This week Google has surprised many of us in the marketing world, with plans to backtrack on their long-running plan to ditch third-party cookies.
The tech giant announced on Tuesday that it had abandoned plans, first announced four years ago, to block third-party cookies from its Chrome internet browser – which is used by almost 2/3 of people around the world.
What are third-party cookies?
Third-party cookies are pieces of code that track website users through their website journey to save preferences, remember information about visits to make the site more useful, and target more relevant adverts.
The initial phasing out of these cookies did flag up fundamental issues with the way businesses and marketers would be able to identify, track, and optimise websites and paid campaigns.
In 2019, Google indicated the phasing out third-party cookies for all Chrome users in 2024, but “advertisers and publishers” (most businesses) will still need to obtain consent to process user data.
What does the cookies change mean for internet users?
For consumers, and consumer bodies, the 180-degree turnaround from Google brings up concerns about privacy and use of data – how will my data be used, and stored?
Consumers have become increasingly aware of their digital privacy rights and the ways in which their data is used by companies. They are more aware of who has access to and manages their information.
The delay means that the current state of tracking and data collection by third parties will continue longer, potentially prolonging privacy concerns.
However, it feels like a keep calm and carry on situation. We’ve all got used to GDPR, privacy pop ups and cookie disclaimers, so its business as usual for now.
Why cookies are important for your digital marketing
However, from our clients’ point of view, and any marketer reading this, the issue is – and always has been – around ROI.
Whether you are reading this as a marketing manager, director in charge of marketing or a smaller business owner, your business or organisation relies on knowing who is visiting your site, and what they do on their is a vital part of the marketing funnel.
And if that may be coming to a close from the 2/3 of people using Google Chrome’s browser then that is a problem.
Consent, of course, remains pivotal. Choice must be clearly in the hands of the user, even more important as the conversations around data use and storage mature.
Whether through Google Analytics, Chrome or PPC, many of us rely on third-party cookies in a number of ways:
- Website ROI: Many marketers and advertisers rely heavily on third-party cookies for tracking user behavior, targeting ads, and measuring campaign effectiveness.
- Ad relevance: Cookies help in delivering personalised and relevant ads, enhancing the user experience by showing ads that align with their interests, and saving wasted
- Changes in online experience: Any transition away from cookies might have altered how ads and content are personalised, potentially affecting the overall online experience for users, as well as businesses.
What is the alternative to third-party cookies?
In short, we don’t know. Google’s announcement has come as a surprise to many, and while this delay does give many in marketing the time to consider and research new methods of tracking marketing activity, there remains the question of what this looks like.
Whether first-party cookies, tracking from entry onto the site in a different way or something more bespoke to your business model, change is certainly coming further down the tracks.
So keep calm and carry on. But have one eye on the future.
I’m always open to chat about digital marketing, and especially paid and website ROI, so drop me an email if you have any questions - cameron.izzard@mobas.com.
