SERVER-SIDE TRACKING EPISODE 2: TECHNIQUE OF THE BOOSTERS

by Daniele Masiello | Oct 14, 2022 | Analytics, Tracking

If the title rings a bell, good job Padawan. 🤖⚔️ 

Here we are ready to jump into the second episode of Server Side Tracking, the saga. A story of heroes (i.e. our BoosterBox tracking team) who bravely face down the constant tracking challenges of an ever-changing online advertising landscape. Let’s ward off the Dark Side with our brand new lightsaber: SST!

If you have quickly recapped on episode one – top marks again Padawan. If you didn’t, because you already guessed  we would offer a quick recap – nice move, you lazy clever clogs! But be aware, you can’t take shortcuts all the way if you want to become a Jedi. 

Previously on…

Why bother with Server Side?

Privacy concerns

Server-side tracking can be more compliant with privacy regulations, compared to third-party web tracking scripts that can’t be strictly controlled and can scrape sensitive data or personal identifiers without your knowledge. 

SST allows you to control what information is sent to which platforms. This prevents platforms from collecting data from your website that they are not allowed to. You can also  either remove Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from the string before sending it to third-party platforms, or you can hash PII before sending it.

User name, user email and phone number can be considered as PII and by hashing/removing them before sending this data to platforms, users become more protected and tracking more compliant.

Data accuracy

Another advantage of server-side tracking is the increased data accuracy. Many browsers are already blocking third-party cookies and additionally users can use Adblockers, which prevent accurate tracking. Server side tracking circumvents some of these restrictions. 

With SST, all cookies can be put in a first-party context. Imagine a space shield protecting your data from browsers’ limitations and ad blockers: “you have no power here, tracking enemy spaceships”!

Performance

So now it should be clear: it is not only a matter of enhanced privacy but also a matter of enhanced quality. SST increases the quality of data your website tracks, while enhancing the experience of your customers. With fewer third-party code and tracking tags, page load speeds automatically increase, improving the UX and potentially increasing the purchase funnel conversion rate.

Okay Queen of Naboo, what’s the catch?

True, SST does not come without pain points and drawbacks. Much like client-side tracking. So, let’s see the pros and cons of both:

CST pros

• Simple setup
  Most platforms have client-side tracking settings ready. Plus, thanks to many tools like tag managers, tracking scripts can be added quickly
• Provides detailed data
  When a tracking script is loaded through the browsers, it gets a lot of data and sends it all to an external party
• Lower costs
  Client-side tracking is easier and so the workflow will be. Also, there are no costs connected to having and maintaining a server

CST cons

• Data blocked by browsers or ad blockers
  Some browsers and ad blockers already block third-party cookies, so you’re missing data of some visitors and their precious behaviour. Longer term- think of the fact that Google will be revoking support for third-party cookies in 2024 and the impact this will have
• Potentially higher load time
  More tracking scripts means slower operations on the website- simple as that. If you maintain scripts poorly, the user experience might be ruined
• Privacy risks
  CST means little to no control over the data that is sent from scripts. PII can be easily accidentally forwarded to analytics platforms and that poses a threat to privacy compliance

SST pros

• Data ownership and full control
  Data is sent to your server first, so you’re in charge of which data is sent to third-party platforms. Also, you can send data to your warehouse for further analysis for more data-driven decision making
• Better user experience
  The load is moved to the server, hence users’ browsers don’t have to do anything. This results in shorter load time, thus improving performance and UX
• Not impacted by browser restrictions
  Data collected through SST can’t be touched by browsers or ad blockers. This can lead to more traffic recorded and therefore more data to feed the algorithms with

SST cons

• Complex implementation
  No cats under the table, for SST you will need support from your IT department to set up the server
• Higher costs
  It might be peanuts (depending on your data volume), but a server costs money

SST is more

This is our PoV, but hey!, you’re in our blog. Whose point of view were you expecting! In our opinion, SST is:

• More accurate
• More secure
• More reliable 

And… 

• It opens up a better opportunity for cross-device tracking

Cross-device tracking

We’ve said it many times. We call it “the messy-middle” and it is the super-complex path consumers take from first touch to the final conversion, involving a variety of multiple channels and devices. It is vital to understand off-domain and cross-device interactions to identify all the sources of traffic and therefore be able to run proper attribution.

