required marketing upgrade in 2025
A Complete Guide to Accurate Tracking, Privacy Compliance, and Future-Proofing Your Data Strategy
As businesses and marketers face tighter privacy regulations, rising use of ad blockers, and browser restrictions, the challenge to collect accurate, compliant data has never been greater. To navigate these hurdles, marketers must implement server-side tracking. In this article you learn why and how:
Server-Side Tagging for more control and accurate data.
Consent Mode V2.0 for respecting user consent while maintaining tracking capabilities.
Enhanced Conversions for leveraging secure first-party data to improve ad attribution.
This article explains the what, why, and how of these solutions and introduces two powerful tools—CookieYes and Stape—to simplify implementation and ensure your data tracking remains compliant, accurate, and future-ready.
What is Tagging and Why is It Important?
Tags are small snippets of code that collect information about user behavior on your website. This data is sent to analytics tools (like GA4 Google Analytics) or ad platforms (like Facebook Ads and Google Ads) to help you:
Measure website traffic and conversions.
Attribute conversions to specific ad campaigns.
Understand where your audience is coming from.
However, how tags fire—via client-side tagging or server-side tagging—makes a huge difference in tracking accuracy, performance, and privacy compliance.
What is Client-Side Tagging? (Your current setup)
How It Works
In client-side tagging, data is collected and sent directly from the user’s browser to analytics or advertising platforms.
A visitor lands on your website.
Tags load in their browser (Chrome, Safari, etc.).
The browser sends data (e.g., clicks, purchases) to platforms like Google Analytics, Facebook Ads, or TikTok Ads.
Pros of Client-Side Tagging
✅ Easy to implement using tools like Google Tag Manager (GTM).
✅ No need for additional servers or infrastructure.
Limitations of Client-Side Tagging
❌ Ad Blockers: Prevent tags from firing, leading to data loss.
❌ Browser Privacy Restrictions: Safari’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) shortens cookie lifespans, reducing tracking accuracy.
❌ Website Performance: Loading multiple scripts in the browser slows down site speed.
❌ Data Loss: Missing data from ad blockers, incognito browsing, and privacy tools can account for up to 20% of lost tracking data.
☹️ Client-side tagging no longer delivers the reliability modern businesses need.
What is Server-Side Tagging? (The solution)
How It Works
Server-side tagging shifts the data collection process away from the browser to a server you control. Here’s how it works:
A user visits your website.
Instead of sending data directly to platforms, it is first sent to a tracking server (hosted via Google Cloud or tools like Stape).
The tracking server processes the data and forwards only the necessary information to tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Ads, and others.
Why Server-Side Tagging is Better
Improved Accuracy
Bypasses ad blockers and uses first-party cookies, ensuring cleaner data.
Website Performance
Reduces browser workload by consolidating tracking requests.
Better Privacy Compliance
Filters and anonymizes data securely before sharing it with third-party tools.
Data Ownership
Full control over your tracking server and collected data.
Example: Instead of directly sending user data to Facebook, your server processes and cleans the data first. This reduces the risk of sharing unnecessary information while improving reliability.
Introducing Google’s Consent Mode V2.0 (forced compliance)
With tightening privacy laws like GDPR, CCPA, and a number of new USA regulations that will start to be enforced businesses must respect user preferences regarding cookies and data collection. Google’s Consent Mode V2.0 bridges this gap between compliance and tracking.
How Consent Mode V2.0 Works
Consent Capture: Users opt in or out of cookies via a cookie consent banner (managed by tools like CookieYes).
Dynamic Tag Behavior:
If the user accepts cookies, tags fire as usual, and all data is tracked.
If the user declines cookies, tags fire in restricted mode, sending only anonymized or aggregated data.
Data Modeling: Google uses machine learning to model conversions for users who opted out, filling in gaps caused by missing data.
What Are Enhanced Conversions? (Money in the bank)
Enhanced Conversions work alongside server-side tagging and Consent Mode to improve conversion tracking, even in a world with blocked cookies.
How It Works
When a user completes a conversion (e.g., makes a purchase), their first-party data (like email) is collected.
This data is hashed (encrypted for privacy) and sent securely to Google Ads.
Google matches the hashed data to its logged-in users to attribute the conversion accurately.
Why It Matters: Enhanced Conversions restore tracking accuracy without violating privacy rules, making it a critical tool for ad performance optimization.
