GDPR, Data, and Consent

Today, we’re diving deep into the world of Consent Mode for Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Tag Manager (GTM). Already wishing someone would just do this for you? Click here.

If you feel like this is something you can handle yourself, grab a cuppa, and let’s get stuck in!

What is Consent Mode?

Consent mode is a built-in tool from Google that helps websites to protect users’ privacy choices. There are different settings for Consent Mode and these are implemented in Google Tag Manager. You’ll have come across this on many websites already, even if you didn’t know what you were looking at! Ye know when you visit a website and those annoying pop ups ask if you want to allow cookies? Well, when a site visitor says “Yes, I do want to allow cookies” that info passes on to Google tools like Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, and they begin to collect data on your actions on the site – like how many links you clicked or what pages you’ve looked at.

Thanks to GDPR, if you say “No! No cookies!” then little to no data is collected on your actions. A proper system is good for the user and their privacy, and it makes life easier for website owners trying to comply with complicated privacy doctrine.

Why Consent Mode is Crucial for Your Business

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s talk about why you should care about Consent Mode in the first place. Trust us, it’s not just another tech buzzword – it’s a game-changer for your digital strategy.

  1. Legal Compliance: If you’re operating in or targeting users in the European Union, implementing Consent Mode isn’t just a good idea – it’s practically a must. Without it, you might accidentally collect data from users who haven’t given consent, and that’s a one-way ticket to a GDPR nightmare. Nobody wants hefty fines or a damaged reputation.
  2. Data Accuracy: Here’s the thing about data – it’s only useful if it’s accurate. Without Consent Mode, the stats you get might be about as reliable as a chocolate teapot. You’ll be missing info from non-consenting users, which means skewed metrics and potentially misguided business decisions. Not good.
  3. Modelling Magic: Consent Mode allows Google to work its modelling magic for non-consenting users. Without it, you’re missing out on valuable insights that could help you understand your full user base better.
  4. Ad Effectiveness: If you’re using Google’s advertising services (and let’s face it,there isn’t a lot of choice for ads out there that are as effective as Google Ads), Consent Mode is your ticket to features like remarketing and personalised ads. Without it, you might as well be shouting into the void.
  5. Trust and Transparency: Implementing Consent Mode shows your users that you respect their privacy choices. It’s like saying, “Hey, we care about your preferences!” And in today’s privacy-conscious world, that’s worth its weight in gold.

So now for the science bit – let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of Consent Mode in 2024.

What’s New in Consent Mode V2?

2024 has brought some spicy updates to Consent Mode. Here’s what you need to know:

New Consent Signals

Alongside the old familiar signals (ad_storage for advertising cookies and analytics_storage for analytics cookies), we’ve got two new kids on the block:

  • Ad user_data: This is all about whether the user consents to their personal data being used for advertising purposes.
  • ad_personalization: This one’s asking if the user’s okay with their data being used for remarketing.

These new flags don’t change how tags behave on your site. Instead, they’re like little notes you’re sending to Google’s services, telling them how they can use the data.

Advanced vs Basic Mode

Google’s also introduced two flavours of Consent Mode:

  • Advanced Consent Mode: This is Consent Mode as we’ve known and loved it. It collects pings of data from users who haven’t granted consent, which Google then uses for modelling.
  • Basic Consent Mode: This is the new, stripped-back version. Google’s tags won’t load or collect data until the user grants consent.

The mode you choose affects the quality of Google’s modelling. Advanced Mode gives more accurate modelling, but Basic Mode might be more palatable for privacy-conscious users.

Do I Need to Use Consent Mode in 2024?

Short answer: Probably, especially if you’re dealing with EU data subjects.

Long answer: At the very least, you’ll likely need to implement Basic Consent Mode for all your Google tags. But if you’re using Google’s advertising services, Consent Mode might be mandatory. Basically –

  • If you’re collecting first-party user data, using the Google Ads user_id, or sharing Conversions from GA4 to Google Ads, you must implement Consent Mode and set the ad_user_data flag.
  • If you’re collecting data for remarketing with Google’s advertising services, you must implement Consent Mode and set the ad_personalization flag.

Good news: conversion tracking doesn’t require Consent Mode and should work fine without it. But you’ll miss out on some conversion modelling benefits if you skip it.

Google Tag Manager and Consent Mode

Now, let’s talk about how Google Tag Manager (GTM) plays nice with Consent Mode. If you’re not using GTM yet, you’re missing out on a powerful tool that can make your life a whole lot easier.

What is Google Tag Manager?

For the uninitiated, Google Tag Manager is like a Swiss Army knife for your website’s tags. It’s a tag management system that allows you to quickly and easily update tags and code snippets on your website or mobile app, such as those intended for traffic analysis and marketing optimisation. You can add and update AdWords, Google Analytics, Floodlight, and non-Google tags all from a web-based user interface, without bugging your IT department every time you need a change.

How GTM Handles Consent Mode

GTM has some nifty features to help you implement Consent Mode:

  • Consent Overview: This feature gives you a bird’s-eye view of all the consent settings across your container. It’s like a control centre for your consent settings.
  • Consent Initialisation Trigger: This is a special trigger that fires before any other triggers. It’s perfect for setting up your default consent state as early as possible in the page load.
  • Tag-Level Consent Settings: Each tag in GTM can have its own consent settings. This means you can fine-tune which tags fire based on which consent types are granted.