Now if your customers are technically savvy and use ad blockers, your event tracking might not work properly. Similarly, if browsers are limiting the amount of collected data this will also be a barrier to accurate tracking. Poor tracking accuracy leads to non-data-driven decision making. Scary!

Technique of the Boosters

Now you have all the information about server-side tracking. We have provided you with the perfectly balanced lightsaber to cut through the Dark Side. Use the server-side tracking Force, padawan. 🤖⚔️  Now that we have covered ‘The Why’, let’s enter the heart of Episode 2 – ‘The How’! 

Boosters’ paths

If you are curious about how we run server-side tracking at Booster Box, read on. If you’re not, we’ll pretend that it doesn’t bother us because we’re decent human beings but we might accidentally drop a spell on you. Just so you know, Sith undercover. 

• GA tracking implementation
  A typical tagging configuration relies on adding a GTM container in the page to send measurement data out. For SST, we’ll implement an additional server container that you and only you (well, maybe also us, but only for well-intentioned data-driven purposes to skyrocket performance) will fully control. You will have control over what data is retrieved, how it is stored and where it is sent. Long story short: using events, triggers and variables we can fire tags in the server GTM container and afterwards send the desired data from the endpoint to Google Analytics.

• Advertising platforms
• • Meta Conversions API
    This is the way to share offline and key web events with Meta. Data can be sent from your server and used by Meta to run more consistent and effective ads. This approach uses the Facebook Pixel and follows the below steps:
• • • Data is collected through GA4 Web Tag but not stored on third-party server
    • Data is sent to first-party server container
    • The desired (potentially more limited or hashed)data is sent to Meta thanks to API Conversions

• • Google Ads Conversion Linker
    Google Ads also has an option to send data collected from server side tracking to the advertising platform. Similarly to Meta, this approach also utilises GA4 tags and follows a similar flow.

• Come on shake your body baby do that COMBO
  True, you can go for a vertical solution and implement SST for one platform only, or for GA only. But the best way to get an extra 5 -10% (according to our Boosters big-brains) of events tracked is to use a combo move. Providing multiple platforms with data collected server side increases the amount of data available for machine learning (in terms of bidding) can improve privacy compliance and feeds your campaigns with useful first-party data that you alone can leverage (Joey. Doesn’t. Share. Data!) *mic drop*

In a nutshell

1. Server-side tracking will make you more privacy compliant, while keeping pockets full of extra-data
2. Implementation is more complicated- true. But what are we here for?
3. We run it both as GA tracking only and as advertising platform specific
4. Using a complete approach you could increase tracked events by 5-10% (based on our experience)
5. You might want to get in touch with us and start your server-side tracking implementation
6. You didn’t realise number 3 is missing, you’re going back to check, and now you’re smiling because we got you- wait, we’re not on 2008 Facebook. Let’s drop this crap

And with that, yes we’re done. May the force of SST be with you, Padawan (come on, we know you’re not a Sith undercover. Sith were defeated in the Battle of Exegol in the 35 ABY and won’t return).

Server Side Tracking: the high tower of data and privacy

by Daniele Masiello | Sep 19, 2022 | Analytics, Tracking

We’re not talking about GoT’s House Hightower (we could absolutely write an entire essay on this topic, but – unfortunately – it’s not the time or place), but about Server Side Tracking (SST) and how it can enhance your analytics and improve your privacy compliance.

Let’s get into the details! Server side tracking works differently to client side tracking, and we’re here to explain it all. We can bring you through the differences, the pros, the cons, and all that important stuff. So read on, let us do our job and keep the wolf (spell it: boss) from the door.

