10 reasons why server-side tracking is the way to go.
19/11/2024 |
Table of contents
- Better data accuracy
- Bypass adblockers
- Enhanced data security
- Strengthen Compliance to GDPR
- Improved Web & App Performance
- Modular data collection
- Cross-device and cross-platform tracking
- Reduced reliance on Third-Party Cookies
- Better Attribution Accuracy
- Simplified Maintenance & Scalability
In a constantly evolving digital environment, server-side tracking is becoming an increasingly popular choice. With new regulations and growing user expectations for data privacy, updating traditional methods is more critical than ever. Here are the ten main reasons why data marketers should adopt server-side tracking.
1. Better Data Accuracy
Server-side tracking involves placing a single collection tag on your websites and apps, which sends all data to a central server for distribution to authorized partners.
By unifying collected data at the source, you ensure comprehensive information on pages visited and user actions while standardizing the type and format of data. This standardization leads to accurate and reliable data.
Additionally, the server ensures data is properly transmitted to your marketing partners and helps detect errors, further enhancing data quality.
2. Bypass Adblockers
Adblockers pose a significant challenge to data collection by preventing tracking tags from loading correctly.
Server-side tracking overcomes adblockers in two ways:
- Sending data server-to-server, bypassing browser extensions.
- Using techniques like First-Party Hosting, which makes tracking invisible to adblockers.
Bypassing adblockers ensures continuous and comprehensive data collection, which is essential for powering advertising partners, analytics tools, or personalization systems.
3. Enhanced Data Security
With server-side tracking, user data is collected via a single tag and transmitted to a central server. This setup avoids unwanted tags from capturing data without your knowledge.
“Piggybacking”, which means when tags on your site call additional tags that also capture data, is minimized. This practice, common in programmatic display advertising, is significantly reduced with server-side tracking.
4. Strengthen Compliance with Privacy Policies
Regulations like GDPR and CCPA impose strict standards for the collection and processing of personal data. Server-side tracking centralizes data management, making processes more auditable and easing compliance efforts for teams like DPOs (Data Protection Officers) and Privacy Officers.
Data segmentation by region ensures compliance with local regulations, making server-side tracking an essential approach to avoiding hefty fines.
5. Improved Web & App Performance
Client-side solutions often slow down websites and apps due to multiple tracking scripts that need to load. Server-side approaches—whether hybrid (single client-side tag) or full server-side—reduce the load on users’ browsers, leading to faster load times and better user experiences.
Improved load times positively impact SEO rankings and user retention.
6. Fully Modular Data Collection
Distributing data via APIs provides flexibility for both data and technical teams:
- Decide which applications receive data, what data is sent, and in what format.
- Perform data transformations, such as formatting, encryption, or enrichment, which are difficult to achieve client-side.
Server-side tracking ensures data quality through customization options.
7. Cross-Device and Cross-Platform Tracking
User journeys are increasingly fragmented across devices and platforms, such as desktops, smartphones, and in-app browsing.
Server-side tracking, with its ability to enrich data and link it with identifier graphs, facilitates unified user profiles. This cross-device and cross-platform reconciliation allow marketers to better understand user journeys.
8. Reduced Reliance on Third-Party Cookies
The impending disappearance of third-party cookies necessitates a rethinking of traditional tracking strategies. Server-side tracking supports first-party tracking and integrates with identifier graphs to create persistent identifiers that can replace third-party cookies.
This approach ensures data collection resilience amidst regulatory and technological changes.
9. Better Attribution Accuracy
Server-side tracking enables more precise attribution of user actions to marketing channels. By capturing more data than client-side tracking and creating unified user profiles, server-side tracking provides a more complete view of user journeys.
Marketers can use this data to optimize investments and identify the most effective campaigns and ads.
10. Simplified Maintenance and Scalability
Server-side tracking involves unifying data collection at a single point and standardizing inputs and outputs. Data distribution is centralized, with individual distribution rules easily configurable.
This setup gives data teams and developers full control over data flows, allowing errors to be quickly detected and corrected via transformation scripts, without requiring updates to the website or app.
