I presume, by now, you are already aware that the 3rd-party cookies are being killed. Mozilla has axed 3rd-party cookies on Firefox (RIP: September 3, 2019), and Apple followed suit on the Safari browser (RIP: March 24, 2020). Both block all 3rd-party cookies by default to accentuate user privacy.
Google has also taken an important step toward user privacy to depreciate 3rd-party cookies by the end of 2023.
Not just web browsers, Apple’s April 2021 iOS update 14.5 featured a new consent protocol called App Tracking Transparency (ATT) that gives iOS users more control of how apps track their behavior across other companies’ apps and websites.
Apple devices have a unique number- the advertising identifier that can be used to uniquely identify your device for the purposes of ad targeting and tracking. Apple’s ATT governs and regulates how apps and advertisers can use uniquely identifiable data to target, measure, and optimize campaigns.
All of these are the aftermath of the data protection and privacy regulations like the GDRP and CCPA to curb the invasive digital marketing behavior from brands that the digital consumers have endured thus far.
That said, there are a lot of brands that understood such consumer frustrations long back and pioneered in creating refined customer experiences at moments that matter, non-intrusively for their audience. But the digital consumers were still out in the open with most brands who did not respect consumer data and privacy, and then came the iron hand, the data protection regulations.
- Now that the 3rd-party cookies are being killed, how can brands measure in the cookieless world?
- What is the use of Google Tag Manager (GTM) Server-Side Tagging?
- How can GTM Server-Side Tagging help you stay compliant with GDPR and CCPA?
- What are the benefits of GTM Server-Side Tagging?
- What are the additional benefits of GTM Server-Side Tagging?
What is the use of Google Tag Manager (GTM) Server-Side Tagging?
Currently, most of the measurement tags are served via the client-side, from the user’s web browser using tag management solutions like Google Tag Manager (GTM). With this model, the user’s browser directly interacts with 3rd-party analytics services, making the cookies stored in the user’s web browser 3rd-party cookies.
On the other hand, the Google Tag Manager (GTM) Server-Side Tagging helps you run your measurement tags on the brand’s cloud server (server-side) via GTM Server-Side Tagging and a cloud platform like Google Cloud Platform (GCP) instead of running the tags directly on the user’s web browser (client-side).
Client-Side Tracking In Action
Server-Side Tracking In Action
How can GTM Server-Side Tagging help you stay compliant with GDPR and CCPA?
As we have seen, the GTM Server-Side tagging brings an intermediary cloud server (owned by the brand) between the user’s browser and the 3rd-party analytics service.
So, there are no 3rd-party cookies being generated in this process on the user’s browser. The cookies generated are 1st-party cookies.
With the GTM Server-Side Tagging, you can effectively convert your 3rd-party cookies to 1st-party cookies, and you can stay compliant with data protection regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
Beyond this, GTM Server Side Tagging Implementation also brings other benefits for the brand and the brand’s audience. Let us see them too.
What are the benefits of GTM Server-Side Tagging?
On the tracking front, the Google Tag Manager Server-Side Tagging helps you circumvent tracking restrictions that are in place for 3rd-party cookies and offer reliable tracking.
On the measurement front, the Google Tag Manager Server-Side Tagging helps you bridge the blinding data gaps in the conversion paths that brands have faced historically, making it difficult for them to properly understand the customer’s purchase journey, and advertise and engage with them profitably.
Not just these, the GTM Server-Side Tagging brings brands a bouquet of additional benefits that can critically impact the experience of your customers and your target audience. Let us take a look at some of the additional benefits of implementing GTM Server-Side Tagging.
What are the additional benefits of GTM Server-Side Tagging?
- Faster site performance
- Transform 3rd party cookies to 1st party cookies
- Reliable tracking
- No more data holes in analytics measurement
- Complete control over the data
- Content-security policies
- Hide sensitive data: tracking IDs, secret API keys
Download our free whitepaper on GTM Server-Side Tagging
Are concerned about the technical gaps you have on the matter?
Not to worry, we have a free whitepaper for you on the matter- all about the killing of 3rd parry cookies and how you can measure and engage with your customers in the cookieless world.
If you still need help with your GTM implementation, our team can help. Enter the cookieless world body with GTM server-side tagging.
We have end-to-end Google Tag Manager Server-Side Implementation, migration & maintenance experience.
You are in good hands. We have helped startups to Fortune 500s for their analytics, measurement, and digital transformation journey.
Talk to us for a free consultation today.
