Server-Side Tagging (ssGTM) Overview

Server-side tagging is becoming a cornerstone of modern, data-driven marketing programs.

This method involves deploying a cloud-based application that captures data from a customer’s browser and forwards it to third-party services.

It also eliminates the need for the customer’s browser to send data to each service individually, providing a more efficient and secure way of managing data.

Immediate Benefits:

• Extended Functionality: Ensures lasting capabilities through 2025 and beyond.
• Enhanced User Privacy: Offers better protection for user data.
• Improved Data Control and Security: Gives marketers better control over data.
• Faster Load Times: Enhances the consumer experience by reducing site load times.
• High-Quality Data: Provides opportunities for enriching first-party data.

Case Study: Driving Business Impact

One of our clients saw an 18% increase in conversion tracking signals by integrating server-side tags. By implementing ssGTM alongside Google Enhanced Conversions and Meta CAPI tags, the client achieved significant improvements:

• Improved Tracking & Measurement: An 18% lift in recognized conversions, enhancing campaign performance analysis.
• Enhanced Data Quality: More accurate data, with opportunities for further enrichment.
• Better Customer Experience: Doubled site speeds by reducing pixel calls.
  Greater Data Privacy: Secure data transfer with no risk of external scraping or fingerprinting.
  

Why Marketers Must Invest Now

Building a robust first-party data strategy is crucial for delivering personalized communications, running advanced analytics, leveraging AI in marketing, and managing customer data securely. Key components include:

• Fully-integrated data architecture.
• Standardized data structure and nomenclature.
• Robust, privacy-safe data collection.
• Seamless data analysis, segmentation, and activation.
• Secure and accessible data reporting and visualization.

The Evolution of Tagging

Historically, client-side tagging has been prevalent, but it faces significant challenges such as cookie deprecation and security issues. Server-side tagging, however, offers consistent, durable, and secure data management, making it a future-proof solution.

Comparison:

Client-Side Tagging:

• • Benefits: 
    • Cheap: Uses processing and storage from user’s device
    • Fast: Requires no server configuration
    • Automatic: Where third-party cookies are available, marketing platforms can easily link users to those they know from other contexts
  • Challenges: Incomplete data, less secure, expiring in 2025 (Cookie deprecation will functionally kill the value of client-side tagging as a tool to power media campaigns)
     .

Server-Side Tagging:

• • Benefits: 
    • Consistent: Consistent data collection, passing, and matching methodologies across marketing platforms
    • Durable: Will continue to operate when cookies are deprecated
    • Consumer Safety: Complete marketer control of data passing process; no fingerprinting, privacy-safe
    • Performance: Reduces tagging & accelerates site load times
      
  • Challenges: Costs associated with server utilization and data storage, requires PII opt-in, perceived security concerns.

Partnering with Napkyn

Napkyn offers expert implementations, leveraging their extensive experience and proprietary technology to deliver speed and accuracy. They provide:

• Expert Implementation: Certified Google Cloud and Google Marketing Platform practitioners.
• Proprietary Technology: Automated GTM configuration and deployment.
• Security and Privacy: ISO/IEC 27001 certified solutions.

With server-side tagging, you can unlock sophisticated, effective, and future-proofed marketing capabilities. Start your journey towards a robust first-party data strategy today and ensure your marketing remains effective and compliant with evolving consumer and regulatory expectations.

For more detailed technical insights and implementation steps, reach out to the experts at Napkyn. They will guide you through setting up a Google Tag Manager server-side container and deploying a cloud-based service tailored to your needs.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to reach out with any questions or to begin your server-side tagging journey.