle change has a major impact on trust, inbox placement, and the accuracy of your engagement data.
The Analytics Accuracy Problem
Generic tracking domains often trigger security filters. Litmus research (2023) found that 43% of tracking pixels are blocked when emails use shared tracking domains. That means nearly half of your opens, clicks, and engagement events may never be recorded.
When you’re working with incomplete analytics, you risk making decisions based on flawed data – killing campaigns that are actually performing well, or doubling down on those that aren’t.
How Custom Domains Improve Data Collection
Better Deliverability = Better Tracking
Return Path studies show that custom tracking domains increase inbox placement by 15–25%. The more often your emails land in inboxes instead of spam folders, the more accurate your engagement tracking becomes.
Reduced Tracking Blocks
EmailOnAcid research shows custom tracking domains reduce blocked tracking pixels by up to 60%. This means you capture more accurate data on:
- Open rates
- Click-through rates
- Reading time
- Device and location insights
The Trust Factor in B2B Outreach
Professionalism builds trust. Branded tracking links reassure prospects that they’re interacting with a legitimate business rather than a faceless bulk emailer.
HubSpot reports that 81% of B2B buyers research companies online before replying to sales emails. Branded domains keep your entire outreach ecosystem consistent and trustworthy.
Protecting Your Reputation
Building Domain Authority
Consistent use of your brand domains builds long-term domain authority. This strengthens your reputation with email service providers and search engines, improving overall deliverability.
Avoiding Shared Penalties
Shared tracking domains carry shared risk. If another business using the same generic domain spams their list, your deliverability can suffer too. Custom domains shield you from these penalties.
Technical Benefits for Sales Teams
- Deeper reporting: More reliable integration with CRMs and attribution models.
- Stronger A/B testing: More accurate results across subject lines, templates, and send times.
- Faster optimisation: Clearer insights into what actually works with your audience.
Best Practices for Implementation
- Choose a subdomain like track.yourcompany.co.uk or links.yourcompany.co.uk.
- Configure DNS correctly and ensure SSL certificates are active.
- Monitor domain reputation regularly using Google Postmaster Tools, Microsoft SNDS, or deliverability platforms.
The Bottom Line
Accurate analytics aren’t optional in modern B2B lead generation. Custom tracking domains improve deliverability, boost trust, and provide up to 40% more reliable data (SendIQ client campaigns). With clearer insights, you can optimise faster, scale smarter, and generate higher-quality leads.
Custom tracking domains are a small technical upgrade with huge commercial upside – a must-have for any serious cold email strategy.