CLIENT-SIDE TRACKING

Client-side tracking (CST) is when a cookie is sent to the client, set on their device and then sent back to the server with each request. This can be done using JavaScript or by installing browser plugins such as Ghostery, NoScript or AdBlock Plus.

CST relies on the dreaded and feared third-party cookies. Put simply, a string of text is taken from the users’ browser and leveraged tracking-wise by a third platform (hence the name: third-party cookies). Seems legit, so why are we all getting stressed out about third-party cookies?

Because those cookies, taken from the users’ browser, aren’t always used solely for direct tracking reasons, but also some more hidden purposes. Stay calm, we’re not talking about ritual magic, ceremonies or various conspiracies! We’re just saying that collected data, first shown to the company for tracking purposes, can then sometimes be sold – for instance – for market research purposes.

SERVER SIDE TRACKING

As opposed to CST, Server side tracking (SST) is a method of tracking users that relies on data collected on the server side. SST is sometimes known as server-side cookie tracking or server-side sessionization, but these terms are actually misleading and confusing for most people. Instead of relying on cookies or other client side technologies, SST uses data from your web application to identify and track users across sessions.

Relying on data collected on the server side only, SST is a more accurate way of tracking users, mainly because it doesn’t rely on cookies or other client side technologies and can still be used to target advertising, measure conversions and understand user behaviour. We will go into more depth on this in another post…unless you want this to turn into a novel. And we know you don’t.

In short, data remains inside a first-party server instead of flying to external parties. Well, it doesn’t have to remain stuck inside a server indefinitely, you’re actually in charge of where you want to send data and what data will feed algorithms to ensure your campaigns soar. Already, you can see a clear advantage over CST. But you know, giving you details is our job and we may as well do it properly. Although, we won’t say it’s our passion – read our previous blog post to understand why.

SST PROS

The benefits of Server side tracking are too numerous to count! Wait… how inaccurate is that statement? Sorry, we can’t repulse our scientific soul. As a scientific marketing agency in love with numbers, we think everything can be counted. Benefits for sure, so let’s count them out:

1) Collect more data and enrich it
You can collect more data (SST avoids restrictions driven by ad blocking browser plugins and specific browsers – like Safari), which will give you a greater understanding of your users and their behaviour.

2) Flexibility
Server side tracking allows for more flexibility than browser-side tracking using pixels. For example, server side tracking lets you customise what elements should be tracked based on user preferences or the device they’re using (instead of relying on cookie settings)

3) Improve privacy compliance
Collected data is sent directly to your first-party server and can be anonymised before being passed to platforms for tracking and campaign enhancement purposes. This could help ensure users data is not sent back into the market for third-purposes as well – basically you’re the only one benefiting from your tracking. Additionally, Server side tracking gives businesses access to data from all devices regardless where the cookies have been set.

4) Increase conversion rates
Server side tracking helps increase conversion rates because it allows companies to feed algorithms with more data, thus improving performance. The site speed and performance are also improved as the burden of tracking is removed from the client’s browser.

SST CONS

As we have seen, Server side tracking has many benefits over client side tracking, but it also comes with some drawbacks. While being generally more accurate and efficient than client side tracking, it’s not without its problems.

Implementation requires more technical support and knowledge and the server’s direct cost must be considered. The cost varies depending on the volume of data.

CONCLUSIONS

Yes right, each blog post has a big conclusion – a finale, if you will. And we know you’re waiting for it, welcoming it, ready to embrace it.

Well, if you know us, then you know that we are a little odd and we like to act differently. Or if you are a spring chicken when it comes to Booster Box, we should warn you now – we’re nerdy pranksters who like to make jokes. You won’t get any conclusions today- this is only episode 1.

If you want to find out more about SST, learn more about how we set it up, and how we use it to improve tracking whilst also improving your privacy compliance, you’ve got to stay tuned and wait for the next episode.

Again, we’re not talking about GoT, we’re talking about SST. Now pardon us, but the fifth episode of HotD’s out and we’re off. Byeee!