The way we measure success in digital marketing is undergoing a massive transformation, and as the Director of Marketing Analytics at Bloom, I’ve felt it firsthand.
It’s no longer about swapping out tools or adapting to the latest platform update—it’s about a total rethinking of how we collect, track, and use data. Privacy laws are stricter, technology is evolving fast, and consumers now demand more control over their personal information than ever before.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, trust me—you’re not alone. I’ve worked with brands and agencies trying to figure out this new landscape, and everyone is feeling the pinch.
Let’s dive into what’s happening and how to stay ahead.
The State of Web Tracking in 2025
Web tracking used to be simple. Tools worked behind the scenes, giving marketers a wealth of data about their audiences. Those days are gone. Now, stricter privacy regulations and growing concerns about transparency have made those old methods outdated.
1. Restricting Tracking Capabilities
Stricter privacy laws, like Québec’s Law 25, and the decline of third-party cookies are reducing marketers’ ability to track and retarget users. The result? A significant portion of web traffic is now untracked, creating a blind spot for attribution and optimization.
Stricter privacy laws, like Québec’s Law 25, and the decline of third-party cookies are reducing marketers’ ability to track and retarget users. The result? A significant portion of web traffic is now untracked, creating a blind spot for attribution and optimization.
Law 25 and Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) in Quebec
Let me start with Québec’s Law 25, which went into effect in 2022. It requires businesses to get explicit consent before tracking users’ data. If you’re operating in Québec, you can no longer track people by default.
The biggest impact? Most users, when given a clear choice, simply say no to data sharing. This turns websites into digital black boxes and dramatically reduces the effectiveness of remarketing campaigns. Those perfectly tailored ads that used to re-engage customers? They don’t work as well anymore.
There’s no magic fix for this. It’s a fundamental shift that forces us as marketers to adapt. I’ll share how later in this post.
The Google Third-Party Cookie Saga
Google’s back-and-forth decisions about phasing out third-party cookies have been nothing short of a rollercoaster—one that marketers never signed up for. Originally scheduled for deprecation in 2020, then delayed a few times, Google announced in 2024 that third-party cookies would remain, shifting instead to a user-consent-driven model. These ongoing shifts have created a lot of uncertainty for the industry. While cookies are sticking around for now, one thing is clear: we can’t rely on them forever.
Marketers have already started adapting. From developing stronger first-party data strategies to exploring server-side tracking, the industry has moved forward. Even if cookies stay, the shift to a consent-first environment means we need plans that assume these tracking methods could disappear at any moment.
2. Budget Allocation and Attribution
Because a portion of our audience remains invisible due to opt-outs, justifying campaign performance and allocating budgets has become harder.
On top of this, GA4’s new event-based tracking system complicates things further, as it disrupts traditional metrics and year-over-year comparisons. With incomplete data and a new framework to navigate, assessing performance and accurately attributing success to the right channels has become a daunting task.
3. Fragmented Data Sources
Today, there are more advertising platforms and data sources than ever. Retail media networks are dominating, Netflix is entering the ad space, and social media platforms are constantly evolving their targeting options.
This is both exciting and exhausting. On one hand, there’s opportunity everywhere. On the other hand, keeping up with all these platforms and tracking systems feels like juggling flaming swords. The key is finding ways to unify your data and make sense of the chaos—but that’s easier said than done.
4. Impact on Performance
Having part of your website audience remain invisible due to tracking restrictions will inevitably impact your campaign performance. With fewer signals to analyze, it becomes harder to assess how campaigns are performing, resulting in fewer optimization opportunities and diminished learnings from ad platforms.
Remarketing—those targeted ads that re-engage users who’ve already shown interest—has also taken a significant hit. Privacy laws mean fewer people are opting into tracking, which shrinks audience pools and makes personalization harder. Without the granular data we once relied on, we’re left searching for new ways to connect with our audiences.
How Can Marketers Adapt?
Whether you’re managing marketing for a small business or a large enterprise, navigating these changes demands a proactive strategy. Consider exploring these potential solutions:
1. Leveraging Advanced Tracking
As privacy restrictions reshape digital marketing, advanced tracking tools offer marketers a way to maintain reliable insights and optimize campaigns.
