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Operations & supportServer-side tracking
Server-Side Tracking is an implementation of user tracking that increases the reliability of your data collection, ensuring more accurate and actionable insights.
Improving data quality
By collecting data directly on the server, you can access more reliable and accurate data, as it is less affected by users' browser settings or ad-blockers.
Increased security
You get access to more reliable and accurate data, improving security and respecting user privacy. Server-Side Tracking eliminates dependency on sensitive user settings and third-party cookies, minimizing the risk of tracking errors.
Improving web performance and SEO
It will reduce the amount of JavaScript running on your website, resulting in faster loading times and improved user experience. This reduction of redundant JavaScript also helps to optimize your website for search engines, which can lead to better rankings in search results and increased visibility for your business online.
Client-Side Tracking vs Server-Side Tracking
Server-side tracking and client-side tracking are two different methods of collecting data on user activity on a website, but they differ in how and where the data is processed.
Client-Side Tracking (The common method today)
Client-based tracking, where multiple tracking codes are executed directly in the user's browser via JavaScript when a user visits a website and in turn sends user activity data to a third-party analytics service such as Facebook, Google Ads, LinkedIn and Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
This method of tracking is relatively easy to implement and offers quick collection of user data. However, despite its advantages, there are some potential obstacles to be aware of. For example, client-based tracking can be sensitive to user settings such as adblockers and browser privacy settings and in turn can affect the data quality and reliability of the data collected. And running multiple JavaScript in users' browsers also becomes a burden on the site's performance.
Server-side tracking
Server-Side Tracking puts you back in control of your data, while improving website performance and security. By running the tracking codes on the website's server, you avoid the load on the user's browser, resulting in faster loading times and a smoother user experience. In addition, you reduce the dependency on the user's settings and ad-blockers, ensuring more reliable and accurate data collection.
Server-side tracking also increases security by eliminating the risk of data skimming and data theft from third-party cookies.
With third-party cookies also being banned as of 2025, server-side tracking becomes even more crucial to ensure that your website continues to deliver reliable data and protects user privacy.
Integrates with
Google Tag Manager
We use Google Tag Manager (GTM) as an efficient tool to configure and manage tracking on your website. GTM acts as a central hub for all tracking tags and gives us the flexibility to customize tags, triggers and variables to suit specific pages and activities on your website. This allows for both basic and advanced tracking solutions.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
GA4 is the leading platform for analyzing data from websites. We connect GA4 with tools such as Search Console and your Google Ads account to get a more in-depth understanding of your website's performance. Our tracking methods are always carried out through GTM, giving us total control over data collection.
CookieHub - For proper handling of cookies
Not only are we responsible for optimizing your website's performance and tracking, but we also place great importance on proper cookie management using CookieHub. By integrating CookieHub with our tracking tools, we gain complete control over how cookies are used on your website. This allows us to ensure that your website complies with the latest data protection requirements and provides users with a transparent and secure online experience.
Google Ads Conversion API
With the Google Ads Conversion API implemented with server side tracking, we can also send conversion data directly from your server to Google Ads. This will help your campaigns get more accurate data than client-based tracking can give you.
Meta Conversion API (Facebook and Instagram)
By using server side tracking with the Meta Conversion API, we can send data directly from your server to Facebook. This gives us better control and security over how data is handled, as well as improving user experience and providing more effective marketing insights. This is valuable whether you advertise on Facebook or not.
Additional Social Media
With server-side tracking, you can also implement tracking for several more social media platforms, including:
- Snapchat
- TikTok
Event tracking for deeper insights
Creating event tracking for server-side to GA4 works almost the same as for client-side. With event tracking, you go one step further by creating unique tracking for different events. It can be clicks on links, buttons and forms. You can create tracking for conversion funnels that we can then visualize with Looker Studio.
E-commerce tracking
For an ecommerce business, properly configured ecommerce tracking is an essential part of driving conversions and insights. We help you integrate this with your advertising and campaigns so you can easily measure your return on investment (ROI).
Boost your digital advertising with server-side tracking
More effective ad optimization
Using Server-Side Tracking gives you access to more reliable data on user interactions, enabling more accurate and effective ad optimization. With reliable, real-time data, you can customize your ads and messages to better reach and engage your target audience.
Cost-effective
By collecting qualitative data directly on the server, you reduce the risk of incorrect audience segmentation and wasteful ad spend. With server-side tracking, you increase the chance of advertising to the right person at the right time, resulting in a more cost-effective advertising strategy and a higher return on your advertising investment.
Setting up server-side tracking
Customized to your needs: Every customer is unique and has specific needs when it comes to server-side tracking. We take this into account and tailor our implementation to suit your business.
Continuous support: We offer continuous support and help you get the most out of your server-side tracking.
Our expertise includes:
- Install and configure the tracking server on the website
- Setting up the technical infrastructure for server-side tracking with Google Analytics 4, social media and Google Ads.
- Validation and testing that it works properly
- Configuration of event tracking
- Optional: Looker Studio and analysis
Questions and Answers and Server-Side Tracking
Technical complexity: Implementing server-side tracking can be more complex than client-side tracking, and it requires some technical expertise.
Cost: It can be more expensive to implement and maintain server-side tracking compared to client-side tracking.
The time needed depends on the complexity of your website and how many tracking and advertising tools we need to connect to the server. Contact us for a quote.
You expect to gain more accurate and reliable data insights, increased conversion, improved customer experience and increased efficiency in your marketing and business strategies.
Absolutely, we have the experience and expertise to help you analyze and interpret the data collected with server side tracking to extract meaningful insights and informed business decisions.
Optimize your website performance - contact us.
