Time for Server-Side Tagging

In our second article of the Server-Side series, we’re diving into why the time is now to move to the Server-Side.

The world wide web is evolving, both from a technological, as well as a legislative perspective. With our intrance into the cookieless era, the relevancy and added value of a Server-Side Tagging setup is increasing.

Particularly through Google Tag Manager. When combined with Google Cloud’s Cloud Run, this presents a great solution.

We will explore the benefits, drawbacks, and reasons why businesses should consider making the shift via this setup.

But first, why is the time now?

Why is the time to set up Server-Side tagging now?

Since cookies were introduced in 1994, they’ve been key for tracking website visits.

But, the game has been changing over the years. And, it’s especially starting changing when in 2018, GDPR (and CCPA for our American readers) put privacy in the spotlight.

Fast forward to 2019, and Google announced that in a few years, we will say goodbye to third-party cookies in the Chrome browser. Additionally, Apple wasn’t far behind, setting its own rules with IDFA.

With such big moves happening, browsers started and kept getting stricter about cookies.

These developments make server-side tagging increasingly important. It lets us track data without relying on browser cookies, directly from servers.

This way, we stay on top of privacy rules and keep our data sharp and complete. Given the privacy trends and tech shifts, switching to server-side tagging is the smart choice now.

It’s all about staying ahead and keeping data collection smooth and compliant. And not to forget, to keep data accurate and flowing in.

I’ve created a timeline to dive deeper into the history of cookies and their evolution.

This timeline covers key events, focusing on developments and, notably, restrictions. It offers a comprehensive look at how cookie policies have changed over time.

Understanding Server-Side Tagging

Server-side tagging refers to the process of handling your website’s tags or tracking codes on a server rather than directly on the user’s browser.

This method offers a mix of benefits, ranging from improved site speed to enhanced data privacy.

In comparison, most of us relied on client-side tracking over the past, and still. To understand the difference, consider reading our first blog on this topic: server-side vs. client-side tagging.

The Advantages of Server-Side Tagging

Enhanced User Privacy and Data Security

When you process data on the server, you create a fortified barrier against potential data breaches and misuse.

For instance, consider a scenario where a healthcare company collects sensitive health information through its website. By utilizing server-side tagging, this company ensures that personal health data is processed in a secure server environment. Of course, you have this rather than on the user’s device.

This approach not only minimizes the risk of unauthorized access but also aligns with stringent health data protection laws. And strict laws surrounding health businesses are present in most regions.

Boosted Site Performance

Imagine an e-commerce website that uses multiple third-party marketing and analytics scripts. Effectively, many custom events and/or custom JavaScript.

Each script adds to the load time of the site.

By adopting server-side tagging, the website can reduce the number of scripts executed in the visitor’s browser, significantly speeding up the site.

For example, a transition to server-side tagging might reduce a page’s load time from 5 seconds to 2 seconds, or from 1 second to 0.5 second.

In turn, this will improve the shopping experience, reducing bounce rates, and potentially increasing sales conversions.

This improvement in load time also positively impacts the site’s SEO authority, as search engines favor faster websites.

Hence, this might lead to an increased ranking performance of the website in search engines. This can be monitored via Search Console for Google, via Webmaster Tools for Bing. In turn, this might generate increase the number of visitors.

Overall, when you’re conversion rate stays equal, this leads to increased revenue, adding to realizing business goals.

Improved Data Accuracy

Ad blockers and disabled JavaScript can skew the data collected by websites, leading to inaccurate analytics.

For example, a news portal might report lower visitor counts due to ad blockers preventing client-side tags from firing.

Server-side tagging circumvents these issues by processing data on the server, ensuring a more accurate count of visits, engagement, and user behavior.

This accuracy is critical for understanding audience needs, optimizing content strategies and building smart audiences.

Customization and Control

Server-side tagging offers flexibility in data handling. This is crucial for businesses with specific data collection needs or those operating in heavily regulated industries.

Remember the recent introduction of Consent Mode v2? Legislative updates will continue to present us with data challenges.

However, this level of control ensures that companies can adapt to regulatory changes quickly and efficiently. This helps us safeguard user data while maintaining compliance.

By shifting to server-side tagging, companies can leverage these benefits to enhance user trust. And also, increase website performance and data integrity. all while ensuring compliance with regulations.

Considerations Before Making the Shift to a Server-Side Tagging setup

Technical Complexity

Implementing server-side tagging requires a certain level of technical expertise.

