Should I Migrate to Server-Side Tagging?
It started with regulation of data usage in Europe and California, then the browsers responded with Apple’s Safari (ITP) and Mozilla’s Firefox blocking third-party cookies. Soon after, Google’s Chrome declared it would be next to block them in 2022 (now 2023). This is great news for consumer privacy but it brings a new set of challenges for marketers who relied on third party cookies for audience targeting and attribution/measurement. Marketers are now wondering if they will go back to the old Run Of Site placements (aka spray and pray) or targeting specific types of page content in order to reach our potential customers (contextual targeting), with only click-based conversion data available to advise how one should plan and optimize paid media. When one couples that with security concerns, page speed maximization, and the need for data accuracy, the most obvious first step is to migrate from client-side to server-side tagging for 3rd party marketing tags (image pixel or JavaScript).
Server-Side Tagging Overview
What is Server-Side Tagging?
Server-Side Tagging is the process where a data collection pixel sends data to your server which then transmits the data directly from the website to the vendors with very little footprint on the user’s browser. It is pretty much tag management without tags.
When a pixel of data gets sent to a server, the server will then pass that data to the destination without needing to send a response back to the website. This data is then available to be loaded into the vendor’s platform which leads to more efficiency and less burden on the website.
Server-side tagging allows one to collect data in the absence of tags, so that marketing campaign data can be collected consistently for all channels.
What is Client-side Tagging?
Client-side is the most common way of implementing analytics and other 3rd party tags. This is accomplished by deploying your tracking code on each page of your site typically via a tag management system, placing the tags within a container, and when they fire data is then sent to the appropriate servers via the user’s browser. The user’s browser then handles the communication of that information to the data collection service where the data is processed and made available for reporting.
Why Migrate to Server-side Tagging?
ITP, ETP, etc.
From a user standpoint, many are huge fans of ITP and the fact that it blocks some of the shadier and creepier technologies that follow us around the internet. As a digital analytics consultant, one feels differently. With browsers like Safari, Firefox, and eventually Chrome blocking third-party tracking, it is becoming more and more difficult to attribute conversions to paid media, understand user behavior on a client’s website, and target audiences with paid media out in the wild. Server-side tagging will allow one to track users more accurately on one’s own domains. It can also extend the cookie expiration period.
Performance
Every fraction of a second can make a world of difference whether it happens as the user’s first impression of a company’s digital presence or as they navigate through the purchase flow.
Since server-side tags are run on a remote server instead of the browser, page performance is improved by less code running client-side as well as not needing to wait for a response from the vendor server that can risk hanging the page up. On mobile this can also help reduce battery and data usage for users. There will also be fewer tags loading client side which will also improve page load times.
More accurate data
We all know that reporting is only as good as the data that flows into it…there’s an expression for bad data – garbage in garbage out. Data match rates and data quality see improvements since the transmission is not affected by client-side ad blockers. This means conversion events and the resulting revenue will most likely be counted more accurately. Also, server-side tags won’t be blocked by an ad blocker or if javascript isn’t enabled for the user’s browser.
In some cases, should a server-side integrated vendor’s system go down, the data can be queued and later delivered once service is restored; this will help minimize data loss and pages won’t be affected by performance issues.
Keep User Data Secure
If 3p tags are hardcoded onto a company’s website or if the vendors are allowed to host (and change!) the javascript that runs on your pages, especially those pages where users enter personal or payment info, there is potential that the tags can access some of that sensitive data. With a server-side tag it is possible to control exactly which data is being collected by the vendor and where that data goes to, and none of this will go through the browser. It will also eliminate unknown piggybacked tags and the potential to send sensitive data to vendors that weren’t even approved to collect info from the website. Vendors will no longer be able to scrape the pages in order to fingerprint users which will greatly reduce data leakage. Server-side tagging will also equip companies to consider in-app tracking since all tracking would be maintained as a 1st party relationship between the company and the user.
How do I Get Started with Server-side Tagging?
To get started with server-side tagging, take an inventory of all third party tags on your website and determine which ones have a server-side option. Once you have a handle on what to migrate and clear goals for the program, engage with your IT team since they will be a crucial partner throughout the process. If you use a tag manager, work with the support team as they will bring expertise, experience, and structure to the migration project.
It’s never too late to explore this option and whether server-side tagging is right for your company – the migration can be a heavy effort but the payoff can be huge in the form of added security, site speed, and improved data quality.
