Why Server-Side Tracking is the Future of Digital Marketing

Data is critical for marketing leaders to understand how campaign strategies perform and demonstrate success to stakeholders. However, we’ve spent years optimizing campaigns around data that’s quietly slipping through our fingers. Stricter browser privacy rules, and the widespread use of ad blockers, mean the traditional website tracking technology you’re used to (like Google Analytics) has become increasingly unreliable and outdated.

That’s where server-side tracking comes in. It’s a modern, future-proof solution that addresses the data gaps caused by ad blockers and stricter privacy rules, strengthening data accuracy and restoring visibility into user behavior. 

What is Server-Side Tracking?

Server-side tracking is a method of collecting and processing user data on your own server. Traditional “client-side” tracking technology, like Google Analytics, uses cookie-based tracking and records data directly in the user’s browser.  Modern browsers (like Safari and Firefox) restrict cookies, making cookie-based tracking less reliable. Server-side tracking doesn’t depend on cookies to the same extent, allowing us to close those data gaps and see a more accurate picture of campaign performance while collecting that data in compliance with privacy standards. 

Why Server-Side Tracking Matters

Server-side tracking isn't just a technical update; it's essential for modern marketing. It uncovers more detailed insights into user behavior, delivers a fuller picture of the true impact of your marketing campaigns, and enhances attribution. Incorporating server-side tracking into your analytics strategy is a smart investment for maintaining the quality of your marketing data and delivering a more complete picture of your impact to stakeholders.

1. Accurate Attribution
   You’re probably using UTMs (or tracking URLs) to record how many people your marketing campaigns are driving to your website, and what those people do once they are there. Those UTMs use cookies to track performance, but the Safari browser deletes those cookies after just one day. That means users who return to your site after 24 hours will be recorded as “(not set)” traffic in Google Analytics. 
   
   With server-side tracking, however, we can bypass these restrictions. By using a first-party cookie keeper on our server, we’re able to store attribution data for seven days and assign a unique user ID to each visitor. This small technical change has led to a significant drop in “(not set)” traffic, giving our team and our clients a more accurate picture of campaign data and performance.
2. Ad Pixel Accuracy and Consistency
   Another key benefit of server-side tracking is that ad pixels are fired on the server side. This means that tracking requests for Meta, Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and other platforms are sent from our server, not from a user’s browser, effectively bypassing ad blockers and browser restrictions.
   
   This results in more consistent and complete conversion data. While this doesn’t always mean more sessions will be recorded, but it does mean the data we do have is more reliable, leading to smarter campaign optimization and improved ROI.
3. Improved Geo and Device Data
   Another area where server-side tracking adds value is geo-location and device accuracy. Traditional client-side tracking technology like Google Analytics relies on a browser’s IP address to determine that visitor’s physical location. However, IP addresses can be obscured by VPNs or browser privacy settings. Server-side tracking enables you to see the IP address recorded by your own server, which is a more accurate record of the true physical location of a visitor, 
   
   Similarly, understanding which devices your audience is using is typically based on the user agent string provided by their browser. That can also be obscured by privacy settings, limiting your understanding of what devices your target market is using when engaging with your marketing. Server-side tracking, however, allows you to get a more accurate picture of this data and identify bot traffic more effectively. 

Future-Proof Your Marketing Strategy 

The future is clear: server-side tracking is essential to making sure you are getting a fuller, more accurate picture of your data. At MediaOne, we are actively deploying server-side tracking across all our clients, helping to address the potential data loss from traditional tracking methods and deliver insights that give campaigns a strategic advantage.

Marketing strategies are constantly in flux, but embracing major breakthroughs like server-side tracking technology helps you get a better picture of your performance and adapt to change in the future.