Here’s how to set up Consent Mode in GTM:

  1. Go to Admin > Container Settings and enable “Consent Overview”.
  2. Create a new tag and use the “Consent Initialization” trigger.
  3. In your tag’s settings, go to Advanced Settings > Consent Settings.
  4. Choose which consent types are required for the tag to fire.

Remember, GTM is just the messenger. You’ll still need a Consent Management Platform (CMP) to actually collect user consent. GTM just helps you manage what happens based on that consent.

Google Analytics 4 and Consent Mode

Now, let’s talk about the star of the show: Google Analytics 4 (GA4). GA4 is the new kid on the block, replacing Universal Analytics, and it’s designed with privacy and consent in mind from the ground up.

What’s New in GA4?

GA4 is a whole new ballgame compared to Universal Analytics. Here are some key differences:

  • Event-Based Tracking: Everything in GA4 is an event. Pageviews, transactions, social interactions – they’re all events now.
  • Cross-Platform Tracking: GA4 can track both websites and apps in the same property.
  • Machine Learning: GA4 uses AI to fill in data gaps and provide predictive metrics.
  • Privacy-Focused: GA4 is designed to work without cookies and includes privacy controls for users.

How to Activate Consent Mode in GA4

Google has a detailed guide on how to activate Consent Mode, but in simple terms

  • Click on Admin
  • Go to Data Streams
  • In the Data Streams, see if there’s a stream marked “Actions Required”
  • Click on the labelled section and follow the instructions

If all this is giving you a headache, get in touch and let us handle it.

How GA4 Works with Consent Mode

GA4 is built to play nice with Consent Mode. Here’s how it works:

  1. Cookieless Measurement: Even if a user doesn’t consent to analytics cookies, GA4 can still collect some basic data using cookieless pings.
  2. Conversion Modelling: For users who don’t consent to ads cookies, GA4 can use conversion modelling to estimate conversions.
  3. Granular Controls: GA4 allows you to control data collection and usage at a granular level based on user consent.
  4. Consent-Based Reporting: In your GA4 reports, you can see which data comes from consenting users and which is modelled.

The Fusion of GTM, GA4, and Consent Mode

So, how do GTM, GA4, and Consent Mode all work together? Let’s break it down:

  1. GTM Sets the Stage: GTM is typically where you’ll implement your Consent Mode settings. It acts as the conductor, telling GA4 (and other tags) when and how to fire based on user consent.
  2. CMP Collects Consent: Your Consent Management Platform collects user consent choices. It then communicates these choices to GTM.
  3. GTM Manages Tags: Based on the consent signals it receives, GTM decides which tags to fire. For example, if a user hasn’t consented to analytics cookies, GTM won’t fire the GA4 tag that sets cookies.
  4. GA4 Adapts Its Behaviour: When the GA4 tag does fire, it checks the consent state passed by GTM. It then adjusts its data collection and processing accordingly.
  5. Modelling Fills the Gaps: For users who haven’t granted full consent, GA4 uses modelling to estimate metrics, giving you a more complete picture of your user base.

This dance ensures that you’re respecting user privacy while still getting the data you need to make informed decisions.

Implementing Consent Mode: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now that we’ve covered the why and what of Consent Mode, let’s get into the how. Here’s a step-by-step guide to implementing Consent Mode:

  1. Choose Your CMP: First, you need a Consent Management Platform. This could be a third-party solution or a custom-built one. Make sure it’s compatible with Consent Mode.
  2. Set Up GTM:
    • Create a new tag in GTM for Consent Mode initialization.
    • Use the “Consent Initialization” trigger to ensure it fires early.
  3. In the tag, set your default consent states:

Integrate Your CMP: Your CMP should update the consent state when a user makes their choices. Here’s an example of how that might look:

  1. Configure GA4: In your GA4 property settings, enable Consent Mode and choose whether to use Google’s consent checks or your own CMP.
  2. Update Your Privacy Policy: Make sure your privacy policy accurately reflects how you’re using Consent Mode and what data you’re collecting.
  3. Test, Test, Test: Before going live, thoroughly test your implementation. Make sure tags are firing (or not firing) as expected based on different consent scenarios.

Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

As with any technical implementation, there are some best practices to follow and pitfalls to avoid:

Best Practices:

  • Implement Early: Set up Consent Mode as early as possible in the page load.
  • Be Transparent: Clearly communicate to users what data you’re collecting and why.
  • Respect User Choices: Make sure you’re actually honouring the consent choices users make.
  • Regular Audits: Periodically audit your setup to ensure it’s working as intended.

Common Pitfalls:

  • Overriding Consent: Don’t try to bypass or override user consent choices.
  • Ignoring Regional Differences: Remember that consent requirements can vary by region – outside the Eu different rules apply.
  • Set-and-Forget: Consent Mode isn’t a one-time setup. It needs ongoing management and updates.
  • Neglecting Testing: Always test your implementation thoroughly, especially after making changes.

Wrapping Up

Well, that’s a bit of a head wreck isn’t it! There’s a lot to take in. But don’t worry, once you do get your head around it and implement it effectively, the right approach will tick all the compliance boxes and it’ll be easy to manage over the long-term for the business. Whether you’re going for Advanced or Basic Mode, the important thing is that you’re taking steps to respect user privacy and comply with regulations.

At Inspiration Digital Marketing, we’re all about helping businesses navigate the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing and analytics. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all this Consent Mode malarkey, why not give us a shout? We’d be more than happy to help you get set up and sailing smoothly.