How Server-Side Tagging Boosts SEO (performance boost)
Server-side tagging significantly enhances website performance and user experience, two critical factors for search engine optimization (SEO).
With client-side tagging, tracking scripts are loaded directly in the browser, which increases page load times and slows down performance. This added weight can frustrate users, leading to higher bounce rates and lower engagement—both of which negatively impact SEO rankings. Additionally, ad blockers and browser privacy settings can interfere with data collection, creating further gaps in insights.
Server-side tagging resolves these issues by processing data on a central server rather than in the browser. This approach reduces the number of scripts executed on the client side, improving website speed and responsiveness. Faster page load times are a direct ranking factor for search engines like Google, which prioritize delivering high-performing, user-friendly sites in search results.
In short, server-side tagging streamlines data collection while enhancing site performance, helping you rank higher, retain visitors longer, and deliver a better user experience.
Why Tools Like CookieYes and Stape Are Essential (no-code solutions)
To implement these solutions successfully, you need tools that simplify consent management and server-side tagging. Here are our recommended tools:
CookieYes: For Consent Management
CookieYes is a leading Consent Management Platform (CMP) that ensures websites comply with global privacy laws like GDPR, CCPA, and more.
What CookieYes Offers:
Obtain User Consent: Displays customizable cookie banners to capture user preferences.
Manage Consent Signals: Integrates with Google Consent Mode V2.0 to dynamically adjust tags.
Automate Compliance: Generates cookie policies and securely stores consent records for audits.
Why You Need It:
CookieYes ensures your tracking is transparent, legal, and user-friendly, enabling you to collect only consented data while staying compliant.
Compliance with Global Privacy Laws
CookieYes helps you comply with major privacy regulations by automating user consent collection, storage, and reporting.
GDPR (Europe)
Provides a customizable banner and granular opt-ins.
CCPA/CPRA (California)
Supports "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" links.
VCDPA (Virginia)
Allows opt-out for targeted advertising and tracking.
CPA (Colorado)
Manages user consent and integrates with global signals.
COPPA (U.S. for kids)
Ensures no cookies fire without parental consent.
Coming in 2025 - Get Ready For:
Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act (DPDPA)
Iowa Consumer Data Protection Act (CDPA)
Nebraska Data Privacy Act (NDPA)
New Hampshire Act Relative to the Expectation of Privacy (NHPA)
New Jersey Act Concerning Online Services, Consumers, and Personal Data (NJDPA)
Tennessee Information Protection Act (TIPA)
Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA)
Stape: For Server-Side Tagging
Stape simplifies the process of setting up server-side Google Tag Manager (GTM).
What Stape Offers:
Easy Server Setup: Stape handles hosting, scaling, and maintaining your GTM server.
Pre-Built Templates: Integrates seamlessly with platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, TikTok, and Pinterest.
Real-Time Debugging: Provides tools to validate and troubleshoot server-side tracking.
Cost-Effective Hosting: Affordable solutions tailored to businesses of all sizes.
Why You Need It:
Stape removes the technical hurdles of server-side tagging, ensuring accurate, privacy-compliant data collection without slowing your website.
How Everything Comes Together: A Visual Workflow
Here’s how CookieYes, Stape, Consent Mode V2.0, and Enhanced Conversions work together:
CookieYes collects user consent.
Consent signals are passed to Google Consent Mode V2.0.
Based on consent:
Full Consent: Data is sent directly to Google Ads, Analytics, and other tools.
Limited Consent: Data is anonymized and modeled for accuracy.
Stape processes data via server-side tagging for better control and performance.
Enhanced Conversions send hashed first-party data to platforms like Google Ads to improve conversion tracking securely.
Future-Proof Your Data Strategy
The combination of server-side tagging, Google Consent Mode V2.0, and Enhanced Conversions solves modern challenges like:
Data loss from ad blockers and browser restrictions.
Compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy laws.
Accurate measurement of conversions to optimize ad performance.
Recommended Tools for Implementation
CookieYes:
Manage user consent and ensure compliance with global privacy laws.
Enables Consent Mode V2.0 to dynamically adjust tracking tags.
Stape
Simplify server-side tagging and improve data accuracy and performance.
Reduces technical complexity and supports secure, first-party data processing.
