Umbraco Cookieless Website Statistics with Posthog: An SEO-Friendly Guide


05 Feb, 2023 09:03

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Alternative Methods for Collecting Website Statistics with Umbraco and Posthog

Website statistics are essential for understanding the behavior of your website visitors and optimizing your site for search engines. However, traditional methods of collecting website statistics, such as cookies, can raise privacy concerns and potentially violate the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). As an Umbraco user, you may be wondering what alternative methods are available for collecting website statistics in a GDPR-compliant manner. In this blog post, we’ll explore several alternative methods for collecting website statistics with Umbraco, including the open-source product, Posthog.

  1. Server Log Files

Server log files are a simple and straightforward alternative to cookies for collecting website statistics. These files are automatically generated by your web server and contain information about the requests made to your website, including the IP address of the visitor, the date and time of the request, and the pages visited. With Umbraco, you can use log file analysis software to extract useful information from these files and gain insights into the behavior of your website visitors.

  1. Web Analytics Software Without Cookies

There are several web analytics tools available that don’t rely on cookies for collecting website statistics. These tools typically use server log files or JavaScript tracking code to gather data about your website visitors. With Umbraco, you can integrate one of these web analytics tools into your site to collect website statistics in a GDPR-compliant manner. Some popular web analytics tools without cookies include Matomo (previously Piwik), Fathom Analytics, and Simple Analytics. Another option to consider is the open-source tool, Posthog, which uses a JavaScript library to collect data and has a privacy-first approach to website analytics. Posthog offers several features that are useful for collecting website statistics without cookies, including A/B testing, user surveys, and recording user interactions.

  1. User Surveys

User surveys are another alternative method for collecting website statistics with Umbraco. With this method, you can ask your website visitors to complete a survey about their experience on your site. This can provide valuable information about their preferences, pain points, and areas for improvement. However, it’s important to ensure that user surveys comply with the GDPR by obtaining informed consent from participants and storing the collected data securely.

  1. A/B Testing

A/B testing is a method for collecting website statistics by comparing two versions of a website and measuring the differences in user behavior. With Umbraco, you can use A/B testing to evaluate changes to your site and make data-driven decisions about design, content, and functionality. This method can provide valuable insights into the behavior of your website visitors without collecting personal data. Posthog can be used to perform A/B testing, allowing you to compare the results of two different versions of a page and make data-driven decisions.

In conclusion, cookies are not the only way to collect website statistics with Umbraco. There are several alternative methods available, including server log files, web analytics software without cookies, user surveys, and A/B testing. Posthog is another open-source tool worth considering for website analytics with a privacy-first approach. With Posthog, you can collect website statistics without cookies and perform A/B testing, user surveys, and recordings. By using one or more of these alternative methods, you can gain valuable insights into the behavior of your website visitors while still complying with privacy regulations such as the GDPR.


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