The concept of tags is familiar to most digital marketers — the majority of websites have the Google Analytics tag or Facebook pixel built into the source code or tag management system. Server-side tagging allows you to move third-party tags and pixels away from your website or app and into server-side processing via the cloud.
The pixel or tag sends data to your web server. Your web server then transfers that data to the destination server — such as a social media platform, analytics solution, or any other third-party tool in your digital marketing tech stack.
However, most tag management systems have been developed to support conventional, client-side tracking methods and are only just starting to support server-side tags.
How do Google Tag Manager, Tealium or any other tag manager work with server-side tracking?
In Q3 of 2020, Google introduced server-side tracking to the Google ecosystem. This isn’t ground-breaking, as Tealium and Segment have been offering server-side tracking for a while. However, Google has made server-side tagging a lot more accessible since their products are so widely used.
Server-Side tagging is now available in beta version for all Google Tag Manager and Tag Manager 360 accounts. It’s fairly quick and easy to deploy and fits seamlessly into your existing tech stack if you are already using Google Tag Manager.
The ease of implementation does come at a cost. Google server-side tracking runs on the Google Cloud, which does mean making some sacrifices in terms of data ownership and control — two of the main reasons for using server-side tracking in the first place. However, it seems a good starting point for smaller websites and businesses with limited resources.
Which tools in your digital marketing tech stack support server-side tracking?
The Facebook Conversion API/Server-to-Server (S2S) enables businesses to send data from their servers to the Facebook server. Server events are linked to a pixel and are processed in the same way as browser pixel events, meaning that marketers can still measure conversions and optimize their campaigns in Facebook Business Manager.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics allows client-side and server-side data collection, so you can use Google Analytics to track specific server-side events. To enable server-side analytics collection, you need to use an HTTP client and make HTTP requests using the Google Analytics Measurement Protocol.
👉 Do you want to know more? Download our free Ebook about server-side tracking here!