Next Steps: Ready to Upgrade Your Tracking?
Implement CookieYes to manage consent and comply with privacy regulations.
Transition to server-side tagging with Stape to improve data accuracy and control.
Leverage Google Consent Mode V2.0 and Enhanced Conversions for better ad attribution.
Future-proof your data strategy, respect user privacy, and unlock reliable tracking insights for your marketing success!
Need help getting started? We have a turnkey solution to make this all happen. Let’s chat!
What The Platforms and Players Say
Web Browsers
Google Chrome
Impact: Will phase out third-party cookies completely in 2025, shifting to Privacy Sandbox to improve user privacy while still enabling ad targeting and personalization using first-party data and trustworthy machine learning models.
Mozilla Firefox
Impact: Has implemented Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) by default, blocking third-party cookies in Private Browsing and cross-site tracking. Focus on cookie blocking to protect user data.
Apple Safari
Impact: Safari introduced Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP), blocking third-party cookies and limiting cross-site tracking to enhance privacy. This change has already been implemented and is continuously updated for stronger privacy protection.
Microsoft Edge
Impact: Like Chrome, Edge is transitioning towards Privacy Sandbox to remove third-party cookies. The browser has adopted a tracking prevention feature similar to Firefox's, restricting third-party cookies and tracking.
Mobile Platforms
Apple iOS
Impact: App Tracking Transparency (ATT) on iOS blocks cross-app tracking, giving users the ability to opt-out of personalized ads, essentially replacing the use of third-party cookies with a focus on user consent.
Google Android
Impact: Android is following a similar path, restricting third-party cookies, but focusing on privacy features in Google Play and WebView to limit cross-app tracking and ensure data privacy.
Advertising Networks & Platforms
Google Ads
Impact: Google will transition to first-party data and Privacy Sandbox for personalized ads, moving away from third-party cookie-based tracking. This will still allow for targeted ads, but through new privacy-focused methods such as FLEDGE.
Meta (Facebook) Ads
Impact: Meta will increasingly rely on first-party data and AI-powered contextual targeting to replace third-party cookie tracking, offering advertisers alternatives like Conversions API.
Amazon Advertising
Impact: Amazon will focus on first-party data from its own ecosystem (e.g., purchases on Amazon.com) to provide personalized ads, removing reliance on third-party cookie data.
Snapchat Ads
Impact: Like other platforms, Snapchat is focusing on first-party data for advertising, with less reliance on third-party cookies. It is also improving its Conversion API for better measurement.
Microsoft Advertising
Impact: Microsoft Ads is leaning on first-party data and consent-based tracking to ensure privacy while still delivering targeted ads, avoiding third-party cookies.
Social Media Platforms
Twitter
Impact: Twitter is shifting towards first-party data with improvements in contextual and behavioral targeting for ads, reducing reliance on third-party cookies for personalized experiences.
TikTok
Impact: TikTok will rely on first-party data and AI-driven algorithms to serve ads without third-party cookies, focusing on contextual targeting and improving user consent mechanisms.
LinkedIn
Impact: LinkedIn will move towards first-party data and compliance with privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA, offering advertisers alternative methods to deliver personalized ads while protecting user privacy.
Data Management Platforms (DMPs) & Analytics Services
Google Analytics
Impact: Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has been designed to focus on first-party data and privacy-focused tracking, reducing reliance on third-party cookies and introducing more event-based tracking.
Adobe Analytics
Impact: Adobe is adjusting to the loss of third-party cookies by focusing on first-party data and server-side tracking solutions that comply with privacy laws like GDPR.
Comscore
Impact: Comscore is leveraging its first-party data and privacy-compliant methodologies to offer accurate audience measurement and analytics without using third-party cookies.
AI Platforms
OpenAI (ChatGPT)
Impact: AI platforms like OpenAI will focus on first-party data to improve user interaction, utilizing privacy-preserving AI models. They will adapt to cookie-less environments through better user consent and compliance with privacy laws.
Google AI (BERT, LaMDA, etc.)
Impact: Google’s AI platforms will integrate first-party data and rely on privacy-focused frameworks like the Privacy Sandbox for ad targeting and data processing, ensuring compliance with evolving privacy standards.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) AI
Impact: AWS AI solutions will focus on data security and user privacy, ensuring privacy-compliant AI development through secure data handling and privacy-enhancing technologies.