Analytics terms, in plain language.

The data loss caused by browser extensions and built-in features that block third-party analytics scripts. Ad blockers affect 40%+ of EU users, making analytics tools like GA4 blind to a significant portion of traffic.

The geographic location where analytics data is processed and stored. Under GDPR, data residency determines which legal frameworks apply and whether cross-border data transfer mechanisms (like SCCs) are required.

A rule or algorithm that determines how credit for conversions is distributed across marketing touchpoints. Common models include first-touch, last-touch, linear, time-decay, and data-driven attribution.

The time period after a marketing touchpoint during which a subsequent conversion is credited to that touchpoint. Windows vary by channel — Google Ads default is 30 days, Meta is 7 days, GA4 is 30/90 days depending on model.

The percentage of sessions where a visitor views only one page before leaving. In GA4, bounce rate is the inverse of engagement rate — a session is a bounce if it lasts less than 10 seconds, has no conversion, and has no second pageview.

A group sharing a starting characteristic, usually first visit or first purchase period, tracked over time to compare behaviour between groups rather than across a whole audience.

Software that displays cookie consent banners and manages user preferences. Required under GDPR for websites using cookies or collecting personal data. EU rejection rates vary widely by market — roughly 40-60% on average, and higher in Germany.

Web analytics that captures visitor data without using browser cookies, enabling 100% traffic measurement regardless of consent status or browser restrictions.

Expected total margin from a customer relationship. Usually calculated from order data rather than web analytics, precisely because it needs an identity that survives longer than any browser identifier.

The gap between actual website traffic and what analytics tools report. Caused by consent rejection, ad blockers, browser restrictions, and data sampling. Typically 70-87% in the EU.

A technique where analytics tools analyze a subset of data and extrapolate results. GA4 applies sampling when traffic exceeds certain thresholds, introducing estimation error.

EU Directive 2002/58/EC governing privacy in electronic communications, including the rule (Art. 5(3)) that consent is required before storing or accessing information on a user's terminal device. The legal basis for cookie consent banners.

The method of recording specific user interactions on a website beyond pageviews — clicks, form submissions, video plays, downloads, and eCommerce actions. GA4 uses an event-based data model where every interaction is an event.

Collecting analytics data through your own domain infrastructure rather than third-party servers. First-party requests are invisible to ad blockers and not subject to third-party cookie restrictions.

An ordered sequence of steps toward a conversion, measured by drop-off between them. Only as trustworthy as its coverage — a funnel built on the consenting minority describes that minority, not your customers.

Meeting GDPR requirements for web analytics: lawful basis for processing, data minimization, purpose limitation, and — if using cookies — valid consent collection before tracking.

Google's framework that allows Analytics and Ads tags to load without storing cookies when the user has rejected consent — then statistically models the missing data. It is a modelling layer, not a measurement layer.

Apple Safari's privacy feature that limits cookie lifespan and blocks cross-site tracking. ITP reduces first-party cookie life to 7 days (or 24 hours for some) and blocks all third-party cookies.

An attribution model where 100% of the conversion credit goes to the final marketing touchpoint observed before the conversion event. SealMetrics applies last-click on 100% of data — aggregate, anonymous, at channel level.

GDPR Article 6(1)(f) lawful basis: processing personal data is permitted when a controller has a legitimate purpose that does not override the data subject's rights. Sometimes invoked for analytics — but ePrivacy still requires consent for cookies.

An analytics model that distributes conversion credit across multiple touchpoints observed for the same identified visitor. Requires per-user tracking and is not part of SealMetrics' last-click, anonymous architecture.

Information in an analytics dataset relating to an identified or identifiable person under GDPR Art. 4(1). GDPR applies only to personal data, so analytics processing none falls outside its scope — but ePrivacy Art. 5(3) still governs storage on the device either way.

Attributed revenue divided by ad spend. The numerator comes from your analytics and the denominator from the ad platform, so unmeasured conversions understate ROAS and push budget away from channels that were working.

Connecting revenue events (purchases, subscriptions) to the marketing channels that drove them. SealMetrics uses last-click on 100% of observed events — no per-user journey tracking, no multi-touch models.

Data collection method where events are processed on the server rather than in the browser. Avoids client-side blocking by ad blockers and browser privacy features.

Query-string tags — utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, utm_content — appended to links so the destination can attribute the visit. The values are whatever you type, so attribution quality depends entirely on naming discipline.