I am in love with this question. It is answered in only two sentences: The answer is dependent on.
It’s possible that this might not be the solution you were searching for but the truth is, based on tracking software, it is contingent. Some trackers and analytics depend extensively on cookie data, while others have less, and some be completely without them. The impact of deleting cookies could vary from significant to minor.
The Cookie King – Google Analytics
Google Analytics, or Universal Analytics or GA3 is also known as GA3 is heavily based on cookies. Eliminating cookies alters the state of sessions by users and reduces your ability to analyze. The incomprehensible data stored within GA cookies are used for a variety of reasons. They are essential in giving You the webmaster with valuable information.
These are some of the examples of Identification cookies. NID, ENID ADID, IDE, and AIDE are used to verify the user who has logged out of Google services, whether outside or on. Cookies that consent CONSENT and SOCS save the user’s preferences regarding the tracking of their data.
One of the fascinating aspect to cookies lies in their lifespan. This is why Google makes use of cookies to the fullest extent possible.
For instance for example, cookies ID expires after 6 months, whereas EnID expires at 13 months. This is a way to identify visitors who have returned over an extended period of time.
Imagine that a user erases their cookies. In this scenario, the data is lost which for your site, it will appear as if the new user has visited your website site.
Aren’t Google Analytics cookies beginning with the prefix? Yes! Yes. However, here’s the place where Google is sneaking up on both you and the users of your account. Cookies from users of various Google Services are sent with your tracker data. Cookies aren’t restricted to your website and can be accessed by JavaScript that is running on your site.
This choice in technology that was made by Google allows third-party cookies be as efficient. Therefore, the privacy that users have with Gmail as well as Google Search (while logged in) users is only temporary.
Another illustration could be an example of the CGIC cookies created by Google Search and will inform Google the search terms that was used to find your site.
Let’s summarise. The deletion of cookies can affect the reports of your web analytics in the following manner:
- Data depth loss due to the observation of new users rather than returning ones
- The loss of trust in attribution of search terms
- Information about the traffic that is referred to if link rules are not followed
- Marketing campaigns are not attributed to a specific source.
This is before we begin to look at AdSense ads, ad personalization and syndication, and the famous ADID cookie.
It is the AdSense cookie is used to provide personalization of advertisements. The process of personalization is based on the wealth of data Google keeps on its users or collected through various web sites or uploaded in the Google profile. With this data, Google can serve ads and provide insight into web analytics by using data such as gender, age, and so on. ADID is the ADID is a next-generation anonymous identifier that promises to protect your personal data from the ad-hoc marketing.
If Cookies are cleared, and that they’re not generated via Google Search, the advertising that is targeted at the user will be more general.
The future is here – GA4
With the increasing pressure from regulators and users regularly clearing their cookies, it’s no surprise that Google is shifting away from tracking using cookies.
Then again, it’s not entirely. GA4 will still utilize the first party cookies. The first-party cookies will be used by tracker software that is provided by Google through JavaScript to be transmitted via JavaScript to Google Analytics.
It is the "_ga" cookie can be able to identify the individual and link his or her identity to the AdSense profile as well as the other Google Services. The cookie can last for a period of 2 years or more. Eliminating this and other cookies can affect the performance of your website analytics.
Google Analytics 4 provides you with a variety of opportunities to collect user IDs and other tracking information from your personal data. You can modify the GA tracker with your identification information or allow it to pull these data from the site (DOM checking).
If cookies aren’t available, GA4 promises to employ “Machine Learning and AI” to fill in any gap. The particulars of the algorithm responsible for the tracking described above are not clear, and understanding the full scope of the impact could be difficult.
Persistence of Google’s Cookies
Let’s make clear one thing. Google as well as its products are everywhere. It’s hard to imagine a world without Google. It is also Gmail likely to be the most well-known email service currently.
What is the significance of this? Since the moment the user accesses these services it is not a matter of whether they removed local cookies is nothing. Google will immediately refresh the user’s as well as advertising IDs.
Is Delete Cookies Even a Thing?
Based on Statista Statista, just quarter of the privacy conscious Internet users disable third-party cookies. In the same way almost 70% of Internet users are aware of privacy protections and concerns for online users.
An interesting insight can be discovered within the ClickZ study:
In conjunction with the quick re-identification process and a small percentage of users clearing cookies frequently, one may consider whether this leads to significant changes in statistical significance.
TL;DR
There is a loss of information after a user erases cookies out of their internet browser. To get back the same level of long-term tracking as well as user interaction analytics, you’ll need to put in an extra effort to assist Google identify users.
Based on the statistical information and data collected thus far, users who delete cookies are not likely to affect the overall stats of a website that has significant traffic.
Future without cookies that is based on Wide Angle Analytics
But, if the effect isn’t too severe, why should you be concerned? The whole concept of the tracking of users by Google and its associated properties is being examined by regulators today. Cookies can be tracked via random browsing, and the fact that they are tracking us should give at the very least a shiver.
There are alternatives. There’s a variety of tools, including Wide Angle Analytics that allow cookies-based analytics and also cookieless.
Wide Angle Analytics enables you to examine the tracking of your website and track marketing attribution regardless of hygiene practices for your browser.
