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  • Migrating from Google Analytics to EuroMetrics: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Migrating from Google Analytics to EuroMetrics: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Migrating from Google Analytics to a privacy-focused alternative might seem daunting, but with the right approach, it can be completed in under an hour. This guide walks you through the process step by step.

    Step 1: Sign Up and Get Your Tracking Code

    Create your EuroMetrics account and add your website. You’ll receive a lightweight tracking script — just a single line of code that you’ll add to your website. Unlike Google Analytics, which loads over 45KB of JavaScript, the EuroMetrics script is under 1KB and loads asynchronously, so it won’t affect your page speed.

    Step 2: Install the Tracking Script

    Add the EuroMetrics script to your website’s HTML, typically in the head section. If you’re using a CMS like WordPress, you can use the official EuroMetrics plugin. For Next.js, React, or other JavaScript frameworks, we provide dedicated packages that integrate seamlessly with your build process.

    Step 3: Run Both Tools in Parallel

    We recommend running EuroMetrics alongside Google Analytics for 2-4 weeks. This parallel period lets you verify that EuroMetrics is capturing data correctly and gives you time to familiarize yourself with the new dashboard. You’ll likely notice that EuroMetrics reports higher visitor counts — this is because it captures visitors who block cookies or reject consent banners.

    Step 4: Configure Your Dashboard

    Set up your EuroMetrics dashboard to match your reporting needs. Create custom views for different teams, set up email reports, and configure goals to track conversions. The interface is intentionally simpler than Google Analytics — you’ll find the metrics that matter without drowning in data you’ll never use.

    Step 5: Remove Google Analytics

    Once you’re confident in your EuroMetrics setup, remove the Google Analytics tracking code from your website. Don’t forget to also remove any Google Tag Manager containers if they were used solely for GA. This step will immediately improve your page load time and eliminate the need for Google Analytics-specific cookie consent.

    Step 6: Update Your Privacy Policy

    Update your privacy policy to reflect the change. Remove references to Google Analytics and add information about EuroMetrics. Since EuroMetrics doesn’t use cookies, you may be able to simplify your cookie banner or remove it entirely, depending on what other tools you use.

    What About Historical Data?

    Your Google Analytics historical data remains accessible in your Google account. We recommend exporting key reports before your GA property’s data retention period expires. EuroMetrics provides data export tools that let you maintain a consistent reporting archive going forward.

    The migration process is designed to be simple and low-risk. Most customers complete it in under an hour, and our support team is available to help with any questions along the way.

  • EU Data Residency: Why It Matters for Your Business

    EU Data Residency: Why It Matters for Your Business

    Data residency — the physical location where your data is stored and processed — has become one of the most important considerations for European businesses. With increasing regulatory scrutiny and evolving international data transfer rules, keeping data within the EU is no longer just a nice-to-have; it’s a business imperative.

    The Legal Framework

    Under GDPR, transferring personal data outside the EEA requires specific legal mechanisms — adequacy decisions, Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), or Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs). The Schrems II ruling invalidated the EU-US Privacy Shield, and while the EU-US Data Privacy Framework was adopted in 2023, its long-term stability remains uncertain.

    For businesses that want certainty and simplicity, the most straightforward approach is to keep data within the EU entirely. This eliminates the need for complex transfer mechanisms and reduces the risk of future regulatory disruptions.

    Beyond Compliance: Trust and Sovereignty

    Data residency isn’t just about legal compliance. It’s about trust. European consumers increasingly prefer to do business with companies that respect data sovereignty. A 2025 Eurobarometer survey found that 78% of EU citizens consider data location important when choosing online services.

    For B2B companies, data residency can be a competitive advantage. Enterprise clients often require data residency guarantees in their procurement processes, and being able to demonstrate EU-only data processing can be a deciding factor in winning contracts.

    What EU Data Residency Means in Practice

    True EU data residency means that all data — at rest and in transit — stays within the European Economic Area. This includes primary databases, backup systems, CDN nodes, processing pipelines, and support access. It also means that no employee or system outside the EEA can access the data, even for troubleshooting.

