Tracking Tips & Strategy
Attribution, UTM parameters, server-side tracking, privacy, and measurement strategy guides.
18 articles
April 1, 2026
Hiring an Ecommerce Ad Agency in 2026: What to Look For (And What to Run From)
Most ad agencies can't explain where your conversions come from. Here's how to evaluate an ecommerce marketing agency on the metrics that actually matter.
April 1, 2026
Ad Tracking After iOS 17: What Actually Changed and What to Do About It
iOS 17 introduced Link Tracking Protection, stricter ITP, and private browsing defaults. Here's the real impact on your ad tracking and the fixes that work.
April 1, 2026
How to Calculate ROAS (And What a Good ROAS Actually Looks Like)
ROAS formula, industry benchmarks, and the difference between platform ROAS and real ROAS. Plus why the number your ad platform shows you is probably wrong.
April 1, 2026
Meta Pixel vs Conversions API: Do You Need Both?
The Meta Pixel runs in the browser. CAPI runs on your server. Here's when you need one, the other, or both — and how to avoid the double-counting trap.
April 1, 2026
How Much Does a Marketing Agency Cost in 2026? Complete Pricing Guide
Real pricing for PPC agencies, social media management, SEO, and full-service marketing. What you should pay, what's overpriced, and what the fee structures mean.
April 1, 2026
First-Party Data Strategy: What It Actually Means and How to Build One
Third-party cookies are dying. First-party data is the replacement. Here's what to collect, how to use it for ad targeting, and the infrastructure that makes it work.
April 1, 2026
In-House Marketing vs Agency: When to Hire an Agency (Decision Framework)
Should you hire a marketing agency or build an in-house team? A data-driven framework based on budget, complexity, and growth stage.
April 1, 2026
Performance Max Campaigns: Complete Setup Guide (And When They Fail)
How to set up Google's Performance Max campaigns correctly, what asset groups to create, when PMax works vs. wastes budget, and how to read the opaque reporting.
April 1, 2026
Google Ads Quality Score: What It Is and How to Improve It
Quality Score controls your ad rank and cost-per-click. Here's how it's calculated, what scores to aim for, and the specific changes that move it.
April 1, 2026
Multi-Touch Attribution Models Compared: Which One Should You Use?
Last click, first click, linear, time decay, data-driven — each model tells a different story about your marketing. Here's when to use each and why they disagree.
April 1, 2026
Cookie Consent Banners: Which CMP Works Best With GTM?
Comparing consent management platforms for Google Tag Manager: Cookiebot, CookieYes, OneTrust, Complianz, and Osano. Setup complexity, GTM integration, and pricing.
April 1, 2026
Elevar vs Littledata vs DIY: Shopify Tracking Solutions Compared
Three ways to solve Shopify tracking: Elevar ($150+/mo), Littledata ($99+/mo), or build it yourself. Honest comparison of features, cost, and what each misses.
April 1, 2026
Meta Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns: Setup, Optimization, and When They Fail
Advantage+ Shopping is Meta's AI-driven campaign type. Here's how to set it up, what controls you actually have, and the signs it's wasting your budget.
April 1, 2026
Shopify Web Pixels vs GTM: Which Should You Use for Tracking?
Shopify's Web Pixel API and Google Tag Manager solve the same problem differently. Here's when to use each, what each can't do, and the hybrid approach that covers everything.
March 20, 2026
Why Meta and Google Report Different Conversion Numbers (And Which One Is Right)
Meta says 50 conversions. Google says 30. Your CRM says 45. Here's why they all disagree and how to figure out which number to trust.
March 20, 2026
Server-Side Tracking: What It Actually Does (No Jargon, Real Examples)
Client-side vs server-side tracking explained in plain language. What it is, why it matters for your ads, and whether you actually need it.
March 20, 2026
Your Redirects Are Killing Your UTM Parameters (And Your Ad Attribution)
HTTP to HTTPS redirects, www to non-www redirects, and vanity URLs strip UTM parameters. Here's how it happens and how to fix it before your next campaign.
January 17, 2024
Website Tracking Audit Checklist: 50+ Points to Verify Your Analytics
Complete checklist to audit your website tracking setup. Covers GTM, GA4, pixels, consent, and data quality. Don't launch campaigns without checking these.
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