Google’s stance on cookies has changed, here’s what it means for your website 

By Jim Keeble, SEO Account Manager at Extramile Digital.

Google has scrapped plans to totally eradicate third party cookies. Instead, it’s predicted that Google will offer its users the chance to accept or decline cookies on mass in their Chrome settings while it creates a fully-secure alternative.

About Google’s new plans 

In a recent Google Privacy Sandbox – a hub for online safety – blog post the search giant said:

We are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice. Instead of deprecating third-party cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and they’d be able to adjust that choice at any time. We’re discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out.

This is the latest of many Google U-turns on privacy, cookies and tracking on the internet. Since it announced that it would phase cookies out in 2020, Google has tried its utmost to find an alternative to tracking. The search giant doesn’t want to miss out on advertising revenue driven by Google Ads, powered by 3P cookies. It’s always felt that Google was reluctant to scrap inter-website tracking for this reason. 

The focus, now, for Google is to focus on a privacy-centric alternative which will put the user firmly in the driving seat of cookie acceptance and how their data is used. 

Does Google’s revised stance on third party cookies affect Consent Mode v2?

In short, yes. Consent Mode v2 is designed to help respect user consent choices while still tracking some Google Analytics and Ads data. Consent Mode v2 is a tool laid out by Google to protect websites by abiding to laws like GDPR or DMA. It’s used to balance collecting data with a way of respecting privacy preferences. The plan to not phase out 3P cookies means that its importance might dwindle slightly. 

However, Extramile’s SEO and website experts recommend that Consent Mode v2 is a high priority when looking at website tracking to demonstrate compliance with data privacy regulations as well as user expectations and experience.

The argument against scrapping cookies

The push for online privacy is imperative, there’s no two ways around that. However, there are reasons that a complete removal of third party cookies might not be the best option for internet users. 

For advertisers and marketers there will likely be a revenue loss off the back of advert effectiveness. Serving users with less relevant adverts will decrease performance and provide a lower return on investment for businesses. 

This reduced targeting can lead to a poorer experience for searchers. Limited product recommendations and fewer relevant searches could become the norm across Google if Google’s cookie policy is to be ever-tighter. 

The argument for scrapping cookies

Online security is crucial, one of the easiest and most powerful ways of ensuring high digital security is by not being tracked. Giving users the ability to control how their data is used should be an essential part of using the internet. 

What’s next for websites and marketers

Google’s decision to review its phase out of 3P cookies has caused a small period of uncertainty. 

It’s widely suggested that an increased focus on personalised experiences which don’t use cookies will be important in driving businesses forward. Businesses can do this by using first-party data which should enable an even more comprehensive customer view. 

It’s also widely accepted that there’s a growing importance of becoming mobile-first. In fact, businesses should all have mobile-first websites now with Google likely to penalise rankings of those that don’t. Mobile advertising is also less reliant on cookies which can help mitigate any poorly targeted ads.

Google’s move from a strict ban on third party cookies to a unique nuanced approach will help strike a balance between advertising power and user security.