Third-party cookies are being phased out by major browsers like Google Chrome in 2025. What does this mean for marketers, and how should they adapt?
For years, customer data has been the lifeblood of marketing campaigns, allowing advertisers to target specific demographics and interests with laser precision. However, the impending deprecation of third-party cookies on major web browsers like Google Chrome signals a significant shift in the digital advertising landscape.
With Google's planned removal of third party cookies in Chrome in 2025, and similar moves already made by Firefox and Safari, over 86% of internet users will browse cookie-free environments by default. This transition aims to enhance user privacy by preventing sites from tracking user activities across the web. But what does this mean for advertisers and marketers? How can you prepare?
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Third-party cookies are tiny pieces of code placed on your device by websites you visit that track your activity across different websites.
They allow advertisers to build detailed profiles of your interests and online behavior. Tools like the Meta Pixel, LinkedIn Insights Tag, and Google Tag leverage these cookies to gather insights and target you with personalized ads, often for products you've recently shown interest in.
While convenient for marketers, third-party cookies raise privacy concerns. Users are increasingly wary of being tracked across the web without their knowledge or consent. This is precisely why major browsers are taking a stand against third-party cookies.
Unlike third-party cookies that track activities across different sites, first-party cookies collect data only from the website the user visits.
They play a crucial role in retargeting audiences and analyzing user behavior on-site. Importantly, first-party cookies are not slated for deprecation and will remain a vital part of web functionality.
If you skipped straight here, welcome to the fun stuff!
While there isn't a single solution for every advertiser navigating the cookieless era across all marketing funnel stages, we can explore alternatives for each phase. To ensure a robust strategy throughout the transition, we recommend investing in a first-party data strategy now.
Without third-party cookies, Google Ads will have less granular data available for attributing conversions. This means traditional methods might not paint the whole picture. Here's what you can do:
Third-party cookie limitations will also impact targeting options like Affinity Audiences and In-Market Segments. Similar audiences have already been deprecated in Google Ads, and lookalike audiences will not be possible without third-party cookies. Google is developing the Privacy Sandbox to help improve its targeting, but users will be able to opt out. Here's how to adjust your approach:
With social platforms like Meta and LinkedIn relying on third-party cookies for pixel-based tracking, accuracy will diminish. To adapt:
Set up Conversions API: This tool facilitates the transmission of data directly from a server you control to the social platform, eliminating the dependency on third-party cookies. Generally, setting up the Conversions API involves configuring a gateway server that handles the data transfer.
For Meta users, the Conversions API can be implemented using solutions like AWS, Google Cloud, or Meta’s partner platform Stape. If you're using a WordPress website, the setup can be streamlined through a simple plugin.
Regarding LinkedIn, the Conversions API can be integrated using Google Tag Manager, Zapier, or via various other LinkedIn-approved partners, ensuring seamless adaptation to the new tracking environment.
More details on LinkedIn setup.
Much like with Google, Meta ads will have much less data to work with to determine the behavior of users on their platform, making custom-intent targeting much less accurate.
The transition away from third-party cookies will particularly affect multi-touch attribution. Google Analytics 4 (GA4), which primarily uses first-party cookies, will continue to function normally in most areas except for multi-touch attribution. This will make it so that attribution modeling will be much more difficult and much less accurate in GA4.
Adapting to a world without third-party cookies is manageable with the right strategies:
These preparations will equip advertisers to effectively handle the digital shift. As we move towards a cookie-less internet, these proactive steps will help maintain the effectiveness and precision of your advertising strategies.
Need Help Preparing Your Ads for Third-Party Cookie Deprecation?
Our team is ready to support your advertising and analytics needs during this transition. Reach out today for expert assistance!
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