GA4 is the thing many social marketers ignore, and do so in vain. In fact, it drastically enhances the analytics, and if you implement GA4 server-side tracking, the effect is doubled or even tripled. Such a boost becomes possible because a server-oriented configuration allows you to bypass and ignore most of the issues client-side tracking faces nowadays. This, in turn, results in a more complete and insightful picture of how the campaigns launched on social media are performing.
This text is for those who are not sure yet if GA4 is something they might need, or those who haven’t implemented a server-side tracking setup for their business. We will discuss the advantages it provides and what it takes to implement it.
From client-side to server-side: is it worth bothering?
Short answer – yes, it is worth it. The idea of client-side tracking is based on using a tiny piece of JavaScript code called a “tracking pixel” placed on the website. When a client visits such a website, this code is executed and the data about the client’s actions is sent to Google Analytics. This method has been considered a standard for years thanks to its cheapness and ease of implementation.
Hold on, however. We wrote that the tracking pixel fires every time a client accesses your website? Not anymore. The modern digital landscape has several factors that influence this process by blocking the script:
- ad blockers often stop it from execution;
- ITP settings in modern browsers are also configured to block the tracking scripts;
- privacy policies often punish companies for sharing the client’s data with analytical platforms without consent.
Social media marketers rely on customer data in planning their campaigns and working on marketing strategies. With all those interruptions, however, they build all their work on very unstable soil. With incorrect or incomplete data, they will make wrong assumptions and move in a completely different direction.
Server-side tracking comes as a panacea for the things described above. With such a configuration, instead of sharing the tracked data with GA4 directly, the browser first sends it to your cloud server. There, it is prepared for further analysis, enriched, and edited to comply with the privacy policies. When ready, this array of high-quality and preprocessed data is sent to GA4. This leads to better and more insightful analytical reports, improved marketing planning, and finally, to increased ROAS and growing income.
From ‘Why?’ to ‘How?’
After discussing why server-side tracking in combination with GA4 is better than client-side, it is worth learning how it can be implemented. Many marketers are intimidated by the fact that they need to host a GTM container, move all the tags, and change their habits. It is not big news that people who are used to something suffer when switching to something else. However, we should inform you that the whole process is not as complicated and confusing as it may seem at first glance.
The tools
To switch to server-side tracking, you do not need to be a tech expert or seasoned programmer; you must know the needed tools, though. The first one to familiarize yourself with is the Google Tag Manager container, and if you are already thinking that you know what it is, hold on. Have you ever worked with its server version?
So, to host a server GTM container, you will need a cloud server. While well-known providers like Google Cloud Platform or Amazon Web Services might be the first option coming to your mind, hold the horses. There are solutions designed specifically for server-side tracking and hosting a server GTM container, simplifying the overall configuration process significantly. If you have never heard about them, check Stape or its analogues; you will be pleasantly surprised.
The steps
When you are familiar with the basic tools needed to switch to server-side tracking, let’s move to the basic steps.
- Create a server GTM container via Google’s official service, copy its configs, and paste them into your server container settings where you host it.
- Update the tracking script on your website. You need the one that will send data to your server instead of scripts that communicate with third-party platforms.
- Set up the tags in your server GTM container. The tag will decide to “grab” the needed data from the received array and send it to the analytical platform (enriching and making it compliant prior). There are specific tags for Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms you may advertise on. To operate with GA4, you will need a GA4 server GTM tag.
When all is done, your server will start receiving data from the website, processing it accordingly, and sending it to the social media analytics platform defined by the tags you use.
Further maintenance
After you finish the initial setup and start working in the new server-side tracking framework, you still need to check the tags and scripts regularly to ensure that your social media marketing efforts are scaffolded by compliant and complete data. Privacy policies and browser technologies continue to evolve, GA4 keeps getting regular updates, and you must follow all the news to throttle your server-side tracking setup fully.
Conclusion
We are not pushing you to switch to server-side tracking if you use GA4. We are insisting that it is a must nowadays, no matter what platform you work with. Server-side tracking is a tool without which half of your marketing efforts on social media will be wasted (same as marketing budgets). The earlier you start, the easier it will be to switch, and the earlier you will get improved results!
