What is the impact of Google's removal of third-party cookies on Google Ads?

All answers to this question.

The death of the cookie means "First-Party Data" is now king. You should immediately implement "Enhanced Conversions," which uses hashed user data (like email addresses) to match conversions even when cookies are blocked. Also, start building your own email lists more aggressively. Google is moving toward "Topics API" and "Interest-based" targeting rather than tracking individual users across the web. While traditional remarketing lists will shrink, if you have a strong list of customer emails, you can still use "Customer Match" to find similar audiences across Search, YouTube, and Gmail.

   Answered 2025-05-20 by Michelle Adams

Are you already using Consent Mode v2 to ensure you are legally collecting data for users in the EU, or is your tracking currently non-compliant

   Answered 2025-05-23 by Kevin Clark

• Kevin, we just updated to Consent Mode v2 last month. It was a headache to set up with our cookie banner, but I’ve noticed that Google is now "modeling" the data for users who decline cookies. It’s not 100% accurate, but it fills in the gaps where we would otherwise see zero conversions. I’m also looking into Server-Side tagging to bypass browser-based blocking entirely, which seems to be the direction most high-end agencies are taking now.

     Commented 2025-05-26 by Anthony Wright

Contextual targeting is making a huge comeback. Instead of following the user, we are going back to placing ads on pages that are actually about the product we're selling.

   Answered 2025-09-29 by Susan Moore

• Honestly, Susan, I prefer it that way. It feels less intrusive and often results in higher quality leads because the user is already in the right mindset for the topic.

     Commented 2025-05-31 by Gary Wilson