Google Consent Mode Explained and What it Means for Irish Businesses
Rarely a week goes by without an update from Google about one of its many tools and sites. The latest buzz is all about Google Consent Mode which is a particularly important update for Irish website owners and businesses.
Below we look at the following:
- What Google Consent Mode is
- How Google Consent Mode works
- Why Google Consent Mode is important
- What happens if a business doesn’t implement Google Consent Mode
- How to implement Google Consent Mode
What is Google Consent Mode?
In a nutshell, Google Consent Mode guarantees compliance with GDPR and other data privacy regulations concerning your website cookies and visitor data.
Google Consent Mode is designed to make managing your website users’ consent preferences seamless. By integrating with Google Tag Manager, Consent Mode offers you a streamlined approach to respect user choices regarding data tracking and advertising.
How Does Google Consent Mode Work?
Google Consent Mode works by allowing websites to adjust the behaviour of Google tags and pixels based on the user’s consent preferences for data processing.
Unlike the existing data collection method that allows a website user to ‘opt-in’ or ‘opt-out’ of data collection, the updated Google Consent Mode will allow them to choose:
- If their ad-related data can be stored on user devices
- If their data can be stored for website/app analytics
- If their data can be shared with Google Ads for personalised ad targeting
- If their stored data can be used for generating reports
If a user consents to data processing, Google tags will behave normally, tracking and collecting data as usual. However, if a user does not consent, Google tags will be restricted, preventing them from collecting certain types of data. This ensures compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR.
Why is Google Consent Mode Important?
Google Consent Mode is important because it helps websites comply with data privacy regulations like GDPR and thus enhances privacy and transparency for users. This update is particularly important for anyone using Google Ads and Google Analytics.
With the Google Consent Mode update implemented, you will be able to control how Google tools like Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, and Google Analytics work based on whether users agree to cookies and data tracking.
It also offers a way to estimate data for Google Ads conversions, even if users haven’t agreed to tracking. As well as complying with privacy laws, this will help businesses build trust with their website users by being transparent about data use and still allow for some basic data collection even without full consent.
What Happens If I Don’t Implement Google Consent Mode?
Website owners with site users in the European Economic Area (EEA), of which Ireland is a member, who do not implement Google Consent Mode will no longer be able to track certain data.
This will lead to those website owners having patchy data which in turn will negatively impact:
- Ad personalisation
- Report accuracy
- Audience lists
- Advertising budget
- Effectiveness of advertising
What Do I Need To Do?
To start, make sure you’re using a cookie banner that works with Google Consent Mode V2. Free cookie banners might not be compatible, so it’s best to use a certified Consent Management Platform (CMP). For WordPress websites, we recommend Complianz for its competitive pricing and ease of implementation. For non-WordPress websites, we recommend Cookie Information for competitive pricing and support.
You can find a full list of Google-certified CMPs here. Each CMP should provide documentation on how to implement Google Consent Mode, usually requiring changes through Google Tag Manager.
How ePresence Can Help
If you need assistance with implementing consent mode feel free to contact us and we would be happy to review your requirements and provide a quote for a tailored solution for you.