    Many global analytics providers claim “EU data residency” but still route data through non-EU systems for processing, or allow support staff in non-EU countries to access data. True data residency requires end-to-end EU infrastructure.

    The EuroMetrics Approach

    EuroMetrics was built with EU data residency as a core principle. All data is processed and stored exclusively on servers located within the EU, with no cross-border data transfers. Our infrastructure runs entirely on EU-based cloud providers, ensuring complete data sovereignty for our customers.

  • Cookie-Free Analytics: How It Works

    Cookie-Free Analytics: How It Works

    Cookie-free analytics represents a fundamental shift in how we approach web measurement. Instead of tracking individual users with persistent identifiers, these solutions use privacy-preserving techniques to deliver accurate insights without cookies.

    The Problem with Traditional Analytics

    Traditional analytics tools like Google Analytics rely heavily on cookies to identify and track users across sessions. This approach creates several problems: it requires cookie consent banners (which many users reject), it’s increasingly blocked by browsers and ad blockers, and it raises serious privacy concerns under GDPR and ePrivacy regulations.

    How Cookie-Free Tracking Works

    Cookie-free analytics uses a combination of techniques to measure website activity without setting any cookies or using persistent identifiers. The primary approach involves processing each page view as an independent event, using temporary, non-persistent signals to estimate metrics like unique visitors.

    These signals may include the date (but not time), the website domain, the page URL, the referring domain, the browser’s language setting, and the screen size. Critically, these signals are hashed and salted with a daily-rotating key, making it impossible to track a user across days or to reconstruct their identity.

    Accuracy Without Cookies

    A common concern is whether cookie-free analytics can be accurate. The answer is yes — and in some cases, more accurate than cookie-based tracking. Why? Because cookie-based analytics often undercounts users who block cookies, use privacy-focused browsers, or reject consent banners. Cookie-free analytics captures all visitors equally.

    Studies have shown that consent-based cookie analytics can miss 30-60% of website traffic due to consent rejection. Cookie-free solutions see every visitor, providing a more complete picture of your website’s performance.

    Legal Advantages

    Since cookie-free analytics doesn’t use cookies or process personal data, it falls outside the scope of the ePrivacy Directive’s consent requirement. This means you can run analytics without a cookie banner, improving user experience while simplifying compliance. Several European DPAs have confirmed that properly implemented cookie-free analytics does not require consent.

    EuroMetrics uses exactly this approach — delivering comprehensive analytics insights while respecting user privacy and eliminating the need for cookie consent banners.

  • GDPR Compliance Checklist for Web Analytics in 2026

    GDPR Compliance Checklist for Web Analytics in 2026

    Ensuring your web analytics setup is GDPR-compliant in 2026 requires more than just adding a cookie banner. Data protection authorities have raised the bar, and businesses need a systematic approach to compliance.

    1. Data Residency

    Verify that all analytics data is processed and stored within the European Economic Area (EEA). This includes not just the primary database but also backups, CDN caches, and any processing pipelines. After the invalidation of the EU-US Privacy Shield and ongoing uncertainty around the Data Privacy Framework, EU-only data residency is the safest approach.

    2. Lawful Basis for Processing

    Determine your lawful basis for collecting analytics data. If you rely on consent, ensure your consent mechanism meets the requirements: it must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous. If you use legitimate interest, document your balancing test carefully.

    3. Cookie Audit

    Conduct a thorough audit of all cookies set by your analytics tool. First-party analytics cookies typically require consent under the ePrivacy Directive. Cookie-free analytics solutions can bypass this requirement entirely, significantly simplifying your compliance posture.

    4. Data Minimization

    Review what data your analytics tool collects. Under GDPR’s data minimization principle, you should only collect data that is strictly necessary for your stated purpose. Full IP addresses, precise geolocation, and detailed device fingerprints are rarely necessary for analytics.

    5. Data Processing Agreement

    Ensure you have a valid Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with your analytics provider. The DPA should clearly specify the categories of data processed, the purposes, security measures, sub-processors, and data subject rights procedures.

