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Are You Getting Everything You Can from Server-Side Google Tag Manager?

google-analyticsserver-sidegdprprivacyintermediate
4.5/5The video provides excellent strategic guidance on maximizing server-side GTM implementation with clear explanations of data enhancement, cookie management, and domain configuration. The presenter demonstrates deep knowledge of the subject matter and offers practical, actionable advice that goes beyond basic implementation to focus on optimization and future-proofing.
Are You Getting Everything You Can from Server-Side Google Tag Manager?

In this insightful workshop, Chris "Mercer" from Measurement Marketing.io explores how to maximize the benefits of Google Tag Manager Server-Side (SGTM) implementation. The video provides strategic guidance for measurement marketers looking to leverage the full potential of server-side tracking. Mercer explains that while setting up server-side GTM requires more resources and technical expertise than client-side GTM, many organizations fail to utilize its full capabilities. He outlines three key areas where marketers should focus to get maximum value from their server-side implementation: First, data enhancement is crucial. Server-side GTM allows you to pull information from multiple sources beyond just the browser, such as your CRM or cart system. This enables you to enhance events with additional data like user IDs, membership levels, or other valuable customer information before sending it to analytics platforms. Second, cookie management becomes more powerful. With server-side GTM, you can rewrite cookies and extend their expiration dates beyond browser limitations (like Safari's 7-day restriction). This improves user identification and session stitching, leading to more accurate measurement of new vs. returning visitors. Third, domain configuration matters. Mercer recommends setting up your server with a subdomain of your primary domain (rather than using the default appspot.com domain). This ensures cookies are associated with your domain and suggests using less obvious naming conventions than "analytics" or "measure" to potentially avoid future ad blocker targeting. From our perspective at gdpr-server-tracking.eu, this video highlights exactly why our server-side GTM hosting service is valuable. While Mercer provides excellent strategic guidance, implementing these recommendations requires proper infrastructure. Our EU-based, GDPR-compliant server hosting offers all the capabilities mentioned in the video, with added benefits: - EU-based bare metal servers (in Finland) with no third-party cloud provider access - European ownership throughout the supply chain, eliminating data transfer risks - Advanced features for hashing and filtering sensitive data - Competitive pricing compared to cloud providers By using our platform, you can implement all the strategic advantages Mercer discusses while maintaining GDPR compliance and often reducing costs. Whether you're enhancing data, managing cookies more effectively, or configuring your domain strategically, our infrastructure provides the foundation you need to maximize your server-side GTM implementation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about "Are You Getting Everything You Can from Server-Side Google Tag Manager?"

The three key benefits are: 1) data enhancement by pulling information from multiple sources, 2) improved cookie management with the ability to rewrite and extend cookie expiration dates, and 3) better domain configuration for improved user identification and tracking.

Server-side GTM allows you to rewrite cookies on your server rather than relying on browser-set cookies, enabling you to extend cookie expiration beyond Safari's 7-day restriction to up to two years, which improves user identification and session stitching.

The video recommends using a subdomain of your primary domain (not the default appspot.com) but suggests using less obvious naming conventions than 'analytics' or 'measure' (like single letters such as 'a.domain.com') to potentially avoid future ad blocker targeting.

Server-side GTM allows you to enhance events by pulling additional information from multiple sources like your CRM or cart system, adding valuable data such as user IDs, membership levels, or other customer information before sending it to analytics platforms.

EU-based hosting like our service at gdpr-server-tracking.eu ensures data stays within EU jurisdiction, eliminating data transfer risks while providing all the server-side GTM benefits mentioned in the video, making it easier to comply with GDPR requirements for data localization and processing.

Implementing server-side GTM requires more resources than client-side GTM, including technical expertise, financial investment for server costs, and development time to properly configure data enhancement, cookie management, and domain setup.

A specialized provider like gdpr-server-tracking.eu offers EU-based bare metal servers with no third-party cloud provider access, European ownership throughout the supply chain, advanced features for hashing and filtering sensitive data, and competitive pricing while handling the technical complexity of proper server-side GTM implementation.

Server-side GTM improves data quality by allowing you to enhance events with additional information from multiple sources, rewrite cookies for better user identification, and maintain more consistent tracking across browsers with different privacy restrictions, resulting in better quality data for modeling and forecasting.