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Last year, Google announced that it would no longer collect third-party cookies on users who browse on Chrome. With 70 percent of internet users still on Chrome, this has led to an uproar among digital marketing teams worldwide. 

In response, Google postponed the delay for this move until 2023 a couple of weeks ago. Companies now have two years to make use of the most advanced ad-tech feature ever created. Learn how to use Google’s ad platform today, before it disappears!

What are cookies, and why is Google killing them?

To simplify, cookies are essentially pieces of data that track your web browsing history. It helps the browser and websites understand your behaviour to improve your experience. 

Do you want a news website to remember your story preferences? That uses a cookie. Want recommendations on Amazon and Flipkart that are similar to your previous searches? That uses cookies. Do you want to send an ad to a specific type of user persona? That uses the cookie history maintained by your browser, such as Google Chrome.

Unfortunately, these cookies can also be malicious for users if the wrong person gets ahold of them. 

After years of backlash — especially after the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal around the US elections in 2016 — privacy has become a hot issue for the tech giants. Thus, Google Chrome plans to end the use of cookies by 2023. 

While it’s great for us, personally, it’s not so great if you are a company that uses digital advertisements.

Why can’t I just switch to social media?

It is true that social media platforms, especially Facebook and Instagram, have volumes of personalised data that can be compared to the data that cookies track. However, no platform has the cost and value efficiency that Google Ads provide.

With social media, you are trying to convince potential users who might fit your customer profile to stop scrolling through their feed and buy something from you. 

With Google, you are showing your brand to people who are looking for what you sell anyway!

The difference is tangible. Experts say with a Google Search Ads, you should be getting at least three out of 100 people who see your ad to click on it. With Facebook, you will be lucky if one out of every 100 people clicks on your ad. That’s a 3X difference!

Especially as an early-stage startup without an established brand, it is vital to have people discover you on Google first. It’s the best and cheapest way to build a strong customer base.

But, how can you use Google well? How do you make sure you are not wasting money? How do you speed up your efforts to maximise the remaining two years of this advertising window?

To help you out, we have talked to a couple of ad buying experts — Sameer Choudhary (CEO and Founder, The Media Ant) and Biplab Poddar (CEO and Founder, Oxedent) — to help you navigate the world of Google Ads. You can find the paid video course here.

While everyone says it takes a few months to see results from advertising, you should get started with your Google marketing efforts before the golden age of digital advertising closes in just two years.