    6. Privacy Policy Updates

    Your privacy policy must accurately describe your analytics practices, including what data is collected, why, how long it’s retained, and who has access to it. Update it whenever you change analytics tools or practices.

    Following this checklist will put you in a strong position for GDPR compliance. Tools like EuroMetrics are designed to satisfy most of these requirements out of the box, with EU data residency, cookie-free tracking, and built-in DPA support.

  • Warum europäische Unternehmen Google Analytics aufgeben [[T0]]In recent months, several European countries have declared Google Analytics illegal due to privacy concerns related to data transfers to the United States.[[T0]] [[T1]]Austria, France, Italy, and Denmark have all issued rulings stating that using Google Analytics violates the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which protects European citizens' personal data.[[T1]] [[T2]]These decisions stem from the potential for U.S. intelligence agencies to access user data transferred to American servers, which European regulators argue undermines fundamental privacy protections.[[T2]] [[T3]]As a result, many European businesses are proactively switching to alternative analytics platforms that store data exclusively within European Union borders, ensuring compliance with local data protection laws.[[T3]] [[T4]]Some popular alternatives include Matomo, Plausible, and Fathom Analytics, which offer GDPR-compliant solutions that prioritize user privacy and data sovereignty.[[T4]] [[T5]]This trend highlights the growing tension between global tech platforms and regional data protection regulations, signaling a significant shift in how companies approach digital analytics and user data management.[[T5]]

    Warum europäische Unternehmen Google Analytics aufgeben [[T0]]In recent months, several European countries have declared Google Analytics illegal due to privacy concerns related to data transfers to the United States.[[T0]] [[T1]]Austria, France, Italy, and Denmark have all issued rulings stating that using Google Analytics violates the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which protects European citizens’ personal data.[[T1]] [[T2]]These decisions stem from the potential for U.S. intelligence agencies to access user data transferred to American servers, which European regulators argue undermines fundamental privacy protections.[[T2]] [[T3]]As a result, many European businesses are proactively switching to alternative analytics platforms that store data exclusively within European Union borders, ensuring compliance with local data protection laws.[[T3]] [[T4]]Some popular alternatives include Matomo, Plausible, and Fathom Analytics, which offer GDPR-compliant solutions that prioritize user privacy and data sovereignty.[[T4]] [[T5]]This trend highlights the growing tension between global tech platforms and regional data protection regulations, signaling a significant shift in how companies approach digital analytics and user data management.[[T5]]

    The landscape of web analytics in Europe has undergone a dramatic transformation. Since the landmark Schrems II ruling and subsequent enforcement actions by data protection authorities across the EU, European businesses have been reconsidering their reliance on Google Analytics.

    The GDPR Problem with Google Analytics

    Google Analytics, by design, transfers user data to servers located in the United States. Under GDPR, this creates a significant compliance risk. Several European data protection authorities — including those in Austria, France, Italy, and Denmark — have explicitly ruled that using Google Analytics violates GDPR.

    The core issues are clear: personal data (including IP addresses and cookie identifiers) is transferred to the US, where surveillance laws like FISA 702 allow government agencies to access this data without the knowledge or consent of EU citizens.

    The Real Cost of Non-Compliance

    GDPR fines are not theoretical. In 2025 alone, over €2.1 billion in fines were issued across the EU for data protection violations. Companies using non-compliant analytics tools face potential fines of up to 4% of their annual global revenue.

    Beyond fines, there’s reputational damage. Consumers increasingly care about how their data is handled, and a public enforcement action can erode trust that took years to build.

    What European Businesses Need

    The ideal analytics solution for European businesses must meet several criteria: data must stay within the EU, no personal data should be transferred to third countries, cookie consent should be simplified or eliminated entirely, and the tool must provide actionable insights without compromising privacy.

    This is exactly why solutions like EuroMetrics exist — built from the ground up for European businesses, with EU data residency, cookie-free tracking, and full GDPR compliance baked into the architecture.