Companies need to have the right infrastructure and skilled personnel to manage the transition and ongoing operations effectively.

To implement and configure server-side tagging via Google Tag Manager and Cloud Run will require the expertise of a web analytics professional or technically skilled personnel.

Proper configuration, along with the precise setup of tags and triggers, is crucial.

Moreover, the ability to debug GTM and verify the functionality of your tracking system is essential for optimal performance.

This ensures that your digital analytics framework operates flawlessly, providing accurate and actionable insights for your business’s strategic decisions.

Cost Implications

Depending on the scale, server-side tagging can introduce additional costs for server resources and maintenance.

However, these expenses are often offset by the long-term benefits and efficiencies gained.

To be a little more precise, I have experienced the following with this website:

Service	Cost per day	Cost per Month
Networking cost	€ 0,55	€ 16,50
Minimum of 1 instance on Google Cloud Run	€ 1,51	€ 45,30
Minimum of 2 instances on Google Cloud Run	€ 3,03	€ 90,90

The total cost is build up by the number of instances utilized and the total networking cost.

In the above example, (I am currently running 1 instanceon Google Cloud) It costs me approximately €61,80 each month, depending on the amount of network activity. More outgoing requests (egress cost) could lead to increased network costs for example. incoming request don’t come with additional cost.

Migration Process

Transitioning to server-side tagging requires secure planning to ensure continuity and accuracy in data tracking.

Begin with assessing your current tagging setup to determine which tags need migration or reconfiguration for server processing.

It’s essential to set up a robust infrastructure. typically, it involves platforms like Google Tag Manager combined with Cloud Run, and the allocation of skilled personnel for implementation.

The migration ideally includes a pilot testing phase to debug and verify the functionality before full deployment. This helps in catching any issues early and ensures the system’s optimal performance once fully operational.

For example, an incorrectly migrated tag might misreport user interactions, leading to incorrect data-driven decisions. This emphasizes the need for thorough testing and validation.

Congifure with Cloud Run

Google Tag Manager, coupled with Cloud Run, offers a robust and scalable solution for server-side tagging.

Reasoning as to why to utilize Cloud Run:

Seamless Integration

Direct Connection to Google Services: GTM’s integration with Cloud Run is facilitated through direct connections to Google services, including Google Analytics and Google Ads. This ensures data from server-side tagging is easily and accurately processed and funneled into these platforms.

Automatic SSL Certificates: Cloud Run automatically handles SSL certificates for secure connections, simplifying the setup process and ensuring data is encrypted during transit.

Scalability and Reliability

Automatic Scaling: Cloud Run dynamically scales up or down based on traffic, ensuring your tagging infrastructure can handle peak loads without manual intervention.

This means that during times of low traffic, resources are scaled down to minimize costs, remember my cost example? Hence, during high traffic, resources are automatically scaled up to handle the load.

Load Balancing: Utilizes Google’s robust load balancing technology to distribute incoming requests across multiple container instances efficiently, ensuring high availability and reliability.

Always-On Option: Businesses can choose to keep at least one instance always live, ensuring quick responses to requests at any time, which is crucial for maintaining consistent performance and user experience.

Cost-Effectiveness

Pay-As-You-Go Pricing: With Cloud Run, you are billed for the actual compute time your container instances are in use, calculated to the nearest 100 milliseconds.

This means you’re not paying for idle resources, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to manage their server-side tagging needs efficiently.

Resource Efficiency: Cloud Run’s ability to precisely allocate resources based on demand ensures you’re only using what you need, optimizing your spend on cloud services.

Accessibility

Comprehensive Documentation and Tutorials: Google provides extensive documentation, tutorials, and best practices, making it accessible for businesses of any size to implement and manage server-side tagging.

This resource pool significantly lowers the barrier to entry, allowing companies without a large technical team to take full advantage of server-side tagging.

Community Support and Platforms: Access to a community of developers and Google Cloud experts through forums and platforms like Stack Overflow.

Conclusion

The shift to server-side tagging is a strategic move for companies aiming to enhance data privacy, website performance, and analytical accuracy.

Leveraging Google Tag Manager via Google Cloud’s Cloud Run provides a powerful, scalable, and cost-effective solution to meet these objectives.

While the transition requires careful consideration and planning, the long-term benefits for user experience, SEO, and data integrity are undeniable.

Start planning your move to server-side tagging today and unlock the potential of your digital analytics strategy.

In our next blog, we’re going to take a look at how to set up a server-side tagging environment.

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