Cookieless Tracking: What Is It and How Does It Work?

How do you personalize ads when customers are less willing to share their data? 

With data privacy becoming a growing concern among users, the third-party cookies you’ve relied on to track your customers can soon be obsolete. This shift has allowed a new, less-intrusive method of tracking customers popular: cookieless tracking. 

It will influence more than just how you learn more about your customers but also your decision-making and digital marketing processes. This article will discuss more about the cookieless future ahead, as well as tips on how to implement cookieless tracking into your strategies. 

What is Cookieless Tracking? 

Cookieless tracking, also called anonymized tracking, is a method of tracking your customers without storing unique information that can identify them. Instead, you’ll need to rely on first-party cookies over third-party ones to deliver your website experiences. 

Respecting data privacy as a human right is valued by 76% of Filipino adults. By not relying on cookies, you can create a safer browsing experience that assures users their activities aren’t being tracked. This approach builds customer trust by demonstrating your commitment to respecting their privacy.

However, first-party cookies are still necessary for improving the online experience, allowing your site to remember customer preferences, such as saved cart items.

Implementing cookieless tracking allows you to stay updated with the latest Google Analytics update, GA4, which seeks to make third-party cookies obsolete. With the global shift to a cookieless future, it’s important to understand how cookieless tracking works. 

How Cookieless Tracking Works

Most cookieless tracking works on the server rather than a user’s web browser. Below are a few general stages of the process.

1. Owners prepare website tracking tools

Cookieless tracking solutions, such as event tracking, server log analysis, or API tracking, are usually available on different website tracking tools. You’ll need to choose a solution compatible with your tracking tool to gather user data safely and effectively.  

1. Users visit your website

When a user visits your website, servers initiate scripts that your tracking tool can use to gain non-invasive insights into their behavior (via event tracking) or their IP address (via server log analysis).  

• Your server receives the visitor’s data

Since cookieless tracking happens on the server side rather than the user’s browser, users don’t receive code that tracks them wherever they go online (i.e., cookies). 

1. Server-side data is sent to your website tracking tool 

Your preferred website tracking tool can help you understand the anonymized visitor data, allowing you to find insights and understand them more. 

How to Implement Cookieless Tracking

Follow the steps below to implement cookieless tracking and get ahead of your competitors.

1. Assess your tracking needs

Since not all customer data may be relevant to you, knowing your business goals will inform which ones you actually need to gather your cookieless tracking strategies.

2. Choose a cookieless tracking solution

To effectively track user data without cookies, consider factors such as compatibility with your website tracking tool, ease of implementation, and data accuracy. One viable option, especially for users of Google Analytics, is Google’s Consent Mode. 

3. Implement the chosen cookieless tracking solution

Once you decide on a cookieless tracking service provider, you must obtain the necessary scripts and plugins. Work closely with your tracking provider to understand the best approach to tracking your customers safely. 

4. Customize tracking parameters

Select specific parameters to track based on your goals to narrow the data you gather. For instance, you can focus on their IP address for local content delivery or their user agent to gain further insights into their behavior. 

5. Run context-specific promotions

Consider using context-specific promotions instead of relying on third-party cookies and data for website personalization. For example, if a customer is browsing for office chairs on your furniture website, you can promote other office chairs and office-related items on the same page to keep their interest. 

Gather Data While Respecting Customer Privacy

Tracking customers with third-party cookies is slowly becoming outdated as more users prioritize their privacy while browsing the internet. Your business needs to respond to this behavior shift if you want to remain relevant and competitive in the cookieless future. 

Although cookieless tracking will disrupt the traditional way of understanding your customers and delivering personalized content, it presents an opportunity for businesses and marketers to innovate and find a balance between tracking user data and respecting privacy. 

Staying informed about evolving tracking methods and tech helps you deliver better and safer customer experiences online.

It’s best to have a centralized platform to gather and analyze customer data for valuable insights. Inquiro provides data-driven solutions to help you gain a holistic view of your target audience, enabling successful marketing campaigns. Contact us today to optimize your customer experience and achieve interaction consistency.