Browser Privacy Changes and the Future of Web Analytics

Users have more control than ever over how much of their data can be tracked by brands online. With the impact this has on website analytics, how can brands respond to a decrease in visibility over their web traffic? Associate Director of Analytics Lindsey has been helping clients evolve their web analytics approaches and compiled her learnings below.

Tracking pixels and scripts are widely used as a way to understand website users. Historically, the ability to have such scripts loaded in webpages (often through cookies) and their behavior has been central to the operation of digital marketing programs.

Where has my web traffic gone?

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on the privacy of web users. 73% of people in the US are concerned about their online data, boosted by the experience of being “followed” by brand advertising. As such, embracing privacy controls has become a way for brands to gain customer trust, with the likes of Apple and Meta leaning on privacy as a selling point with major ad campaigns.

With this increased focus on privacy, even mainstream browsers like Safari and Chrome have been making changes that allow users an enhanced level of privacy controls. These may include third-party cookies being disabled and IP addresses being masked by default, the ability to disable all cookies and common tracking scripts, and techniques to prevent fingerprinting technologies.

What is the impact of browser privacy controls?

We’re commonly seeing decreases in website traffic year-over-year that are more significant for certain browsers and devices. iPhone traffic in particular is seeing an impact, and it is not uncommon for iPhone users testing tracking implementation to report that tracking scripts do not load.

Another Web Traffic Factor: AI Search Results

However, it is important to bear in mind another source of potential decreases to website traffic. The rise in AI agents in search engines, like Google’s Gemini, have been attributed to up to a 25% decrease in web traffic as searchers accept the results of the AI summary rather than proceeding to the website content. Beyond privacy opt-outs and device types, SERP-native AI search results will also continue to play a large part in decreased web traffic visibility for brands.

How should a web analyst approach the challenge of increased browser privacy protections?

In the short term, enhanced browser privacy protections should be borne in mind when analysing website data. This could include: 

• Taking year-over-year totals with a pinch of salt
• Using proportions and distributions for behavioral data rather than raw numbers
• Leaning into server-side and cookieless tracking implementations. If you’re using Google Analytics and have not integrated Consent Mode, I recommend looking into it
• Using your sales or lead databases as the primary source of truth

How can AI Agents and CDPs help with website analytics?

In the medium term, browser privacy protections are likely to become increasingly strict, and many website users may not realize that they are opting out of tracking. Because of this, brands may want to consider additional methodologies for understanding customer behavior, such as implementing a customer data platform, or CDP. With the rise in Agentic AI that relies on a deep pool of customer data to build a personalized customer experience, CDPs are already becoming more and more worthy of consideration for any website with a user login.

Importantly, enhanced browser privacy protections should not be addressed by ignoring opt-out signals or implementing significantly more invasive methodologies. Data obtained against a user’s wishes comes with the risk of reputational damage and loss in user trust. Agentic AI and CDPs can work great for users who have chosen to deepen their relationship with a brand, but be sure to anonymize any data from users who have not yet opted-in. Respecting privacy is particularly vital for brands in sensitive industries such as healthcare.

So what about in the long term? Just as Chrome users are currently able to select the level of personalization for the ads they are served, it is highly probable that AI search summaries will have similar account-linked personalization options. With that, search platforms may choose to monetize their AI products by allowing brands to pay to integrate their own AI agents. When a brand is surfaced as part of a result, the brand would receive data for that interaction and the potential customer could engage directly with the brand in the search experience. Whether this is done with a respect for privacy or by skirting the letter of the law remains to be seen…

Have more questions about how your brand can respond to these changes in web traffic visibility? Reach out today to schedule time and chat with Lindsey about this – no strings attached :) 
 

Genuine is a digital experience agency with an independent spirit and the global scale of an IPG company. For 20 years, we’ve created marketing campaigns, website redesigns, lead nurture CRM’s, social content, microsites, and everything else digital for clients in almost every B2B and B2C category there is.