Unlocking the Power of Server-Side Tagging: A Guide for Modern Marketers

In the rapidly evolving world of digital marketing, data is king. However, how you collect, manage, and protect that data can make or break your strategy. Imagine your data as VIP guests at an exclusive event – server-side tagging in Google Tag Manager (GTM) is the private entrance that lets them skip the line, avoid prying eyes, and get straight to the action, ensuring your analytics are always on point.

What exactly is server-side tagging, and why should you care? Let’s dive into the essentials, the advantages, and how you can get started with this powerful tool.

What is Server-Side Tagging?

If you're accustomed to using client-side tag managers like Google Tag Manager (GTM) web containers, server-side tagging offers an enhanced approach by shifting tag execution from the user's browser to a server you control. Instead of embedding multiple tracking tags directly on your website or app, events are sent to a server-side container – hosted on platforms such as Google Cloud Platform (GCP) – which then processes and distributes the data to various endpoints.

Key advantages of server-side tagging include:

• Improved Performance: Reducing the number of scripts running in the browser leads to faster load times and a smoother user experience. This reduction in client-side code can improve site speed by 15-25%, depending on the complexity of the site and the number of tags involved.
• Enhanced Security and Privacy: Handling data on your own server allows for better control over what information is collected and shared, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations and reducing exposure to third-party scripts.
• Greater Measurement Accuracy: Server-side tagging is less susceptible to disruptions from ad blockers and browser restrictions, resulting in more reliable and comprehensive data collection. Studies suggest that server-side tagging can improve data accuracy by up to 25%.
• Flexibility and Scalability: Easily customize and scale your tagging infrastructure to meet evolving business needs without impacting client-side resources.

Why Server-Side Tagging Matters Today

Using a tag manager like Google Tag Manager is standard practice for efficiently tracking events on your website without slowing down page load times with cumbersome scripts. However, server-side tagging takes this process a step further by reducing the load of tracking scripts and ensuring your data collection is more accurate.

In an environment where ad blockers and browser restrictions are becoming increasingly common, server-side tagging allows you to bypass these obstacles. This process ensures that you capture critical data without interruption. As a result, you can make more informed decisions based on complete, reliable data, while also providing a smoother and faster experience for your users.

Moreover, as privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA become stricter, server-side tagging helps you stay compliant by giving you more control over user data. By processing data on your server, you can apply consistent data governance practices, ensuring that only necessary information is collected and shared.

How to Get Started with Server-Side Tagging

Step 1: Assess Your Needs

The first step in getting started with server-side tagging is to assess your specific needs. Typically, this task falls to professionals who manage digital analytics, marketing technology, and data governance within your organization, or to your digital marketing agency if they manage these aspects for you.

The goal is to review all the tags currently implemented on your website or app and determine which are critical for your analytics and marketing efforts. Not all tags should be moved to the server; instead, a hybrid approach is often recommended.

Tags that rely heavily on real-time user interaction may need to remain client-side, while those handling data collection, processing, and privacy-sensitive information are ideal candidates for server-side execution. This assessment will help you decide the best configuration to optimize performance, data accuracy, and compliance with privacy regulations.

Step 2: Choose a Server Solution

For users who don’t already have a server, choosing the right server solution is crucial. Here are some popular options, along with anticipated costs:

• Google Cloud Platform (GCP): GCP integrates seamlessly with Google Tag Manager. The cost typically involves a combination of storage, processing power, and data transfer. For most small to medium-sized businesses, hosting a server-side container on GCP might cost around $50 to $100 per month, but this can increase with higher traffic and more complex setups.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS): AWS offers similar services with pricing based on usage. For a basic setup, you can expect costs in the range of $50 to $150 per month, depending on the specific services you use, such as EC2 for computing power and S3 for storage.
• Microsoft Azure: Azure provides robust support for server-side tagging with costs similar to GCP and AWS. Expect to pay between $50 and $150 per month, depending on your server needs and traffic.
• Vercel or Netlify: These platforms offer serverless functions, which can be a simpler and more cost-effective solution for smaller businesses. They are easier to set up and maintain but might lack the full control and scalability of traditional cloud providers. Costs can be significantly lower, sometimes as little as $20 per month for basic use cases.
• DigitalOcean: This platform offers a more affordable cloud solution, ideal for startups or smaller projects. DigitalOcean’s Droplets (virtual private servers) start at $5 per month, though costs will rise with increased usage and more complex configurations.

