What is Server-Side Tagging?

In our complex digital advertising ecosystem, there are a lot of confusing terms for advertisers and business owners to wrap their heads around. From Javascript code to auction dynamics and header bidding, online advertising is a complicated and ever-changing landscape.

Adventure Ad Agency is here to help business owners navigate what these new technologies mean for them and how business owners can take advantage of new developements.

One of these recent developments is that Google introduced Server-Side Tagging to Google Tag Manager and Tag Manager 360. This will allow digital marketers to move third-party tags off their sites. Instead, they will go into a new server container hosted in their Google Cloud account.

What is a “tag”?

A tag is simply a method of embedding JavaScript code. There are many, many different reasons to have JavaScript code or tags on your page.

Often, these tags of JavaScript code help with audience tracking and a variety of third party services used for online advertising. For example, Google Analytics uses a “tag” on the page to track user behavior on websites.

The most common way to implement these tags is client-side!

Server-Side versus Client-Side Tags

To understand what server-side tagging is, it is first important to understand what it is replacing: client-side tagging.

Client-side tagging is when JavaScript code often referred to as a “tag” loads on a businesses website. Because the actual website page has to load this code, client-side tagging can slow down websites and cause delays.

With server-side tagging, the code is not processed on the page. Instead, the page calls a server where the actual processing is happening. This means that the code is no longer on the page slowing down everything else that needs to work on the website page. The code is being called and processed on a server.

Thus, by moving third-party tags off your site, fewer tags must load when your customers visit. This leads to faster page load times. Faster page load times lead to better user experience. Better user experience means happier website visitors and customers!

Why does this matter to me?

First, does your business use Google Tag Manager to manage your tags? If yes, server-side tagging can help speed up your website if they have numerous JavaScript code or tags on their site.

On the other hand, if businesses have none or very little code/tags on their website, there is no need to make the switch. You can’t optimize what isn’t there!

If you are interested in learning more about server-side tagging on Google Tag Manager or want to understand if Google Tag Manager is right for you, contact Adventure Ad Agency.