People are increasingly turning to VPNs to protect their digital privacy. But what does that mean for webmasters using Google Analytics to gather user data? Accurate user data is crucial if you're aiming to monetize your site. So if a VPN can mask geolocation, how does that influence your Google Analytics reports?
We'll need to know how Google Analytics tracks users to understand what happens to user data when people hide their locations with a VPN. We'll help you to test the answer with a 30-day free trial VPN.
What is the interaction between Google Analytics and VPNs?
The short answer is that one can't influence the other. That's because the two technologies operate on different levels.
How does a VPN work?
A virtual private network (VPN) is an enclosed, secured connection that carries data between a device and the web. It encrypts the data, so even if an outsider captures the conversation, they won't be able to decipher the content. People use VPNs for data security because VPNs prevent hackers from eavesdropping on the data that passes along the tunnel. They also use VPNs to change their location to access geo-blocked content.
Your browser handles cookies. A VPN works on transmission layers, not on the application level the way cookies do, so a VPN can't prevent a website from placing cookies on a browser. Cookies are not affected by the software (a VPN) that runs communication on the transmission layer levels.
How does Google Analytics work?
Google Analytics is a cookie-based tracking system. It places cookies on internet users' browsers to collect information about user behavior across websites and apps:
● The website server sends a cookie to visitors when they request your content.
● If the visitor accepts the cookie, the cookie gets lodged in the browser.
● The browser stores the cookie on your device, where …
● Google interacts with the cookie information.
Does a VPN block Google Analytics cookies?
A VPN doesn't deal with cookies; only the user can prevent cookies by clicking "Reject" when offered cookies. However, a VPN can assist with basic cookie management by helping the user to set up and enforce cookie rules. Apart from obscuring the user's location, some premium VPNs provide additional browser extensions and privacy setting tools.
What happens to the Google Analytics data on a VPN connection?
Your GA reports exactly what the session cookie tells about the visitor, including the server's location that just opened that particular session. The VPN doesn't interact with or change cookie data. Instead, it treats the cookie session information as just one more part of the encrypted data that flows between the user and the website.
That means a VPN can mask geolocation on GA reports.
If a VPN can mask geolocation, does that show in Google Analytics reports?
Here's how GA tracks users who use a VPN to change their geolocation:
On the first visit, a website assigns a tracking ID (cookie) to the browser. GA will record the location. If the person leaves, connects to a VPN, and visits again, GA will use the same cookie and just add and record the information from the second visit. If the second visit is from a different location than the first, the browser cookie will add the second location to the session data, and your GA report will show the location of the VPN server.
If the user clears all cookies after his first visit and uses a VPN for the second visit, GA will assign a new cookie to the browser.
You can test the effect of the VPN using a VPN free trial.
What are the implications of false IP locations on Google Analytics data?
If the vast majority of IP locations in your GA reports are false, it will become more challenging for you to target users in specific geolocations. But incorrect information in your GA report is nothing new! Users are increasingly objecting to being tracked, and governments are taking action. Some users even enjoy adding false or useless information by using TOR or a VPN, installing ad blockers and fingerprint blockers on browsers, using only private browsing modes, declining cookies, purging cookies after every session, and using multiple devices.
Is cookie tracking with Google Analytics your only option?
GA fundamentally relies on cookie-based tracking but can also collect IP location information from sources such as GPS on smartphones. They know far more about people than what is apparent from the GA data they allow you access to (even if they aren't sharing the juicy stuff). We should remember that Google has, over many years, accumulated vast amounts of user data that they cross-correlate for targeted advertising. People who browse the internet while signed into their Google accounts have zero defense against Google Analytics.
GA's cookie-based tracking may not ensure the absolute accuracy of your particular website's GA reports, even if Google's intimate knowledge about users is good news for people who rely on their websites' income from targeted Google Ads. But, since Google will be sunsetting its Universal Analytics soon, consider alternatives to cookie-based tracking.