Step 3: Set Up a Server-Side Container

Once you’ve chosen your server solution, set up your server-side container in Google Tag Manager or your chosen tag management platform. This process involves configuring the container to receive and process data from your website or app, defining tags, triggers, and variables for server-side execution.

Step 4: Configure Data Flows

Configuring data flows from your client-side environment to the server-side container is a critical step. It involves defining how data is collected, processed, and transmitted between your website or app and the server so that only the necessary data reaches third-party platforms.

Detailed Steps to Configure Data Flows:

• Map Out the Data Flow: Begin by mapping out the existing data flow from your client-side environment. Identify the sources of data (e.g., user interactions, form submissions), the type of data being collected, and the endpoints where this data needs to be sent. Determine which data points are essential for your analytics and marketing efforts and which can be excluded to minimize the load on your server-side setup.
• Set Up Data Streams: In your server-side container, set up data streams that correspond to the data you need to process. This step involves creating triggers that capture specific events or interactions and then route this data to the appropriate tags for processing.
• Implement Data Filters: Implement filters within your server-side container to manage the data that is sent to third-party platforms. These filters can be used to exclude unnecessary data points, anonymize sensitive data, or convert data into the appropriate format or structure required by third-party platforms.
• Set Up Data Governance Policies: Work with your data privacy officers or compliance managers to establish data governance policies that ensure data is handled securely and in compliance with relevant regulations. Define who has access to the server-side container, implement auditing procedures, and ensure that all data transfers are logged for transparency.
• Test the Data Flow: Once your data streams and filters are in place, perform thorough testing to ensure that data is accurately captured and processed by the server-side container. Use testing tools like Google Tag Assistant or server-side specific tools provided by your server platform (e.g., GCP’s Stackdriver) to monitor the data flow and identify any issues.
• Monitor and Adjust: After the initial configuration, continuously monitor the data flows to ensure they remain accurate and effective. Regularly review the data logs, conduct audits, and make adjustments as needed based on changes in your marketing strategy or regulatory requirements.

Your marketing technologists, web analytics specialists, or IT/development teams should typically handle this step. These professionals have the technical expertise to set up and manage the data flow configurations, ensuring that they align with your organization's data governance policies and marketing goals. If your digital marketing agency handles your technical marketing setup, they should take the lead on this and work closely with your in-house teams to align the configuration with your business needs.

Step 5: Implement and Test

Start by moving your most critical tags to the server-side environment. Test them thoroughly to confirm they function correctly and do not adversely impact your site's performance. Pay close attention to data accuracy, especially if you are dealing with sensitive information.

Step 6: Monitor and Optimize

Finally, regularly monitor your server-side tagging setup to ensure it continues to meet your needs. Be ready to optimize your configuration to maintain data accuracy, site performance, and compliance with privacy regulations. Continuous monitoring will help you identify any issues early and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Embrace the Future of Web Analytics

Server-side tagging is already a powerful tool for data collection, and that isn’t going to stop anytime soon.

Between tightening privacy regulations and the growing use of ad and content blockers, server-side tagging gives businesses better means to collect necessary data – and it’s only getting better. The integration of AI and machine learning with server-side tagging could lead to even more advanced data processing capabilities, further enhancing the accuracy and usefulness of collected data.

Simply put, server-side tagging can help businesses stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By investing in the necessary technical expertise and infrastructure to implement server-side tagging, you can put your business in a better position to maintain control over data that matters.

Actionable Takeaways

• Key Points to Remember: Server-side tagging offers enhanced performance, better security, and increased data accuracy, making it a critical tool for modern digital marketing and analytics.
• Next Steps or Recommendations: Evaluate your current tagging setup and consider implementing server-side tagging for high-impact tags. Start with a pilot project to test the benefits before fully committing

Need help regaining control over your data? Aztek is here to help you solve your marketing problems and provide ongoing digital support. Contact us today to speak with one of our experts!