Google has announced that for 2024, it is starting to pull its support for third party cookies as a means of data collection. Cookies has enables website and business owners to improve website visitor experience and deliver a more personalized experience. Cookies work by using small data files saved on browsers of users to track user behavior across websites.
Due to increasing privacy concerns and a change in policies, there is becoming more focus on cookieless attribution.
Cookieless Attribution involves relying instead on :
- Information a user provides directly:Â for example when signing up for a newsletter (first party data).
- Looking at the bigger picture: Instead of tracking you individually, it might look at the overall patterns of many people to figure out what’s working.
- Tracking on the Server: Some information is collected directly by the company’s servers rather than being stored in your browser.
- Focusing on Context: Ads might be shown based on the content of the page you’re on rather than tracking your past behavior
So, cookieless attribution is all about finding new, privacy-friendly ways to understand what marketing efforts are successful without needing to track every move you make online.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of Cookie-Based Attribution and Cookieless Attribution:
| Aspect | Cookie-Based Attribution | Cookieless Attribution |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking Method | Uses cookies (small data files) to track user behavior across websites. | Relies on alternative methods like first-party data, server-side tracking, and probabilistic models. |
| User Identification | Tracks individual users by storing unique identifiers in their browser. | Focuses on anonymized data, statistical models, and context rather than individual tracking. |
| Privacy Concerns | Often seen as intrusive, as it collects personal data across multiple sites. | Designed to be more privacy-friendly and compliant with regulations like GDPR. |
| Data Accuracy | Typically provides more direct and accurate tracking of user behavior. | May be less precise, relying on aggregated or inferred data to understand user actions. |
| Cross-Device Tracking | Can track users across different devices if cookies are synced. | More challenging to track across devices without cookies, often requires advanced techniques like identity solutions. |
| Regulation Compliance | Faces increasing restrictions due to privacy laws and browser policies. | Better suited for current and future privacy regulations, reducing the need for user consent in many cases. |
| Implementation Complexity | Generally easier to implement with widely available tools and technologies. | More complex to set up, requiring new tools, expertise, and approaches to ensure accuracy and effectiveness. |
| Dependence on Browsers | Highly dependent on browser support for cookies, which is decreasing. | Less dependent on browsers, as it can utilize server-side tracking and other technologies. |
| User Experience Impact | Can slow down website performance and affect user experience due to cookie loading. | Potentially faster website performance without the need for extensive cookie management. |
| Innovation | Traditional method, becoming outdated due to privacy concerns and regulations. | Drives innovation in the industry, leading to new solutions and tools for attribution without cookies. |
