Google Chrome, one of the most widely used web browsers worldwide, has announced a significant change in its support for third-party cookies. These cookies have long been a crucial tool for online advertising, enabling tracking of users across various websites and delivering targeted ads.
This change will significantly impact the entire advertising market. Third-party cookies have been foundational for retargeting campaigns and conversion measurement, allowing advertisers to efficiently reach potential customers and track the effectiveness of their ad spend. However, with the final cessation of third-party cookie support in Google Chrome, user tracking capabilities will be limited. This means advertisers will need to explore alternative ways of reaching out and measuring the effectiveness of their ad campaigns.
What alternative methods can an e-shop choose?
Third-party cookies in Google Chrome will be replaced by new measures that allow advertising functions to operate without tracking users across various websites. One of these new features is Topics, which enables browsers to share information about users' interests with third parties without tracking their behavior or collecting personal data.
Another measure is called Private State Tokens, which allow websites to verify that a user is real, without passive tracking. This feature is secured by encryption, meaning individual users are not identifiable.
Protected Audience is another measure that allows advertisers to participate in ad auctions using JavaScript code in the browser. This way, they can target remarketing campaigns at their own audience or a group of people with similar interests.
Attribution Reporting allows conversion measurement from different advertising platforms without tracking users across websites. This measure groups user interactions and processes them into large datasets, protecting individual users' privacy.
While it's still unclear how effective these new features will be, they continue to evolve and improve, and you can learn more about them on the Privacy Sandbox page.
Google Ads and Facebook?
Advertising systems like Google Ads and Facebook Ads are intensively adapting to the new conditions related to the end of third-party cookies in Google Chrome.
Google leverages its vast database of user data collected through its services, including the Chrome browser. This enables it to provide more sophisticated ad targeting and personalized user experiences.
On the other hand, Facebook relies on first-party data from user logins to deliver personalized ads. The company is also improving its server-side tracking solutions, such as the conversion API, which allows tracking conversions directly on the server.
These adjustments and innovations will enable advertising systems to continue providing advertisers with effective tools to achieve their advertising goals, despite the restrictions associated with the end of third-party cookies.
Special strategy on Seznam Sklik
Seznam Sklik, one of the main advertising platforms in the Czech Republic, will also have to respond to the end of third-party cookie support in Google Chrome.
Advertisers on Seznam Sklik will be forced to adapt their strategies and look for alternative ways of reaching potential customers. One of the key methods Sklik suggests is look-alike audiences, which enable identifying groups of users with similar characteristics to existing customers and targeting them with relevant ads.
Such approaches will allow advertisers on Seznam Sklik to achieve their advertising goals despite the restrictions associated with the end of third-party cookies.
Potential impacts on online marketing
The changes in the use of third-party cookies will have broad impacts on online marketing.
Advertisers will need to seek new ways to reach customers and measure the effectiveness of their ad campaigns. There may be a decrease in conversion data and difficulties in measuring campaign effectiveness, which could lead to adjustments in marketing strategies and budgets.
However, these changes can also bring innovative approaches to advertising and the use of first-party data to personalize ad campaigns and achieve better results.
How to prepare your e-shop for the changes?
In 2024, a fundamental change is coming to the digital world that will affect every e-shop owner - the end of the third-party cookie era. How can you prepare for this change and maintain the effectiveness of your ad campaigns?
1. Familiarize yourself with new procedures and technologies:
Get to know new technologies and approaches that replace third-party cookies. Understand concepts like Topics, Private State Tokens, Protected Audience, and Attribution Reporting. These new Privacy Sandbox features offer alternatives for ad targeting and conversion measurement without tracking users across various websites.
2. Use contextual ad targeting:
Instead of depending on third-party cookies, focus on contextual ad targeting. This strategy engages users when they show interest in topics related to your products or services. Ads are only displayed on relevant websites, increasing the likelihood of campaign success.
3. Utilize individual user targeting:
Collect unique user identifiers and use them to target ads to specific individuals who show interest in your products or services. This approach allows reaching users across various devices, improving campaign effectiveness.
4. Leverage your own data:
Don't underestimate the power of your own data. Utilize information from newsletters and customer interactions to personalize ad campaigns and maintain effectiveness after the end of the third-party cookie era.
5. Be prepared for innovation:
Get ready for innovative approaches to advertising and targeting. In response to the change in third-party cookies, new technologies and strategies are expected to emerge, such as look-alike audiences and other methodologies based on first-party data and advanced analytics.
6. Document user consent:
Ensure that you obtain and document users' consent for processing their personal data in compliance with applicable legal regulations, such as GDPR. Ensure that users have the option to revoke their consent at any time and be prepared to provide data in case of an audit.
7. Prepare for changes in advertising platforms:
Monitor how advertising platforms, such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Seznam Sklik, are adapting to changes in the field of third-party cookies. Make sure you are utilizing new features and opportunities these platforms offer for effective targeting and measurement of ad campaigns.
The change in third-party cookies in 2024 presents a challenge for e-shop owners, but also an opportunity for innovation and boosting the effectiveness of ad campaigns. With the right strategy and the use of new technologies, you can get ahead of the competition and successfully adapt to new conditions in digital marketing. Be prepared and capitalize on this change to strengthen your online business.