Google will stop tracking & personalized advertising in 2022
It has now been officially announced in a blog post by David Temkin (Google product manager). Google will discontinue the tracking function in 2022. But what does that mean? Users’ surfing behavior is currently tracked or traced. This means that users are shown personalized advertising based on the websites they have visited, etc.; advertising that is tailored to their very own preferences. While many experts could have guessed that this change would have happened sooner or later, the rest are still clearly shocked. Because such changes by a company like Google, which has 90.7 percent of the market share and has proven itself as the leading search engine, will also have consequences for the rest. Advertisers and users have to adapt, but above all the advertisers.
In this article, we explain in detail why Google has taken this step and what consequences all parties must be prepared for. We would also like to point out why it is more important than ever to focus on organic search now.
Google’s decision
As experts have already commented, Google’s decision is not a sudden one. Nevertheless, the question must be asked as to what prompted Google to forego such a large source of revenue and the answers are very clear. Antitrust proceedings and politicians are slowly but with great pressure taking action against Google. These include Alphabet, Google’s parent company, which is already the subject of three antitrust proceedings. Just think of the 50 million euro fine that Google had to pay for data protection violations. Something that happened only two years ago. But users are also expressing their need for more privacy more frequently and more loudly. If competitors can then advertise that their products meet the need for privacy – in comparison to Google’s products – the pressure is all the greater.
With previous measures such as trackers being removed from Google Chrome, it is clear that Google has recently been thinking about the issue of privacy and data protection. However, it is still unclear what the future holds for Facebook, whose business model is ultimately based on user tracking.
Significance for users
One thing has recently become clear: the winners in this situation are definitely the users. The issue of data protection is a long-running one that has always been under discussion. Google has often been criticized for this. Nobody wants every step they take on the Internet to be monitored and documented. It is just as annoying when you buy a product and it is repeatedly displayed as an advertisement, even though there is no need to buy a new one. These are just some of the consequences that worsen the user’s Internet experience due to tracking. Google’s decision will therefore be a relief for many Internet users and will trigger a positive feeling when they do not feel that they are being watched every step of the way on the World Wide Web.
Enormous change for advertisers
Quick solutions are needed for most advertisers. The biggest advantage of tracking has always been the measurability of advertising success. The tracking stop makes this considerably more difficult. After all, huge sums of money are spent every day on marketing measures in order to be found on the Internet and to sell your services/products. Many of these measures will now be subject to uncertainty – a risk factor. So what to do if you can no longer tell exactly whether the display advertising is well placed or not? An optimal solution is to switch to a form of advertising whose success can still be clearly recognized despite the situation: Search engine optimization.
The organic search
But why is search engine optimization the answer to future lack of tracking? One clear, if not the most obvious, factor to see if you are seen and noticed by many is your ranking position. In contrast to SEA, SEO works without auction prices and is a very long-term solution. Because if you can no longer be found via banner advertising, for example, you have to make yourself visible in another way – via the search engine itself. After all, Google is only discontinuing the tracking function, not the entire company. It will continue to prove itself as the top search engine.
As already mentioned, organic search is a very long-term solution, because all the steps taken in search engine optimization are aimed at optimizing visibility for the current moment and the future. If you choose the right keywords, analyze the competition and fully optimize your website, you won’t disappear from the rankings any time soon. Because those that are at the top of the organic search are clicked more often and the more traffic is generated, the more relevant your own website is rated – a win-win situation. Especially as your traffic becomes the biggest revenue generator par excellence with successful conversion.
Search engine optimization will continue to emerge as a safe advertising method, as it offers a wide range of options for measuring success and is not dependent on tracking users. By focusing on SEO, you have found a vital way to stay relevant in the long run without depending on cookies, personalized advertising, etc. Instead, you are doing something good for your users and your website. This is because some search engine optimization measures consist of keeping/improving the loading speed of your website optimal, establishing a logically complete link structure and allowing your keywords to compete against others. This also includes the processing of content. This means that your website will be fully maintained, you will be fully advised and you will be able to attract customers by being at the top of the organic search results.
Did you know that around 60% of users click on the first result in the search? With the second, it is only 15% and with the third just under 7%. It is therefore clear how important a high ranking is.
Leave the tendrils to us
Are you lacking visibility and would like to be found via organic search? The good thing is – you don’t have to do it alone. In fact, you can obtain all the important information you need in a free initial consultation. As an SEO agency, we will analyze your website extensively and determine what is working well, what is lacking and what can be improved. Together we will find suitable keywords for you and will also be happy to help you with much more. Did you know, for example, that SEO and web design go hand in hand more closely than expected? That responsive design is one of the most important factors and unique content is a must? We are an agency that specializes in many areas for which you would otherwise have to contact several companies at the same time. We help with keywords, create an SEO-compliant website for you and are also happy to write texts and much more! All with the aim of landing you in the top positions in organic search – in the long term. Transparency is also an important quality for us. We will tell you honestly what are good and bad ideas, what your site should do without and at the same time we would like to offer you a service tailored to you and your personal needs. As a team of expert SEO specialists, we have made it our greatest ambition to be successful – for you and for us. We underline this by having every page that we have optimized for search engines certified.
While we take care of your website, you can concentrate on all your other important business activities. You are welcome to get a picture of us in a personal meeting and don’t let stopped tracking and a lack of personalized advertising get you down!