Conversion Modeling in GA4
Google Analytics 4 tackles the challenge of untracked data through Conversion Modeling, leveraging machine learning to predict conversions from aggregated data. By blending modelled and observed conversions, GA4 provides marketers with more accurate performance insights, even in a world of increasing privacy restrictions.
Facebook Conversion API and Google Enhanced Conversion
This capability is further enhanced by tools like Google Enhanced Conversions and Facebook Conversion API (CAPI). These tools supplement GA4’s modeling by utilizing first-party data, such as hashed customer information, to fill in gaps caused by tracking limitations. Google Enhanced Conversions enriches conversion data by matching offline or partial online activity to ads, while Facebook CAPI enables server-side data sharing for more reliable attribution.
Together, these solutions don’t fully restore the granularity of past tracking methods but significantly improve ad optimization and reporting. They empower marketers to adapt to the consent-first environment with greater confidence in their performance insights.
The difference between Conversion Modelling, Facebook Conversion API and Google Enhanced Conversion
| GA4 Conversion Modeling | Google Ads Conversion Tracking | Facebook Conversion API (CAPI) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When to Use | Best for cross-channel analysis and when direct tracking is incomplete. | Ideal for optimizing Google Ads campaigns. | Essential for accurate tracking and optimization in Facebook and Instagram campaigns, especially in privacy-restricted environments. |
| Description | Uses machine learning to estimate conversions when direct tracking data is unavailable (e.g., cookie restrictions, privacy changes). | Tracks user interactions within Google Ads campaigns to measure specific conversions (e.g., purchases, sign-ups). | Server-to-server tracking method that sends conversion data directly to Facebook, bypassing browser-based limitations. |
| Strengths | – Holistic Data: Unified view across channels and devices – Privacy-Centric: Adapts to regulations -Cross-Channel Analysis | – Direct Attribution: Campaign-specific data for ROAS – Real-Time Insights: Accurate and fast tracking – Enhanced CPC Optimization | – Resilience to Privacy Restrictions: Operates without cookies – Better Data Match Rates: Utilizes hashed data – Detailed Event Customization |
| Weaknesses | – Reliability: Estimates, not exact figures – Google Dependency: Underrepresents non-Google touchpoints | – Channel-Specific: Limited to Google Ads traffic – Cookie Dependent: Traditional tracking struggles with restrictions | – Setup Complexity: Requires server-side implementation – Facebook-Centric: Primarily benefits Facebook campaigns |
2. Transparent Reporting
Transparent reporting can bridge the gap between limited data and stakeholder expectations. Including the percentage of untracked traffic in dashboards allows marketers to highlight performance gaps and justify campaign investments.
For example, instead of hiding the reality of opt-out users, transparent reporting creates a shared understanding of why certain metrics, like remarketing results, may not be as strong as they once were.
3. Combining CMP and Analytics Data
By cross-referencing Consent Management Platform (CMP) metrics with GA4 data, marketers gain better visibility into untracked audience segments. This combined approach respects user privacy while delivering insights that can inform broader strategies.
For businesses operating in regions like Québec, where CMPs are mandatory, this integration ensures compliance without sacrificing strategic planning.
4. Media Mix Modeling (MMM)
MMM offers a robust solution for navigating fragmented data and attribution gaps. By relying on aggregated data instead of user-level details, MMM enables marketers to evaluate channel performance and allocate budgets effectively.
At Bloom, we’ve developed Polaris, our proprietary MMM tool, to help brands measure and optimize campaigns across multiple channels. Polaris not only bridges gaps in attribution but also provides actionable insights for smarter decision-making.
5. Educating Stakeholders
Marketers need to proactively educate stakeholders about the evolving measurement landscape. It’s essential to communicate the limitations of modern tools, highlight the value of aggregate-level insights, and align expectations.
Clear communication ensures decision-makers understand the trade-offs of privacy-first strategies and trust the methods being implemented, such as Conversion Modeling or MMM.
Are you ready for 2025?
The digital marketing landscape isn’t just changing—it’s transforming. Success will belong to those who embrace the challenges, invest in innovation, and adapt their strategies to this new reality.
This isn’t something to tackle tomorrow—it’s happening now. Take the time to audit your measurement strategy, invest in tools that respect privacy while delivering insights, and prepare to lead your organization into the future.
If you don’t know where to start, contact us today, we’ll happily help you navigate these changes and find what’s best for your business.