“What gets measured gets managed.”
This is as true for digital marketing as it is for any other strategy your company relies on to grow its online business.
The difference is that, with digital marketing, it has become much harder to get accurate measurements.
Google Analytics – once the gold standard of tracking visitors to your site, conversions, revenue – has become far less reliable in recent years. Much of this isn’t Google’s fault, but the end result is the same: companies are forced to make important decisions without having a full, reliable picture of what’s happening when users come to their site.
This is why so many of our clients have turned to server-side tracking.
As privacy regulations tighten and third-party cookies lose their effectiveness, server side tracking has become essential for attaining the kind of data accuracy you need to confidently make important decisions about your company’s online business.
If you’d like to speak with our expert today about ensuring your data’s accuracy, contact us today to set up a no-obligation call.
Otherwise, keep reading to learn more about this vital process for ensuring your data’s reliability.
What Is Server-Side Tracking?
Server-side tracking is a method of data collection where tracking scripts run on a server rather than a user’s browser, also known as “the client.”
Unlike traditional client-side tracking, server-side tracking ensures that data is collected directly through a secure server environment. This approach not only enhances data accuracy but also addresses the kinds of privacy concerns that have been growing in recent years.
Historically, client-side tracking dominated the digital analytics landscape. If you haven’t invested in server-side tracking yet, then you are utilizing the client-side option.
And for decades, this was perfectly fine.
However, with the rise of ad blockers, browser restrictions, and stringent privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA, the limitations of client-side methods have become obvious.
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why you’ve lost traffic for no apparent reason over the past few years, chances are it’s because one of the aforementioned reasons has distorted your data.
So, the good news is that you probably haven’t actually lost traffic or revenue – despite what GA4 says.
The bad news is that you also don’t know for sure how different decisions are affecting your e-commerce website.
Have you added a blog?
A “Related Products” feature to your product pages?
Changed your checkout sequence?
These types of e-commerce investments can have a massive impact on your overall business, but you’ll never know for sure if your tracking isn’t as accurate as possible.
And that’s where server side tracking comes in.
What Is the Difference Between Client- and Server-Side Tracking?
Although we’ve already talked about it a bit, it’s important to understand how client-side tracking differs from using server-side.
Client-side tracking relies on scripts executed in the user’s browser to collect data.
Both options can use first-party and third-party data. The important distinction lies in how the data is collected, not necessarily the type of data being collected.
Here’s a simple breakdown:
- Server-Side Tracking:
- Data is collected and processed on your server
- Typically, it relies on first-party data (e.g., data provided directly by users on your website, like clicks, purchases, or interactions)
- But it can also include third-party data if your server interacts with third-party APIs or services
- Client-Side Tracking:
- Data is collected directly from the user’s browser through scripts (e.g., JavaScript)
- Often uses third-party cookies for tracking across different domains
- It can also use first-party cookies for site-specific tracking
This is the simplest distinction between the two types of tracking user metric, but I’ll be revisiting the comparison a lot more in this post.
What Is the Difference Between Server-Side Tracking and Server-Side Tagging?
Another term you’ll hear a lot when learning about server-side tracking is “server-side tagging.”
Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, server-side tracking and server-side tagging are actually two distinct concepts.
Server-side tagging refers to managing and firing tags through a server-side tag manager. It’s the mechanism by which server-side tracking is executed.
For example, popular tools like Google Tag Manager’s server-side tagging feature have made implementation more accessible for businesses of all sizes. We regularly use it when setting up this kind of tracking for our clients.
Why Server-Side Tracking Has Become Essential in 2025
I’ve already touched on this a bit, but let’s dig into the main reasons server-side tracking has become vital to e-commerce success in 2025.
1. Privacy Regulations
Privacy laws worldwide are reshaping how businesses collect and use data. Regulations such as GDPR and CCPA require greater transparency and control for consumers, making traditional tracking methods increasingly obsolete.
Server-side tracking offers a compliant solution by prioritizing secure and privacy-centric data practices.
Here are some common examples of these types of regulations:
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
Implemented by the European Union in 2018, the GDPR focuses on protecting personal data and privacy for all individuals within the EU.
It requires businesses to obtain explicit consent before collecting data, provide users with access to their data, and ensure data portability and deletion upon request. Even if you’re based in the US, most business owners comply with the GDPR to avoid any potential issues with customers based in Europe.
CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act)
Applicable in California, the CCPA gives consumers rights to know what data is being collected, request deletion of their data, and opt out of data sales. Non-compliance can result in significant penalties. Just like with the GDPR, many business owners comply with the CCPA even if they don’t have a large customer based in the Golden State.
Other Regulations
While those are some of the most common examples of regulations standing between your website and 100% accurate data, there are dozens of others out there, too:
- LGPD (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados): Brazil’s equivalent of GDPR, focusing on data protection and transparency.
- PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act): Enacted in countries like Singapore and Thailand to regulate the collection and processing of personal data.
- CCPA/CPRA (California Consumer Privacy Act / California Privacy Rights Act): A state-level privacy law giving California residents rights over their personal data, similar to GDPR but tailored to U.S. business practices. The CPRA expands upon the CCPA, adding more stringent requirements.
- POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) – Similar to GDPR, it provides data protection principles for collecting, processing, and sharing personal information in South Africa.
There are plenty of others. Almost every country has some version of their own regulations similar to Europe’s GDPR.
Amongst other things, these regulations limit tracking by requiring businesses to:
- Obtain clear and informed consent before implementing tracking technologies
- Avoid collecting data without a valid purpose or legal basis
- Provide users with options to manage their tracking preferences, such as opting out
- Anonymize or pseudonymize data to protect user identities
Server-side tracking isn’t about overcoming these implications. They’re there for a reason (legal one), so we would never recommend you try to work around the law.
But respecting these regulations doesn’t mean you have to accept extremely limited versions of critical data related to your website visitors.
2. Enhanced Security
Along the same lines, server side tracking is considerably more secure than the client-side alternative because it reduces exposure to malicious actors and limits data leakage.
As client-side tracking sends data directly from the visitor’s browser to third-party servers, it’s vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, browser exploits, and other malicious hacking methods.
But as you now know, with server-side tracking, data is sent from the server to the third-party services – completely bypassing browsers. This ensures better control over the data flow, preventing manipulation or interception.
Server-side also enhances privacy by reducing the amount of user information exposed to the client side. This helps improve the security and reliability of data collection.
3. The Death of Third-Party Cookies
Google recently decided to ditch its plans for cookie deprecation, but that doesn’t mean GA4’s data is now 100% reliable.
Competitors like Apple and Firefox have never been fond of third-party cookies, which is why tracking user information from these search engines has always been such a challenge. And even with cookies, Google’s Privacy Sandbox initiatives (i.e., Topics API) aim to provide anonymized targeting data.
The decline of third-party cookies isn’t going to reverse, so business owners need to rethink their strategies if they want data they can use to fuel e-commerce decisions.
By using server-side tracking to leverage first-party data, business owners can harvest reliable analytics and even offer personalized experiences without compromising user trust (or running afoul of those aforementioned regulations).
3. Improved Data Accuracy and Security
This is the big one I keep coming back to and it’s the reason most business owners start researching this solution to begin with: no one wants to invest large sums of money into their site if they don’t have accurate data to measure how well it’s working.
Client-side tracking suffers from issues like ad blockers, browser limitations, and data leakage. Server-side tracking mitigates these challenges by processing data in a controlled environment.
This means:
- Enhanced accuracy: Data is collected without interference from third-party tools
- Greater security: Sensitive information is protected from potential breaches
How to Set Up Server-Side Tracking
The easiest way to set up server-side tracking for your company’s site is just have us do it. For a one-time fee and usually about four-five hours of work, we can have this tracking method set up, so you can feel more confident about the analytics for your site.
However, if you want to take a swing at doing it on your own, here’s what you’ll need:
Essential Tools for Server-Side Tracking
As we mentioned earlier, Google Tag Manager is usually your best bet for implementing server-side tracking.
But two other popular options include:
- Piwik Pro: Offers privacy-focused analytics solutions
- Custom Server Solutions: Supports tailored setups for businesses with specific requirements
Choosing the right platform depends on your business needs, technical expertise, and budget. Again, if you want help with this decision, contact us.
Otherwise, after you’ve made your choice, you’ll need to do the following:
- Prepare Your Environment:
- Identify your company’s unique data collection goals and compliance requirements
- Assess your current tracking setup
- Set Up Cloud-Based Infrastructure:
- Choose a cloud provider (e.g., Google Cloud, AWS) to host your server
- Configure these server’s settings to support tracking scripts
- Configure Server-Side Tag Management:
- Use your tool-of-choice to create and deploy server-side tags
- Test and validate data flows to ensure your setup is working properly
That’s pretty much it.
If you’ve never done this kind of setup before, I recommend you begin with a simple pilot project to make sure you get the desired outcome before you try working through the collection of every data point your website needs.
Leveraging the Power of Server-Side Tracking in 2025
Server-side tracking is no longer a luxury but a necessity for businesses in 2025 – especially if your business depends on e-commerce search engine optimization strategies to attract traffic. This approach can be hugely profitable – but only if you’re refining your approach with data-driven insights from your analytics.
By adopting this method, companies can ensure data accuracy, enhance security, and stay compliant with evolving regulations. As we move toward a cookie-less future, server-side tracking represents the foundation of sustainable digital analytics.
So, if you’re excited about making 2025 the best year yet for your online business, schedule a call with our expert to talk about ensuring your data’s integrity.