Businesses no longer collect clickstream data with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) exclusively to enable data-informed decision-making by inspecting and analyzing the captured user data, assessing marketing campaign performance, or reporting on the most valuable landing pages. Companies that want to drive tangible business value use it as a data collection tool that feeds their marketing platforms with conversions and valuable audiences.

This has always been the case, but with the advent of GTM Server-Side (sGTM) and its expanding capabilities, this integration becomes more profound.

Companies are migrating their data collection for services like Google Ads, Meta, Floodlight, and others from their client-side to server-side containers. This shift offers significant benefits, including additional data controls, optimized page load speed, and the option to enrich data streams with first-party data in real time. This enhanced data collection strategy opens up possibilities for custom solutions like real time dashboards and personalized communication.

While the shift to GA4 and sGTM is a positive step that can potentially enhance digital marketing performance (read one of our cases on how to leverage sGTM to improve marketing performance here), it also brings a new challenge that has, so far, slipped the minds of those rushing to adopt this approach. The increasing number of vendors and tools relying on a single GA4 data stream highlights the critical importance of accurate data collection. Businesses must prioritize data quality to ensure the effectiveness of their digital marketing strategies.

Read the full article on IIH Nordic’s website.