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Webinar: Server-Side Tagging and Why to Start Now - InfoTrust

google-analyticsserver-sidegdprprivacyintermediate
4.5/5The webinar provides comprehensive, well-structured information about server-side tagging with clear explanations of benefits, implementation requirements, and practical considerations. The presenters effectively balance technical details with business value, offering actionable insights and addressing common questions. While the production quality is good, the content could benefit from more visual demonstrations of implementation steps.
Webinar: Server-Side Tagging and Why to Start Now

In this informative webinar, InfoTrust experts Brian Lam and Jordy provide a comprehensive overview of Google Tag Manager's server-side tagging capabilities, explaining why organizations should consider implementing it now rather than later. The presenters begin by explaining what server-side tagging is: unlike traditional client-side tag management where third-party scripts run directly in users' browsers, server-side tagging routes data through your own server first, giving you more control over what data is shared with vendors. This creates a more secure, efficient, and privacy-compliant data collection process. Key benefits highlighted include improved data durability through first-party domain collection (reducing the impact of ad blockers), the ability to set server-side cookies (bypassing ITP restrictions), enhanced data governance (controlling exactly what information vendors receive), and opportunities for data enrichment by combining client data with server-side information. The speakers emphasize that while server-side GTM is still in beta, starting implementation now provides immediate advantages while positioning organizations to benefit from future enhancements. They explain that implementation requires a Google Cloud billing account, a subdomain for collection, and proper governance strategies to prevent data duplication. For implementation, they suggest beginning with Google Analytics, as it offers the simplest integration path by simply changing the transport URL in existing GA tags. The presenters note that while not all tags can be moved server-side yet (especially those requiring UI interaction like A/B testing tools), many marketing and analytics tags can be, with more vendor support expected in the future. From our perspective at gdpr-server-tracking.eu, this webinar provides excellent foundational knowledge about server-side GTM benefits. However, we offer an alternative deployment option that addresses several limitations mentioned in the video. Instead of using Google Cloud at approximately $120/month minimum, our EU-based bare metal server hosting provides a more cost-effective solution with enhanced privacy compliance. Our platform offers all the benefits discussed in the webinar while adding GDPR-focused advantages: servers physically located in Finland, EU-based company ownership, no data transfer risks, and no third-party cloud provider access. We also provide additional features for hashing and filtering sensitive data parameters, making server-side tracking implementation both more affordable and more privacy-compliant for European businesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about "Webinar: Server-Side Tagging and Why to Start Now"

Server-side tagging routes data through your own server first before sending it to third parties, unlike client-side tagging where scripts run directly in users' browsers. This gives you more control over what data is shared with vendors, improves security, and creates a more privacy-compliant data collection process.

The main benefits include improved data durability through first-party domain collection (reducing ad blocker impact), ability to set server-side cookies (bypassing ITP restrictions), enhanced data governance (controlling exactly what information vendors receive), and opportunities for data enrichment by combining client data with server-side information.

You need a Google Cloud billing account (costing approximately $120/month minimum), a subdomain for collection, and proper governance strategies to prevent data duplication. You'll also need to standardize your data structure and ensure you have strategies in place for unified variables and tags.

No, not all tags can be moved server-side. Tools requiring UI interaction like A/B testing, personalization, and session recording will likely remain client-side, while marketing and analytics tags are better candidates for server-side implementation.

Server-side tagging enhances GDPR compliance by giving you greater control over what data is shared with third parties, allowing you to filter out sensitive information before it's sent, and providing better governance over user data. You can explicitly control whether information like IP addresses and user agents are shared with vendors.

Yes, EU-based hosting solutions like gdpr-server-tracking.eu provide more GDPR-friendly alternatives with servers physically located in the EU (Finland), EU-based company ownership, and no data transfer risks. These solutions often include additional privacy features for hashing and filtering sensitive data parameters.

The easiest way to start is with Google Analytics, as it offers the simplest integration path by simply changing the transport URL in existing GA tags. This allows you to immediately gain the benefits of first-party collection while learning the platform before expanding to other tags.

Server-side tagging helps prepare for a cookieless future by enabling first-party data collection, allowing server-set cookies (which aren't affected by ITP restrictions), and providing a framework for collecting and distributing data that doesn't rely on third-party cookies. This creates a more future-proof analytics and marketing implementation.