Google is phasing out third-party cookies from its Chrome browser. The mechanism that tracks internet users from site-to-site, dealing out adverts linked to viewed content, will be removed by 2022.
Google, the world’s biggest and most powerful search engine, undergoes an algorithm shake-up now and again. We all then adjust our SEO tactics to get our websites to the top of the search lists. However, this move is more significant for marketers.
Behind Google’s cookie diet is the public’s diminishing trust in how personal data is collected online and used. As stories hit the national press more regularly, people have grown aware of how much they’re observed while using the Internet.
By changing its relationship with third-party cookies, Google is staying ahead of the public opinion curve and making its Chrome browser a ‘safer’ place to be.
Google will benefit from this move, naturally. It will require advertisers to use its tools that will allow tracking of potential customers with targeted advertising. However, those advertisers will no longer have access to users’ personal details.
The world of targeted advertising can be very technical, and it’s probably a tool that’s used more often by consumer brands. But there is a strong message here that should point B2B marketers to the benefits of building their customer audience.
Creating a community of users who willingly offer their contact details and request regular communication is a powerful marketing strategy. Great content is at the core of achieving this relationship. It is an investment that already pays dividends, but as the internet moves away from algorithm-driven data tracking, having your own audience will become even more valuable.