iOS 17 Update and link tracking protection

Link Tracking Protection (LTP) is a critical privacy feature introduced by Apple in its iOS 17 update. This innovative feature was designed with the primary goal of enhancing user privacy and security when navigating the digital landscape. LTP primarily operates by automatically removing specific tracking parameters appended to URLs, especially those shared through Apple’s iMessage, email, and Safari’s private browsing mode.

The driving force behind LTP is the growing concern over user privacy in the digital realm. As data collection and user tracking have become increasingly pervasive, many users have expressed worries about the misuse of their personal information. In response to these concerns and to align with evolving privacy regulations, Apple has taken significant steps to empower users with more control over their data.

By stripping tracking parameters from shared links, LTP aims to safeguard user data and prevent the unauthorized collection of sensitive information. This move not only puts users in the driver’s seat when it comes to their online privacy but also poses challenges for digital marketers and businesses reliant on these parameters for campaign tracking and analytics. Understanding LTP and its implications is essential for both users seeking enhanced privacy and marketers looking to adapt to this new landscape.

Custom UTM parameters are the cornerstone of effective campaign tracking in web analytics. While the standardized UTM parameters (source, medium, campaign, term, content) are incredibly valuable, custom parameters take your tracking capabilities to the next level.

UTM parameters are safe from the iOs17 update and will help you continue to get the attribution in your reporting that you’re looking for. 

Custom UTM parameters offer a powerful way to tailor your campaign tracking to your unique needs. They provide the versatility to capture precise data points that matter most to your business, enabling more informed decisions and more effective marketing strategies.

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing and campaign tracking, staying ahead of the curve is essential. As we move beyond the traditional UTM parameters, custom tracking parameters like “gbraid” and “wbraid” are gaining significance. These parameters offer marketers advanced tracking capabilities, allowing for more precise and detailed insights into user behavior and campaign performance.

gbraid (Google Braid) and wbraid (Web Braid) parameters are relatively new additions to the tracking toolkit. While not as universally recognized as UTM parameters, they come with distinct advantages. These custom parameters enable you to bridge the gap between different analytics and tracking platforms seamlessly.

For example, “gbraid” parameters are designed to enhance tracking within the Google ecosystem. They can capture data that goes beyond what standard UTM parameters provide, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of user interactions within Google Ads, Google Analytics, and other Google services.

On the other hand, “wbraid” parameters offer a broader tracking perspective that extends beyond Google platforms. These parameters enable cross-platform tracking, helping you connect user interactions across different web analytics tools and marketing platforms.

These parameters are also safe from the iOS 17 update. 

Custom Landing Pages:

Custom landing pages are purpose-built web pages designed to align seamlessly with the messaging and intent of your ads. They serve as the first point of contact between your audience and your brand, making them a critical element in your conversion funnel. By creating landing pages that directly reflect the content and context of your ads, you can significantly improve user engagement and conversion rates.

Consider a scenario where you’re running a Facebook advertising campaign for a new product launch. Instead of directing users to your generic homepage, you create a custom landing page specifically designed to showcase the featured product, highlight its unique value propositions, and provide a clear call to action. This focused approach ensures that users who click on your ad encounter a cohesive and compelling experience, increasing the likelihood of conversions.

Custom Conversions:

Custom conversions, on the other hand, are tracking events or actions that you define based on specific user interactions with your website. These can include form submissions, product purchases, video views, or any other meaningful engagement that signifies a successful conversion. Setting up custom conversions allows you to precisely measure the impact of your advertising efforts and gain insights into which ad campaigns and channels are driving the most valuable outcomes.

For instance, if you’re running a Google Ads campaign for an e-commerce store, you can configure custom conversions to track not only completed purchases but also the specific products added to cart or the steps taken in the checkout process. This level of granularity empowers you to optimize your ads for the most valuable actions, refine your targeting, and allocate your budget where it generates the best return on investment.

By combining custom landing pages that provide a tailored user experience with custom conversions that track user actions accurately, you create a powerful synergy that enhances your ad campaigns’ effectiveness. In the following steps of this guide, we’ll delve into the practical aspects of creating custom landing pages and configuring custom conversions for various ads platforms, ensuring that you can harness these strategies to elevate your digital advertising efforts.

By combining these strategies you should have all the functionality of the query strings that are being stripped from the iOS 17 update.