What Advertising Methods You Can Use to Replace the Cookie?

Cookies are small data files stored in the user’s computer by the web browser. Each website you visit sends cookies to the computer. They are actually a fundamental mechanism for websites to gain important information and record a user’s browsing activity. Thanks to them, websites can know what are the things we add to a shopping cart, where we log in the most or what are the pages we visit. After collecting all this information, they are able to advertise properly.

The major part of the advertising industry still uses cookies and rely on them. Since Google’s plan is to slowly remove their support to third-party cookies within the next two years, it is time to start looking for an alternative.

 

Alternative For Third-Party Cookie Tracking

Now, when cookies are slowly but surely disappearing, advertisers have to find a way to collect data that will help them make more responsive ads. It is always important to add value to the customer’s online experience. Therefore it is essential to find a way to protect their privacy while receiving user data. Of course, that is not an easy task. There are options that can be a good alternative to third-party cookies, you just need to explore a little bit and discover some innovative ways.

 

First-party data

Google collects a lot of first-party data through their services. Each time you use YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail or Google search bar, you give permission that websites can collect certain information. That puts Google in a position to provide you with personalised ads. When Google announced they are phasing out third-party data, they also said about their plan to create a Privacy Sandbox. This application will consist of a range of tools helpful to advertisers.

Thanks to those tools, we will be able to run targeted ads without even having direct access to consumer’s data. Although digital marketing without cookies is quite an unknown territory, we still have a lot of places to explore. We can use the access to first-party data the best we can to do ad personalisation, target and re-target audience, and much more.

 

Contextual-based advertising

The main target with cookies is the person receiving the ad. With contextual advertising, that focus will shift to where and what the users are consuming, and what are their mindsets. The most important indicators for that will be keywords they type in the search bar, the time when they do that as well as their location and environmental factors. This means that we will have to use the IP address targeting, to gain information on consumers data and shape our ads properly. jasaseo.link

 

Using different formats

Since we will not be able to rely on detailed targeting, we will have to use different ads that will be more effective in catching consumers attention. In order to have better engagement, advertisers will have to focus on high-impact formats. Video and branded content will have much higher potential than banners and pop-ups. The main reason for that is that we will be using more contextual data to gain knowledge of user behaviour.

 

Are You Ready For a New Era of Advertising?

Cookies have always been an essential thing in digital marketing. Phasing them out will ensure better privacy for consumers but it will also inevitably change online marketing. Although it might be a big change for advertisers, it doesn’t mean you won’t be able to gain new users and provide them with personalised ads. 

As long as you start implementing those alternatives on time, you will open the doors to new innovations and possibly gain even more. Of course, if you have trouble finding the best solution for your business, you can contact us. At Summit Digital we are always ready to listen and provide you with the best advice.