So, what is a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file sent by a web server to a computer and recorded by the browser when a website is visited. It can collect information, which facilitates future visits and adapts them to suit the user’s needs.
Cookies can also be used to display personalised contents or contents that are more relevant to the user. For example, it is thanks to cookies that, when you are purchasing a pair of training shoes on line and your mother calls you at the same time, you will still find the shoes in your basket the next time you visit the store’s website.
The specificity of Google Analytics cookies
Google Analytics cookies are just a small part of Google cookies. Indeed, Google uses other ‘Preference’ cookies which, for example, ensure that the website is displayed in your desired language or that it provides personalised information based on your location. Google also uses ‘Security’, ‘Advertising’ and ‘Session state’ cookies.
Google Analytics cookies collect specific information associated with visits to a website and the user’s interactions with it. By collecting this information, it generates a report via the Google Analytics tool that is required by marketers to adapt their digital strategy based on the behaviour and the particularities of Internet users.
A reduced cookie with Universal Analytics
Via Universal Analytics, recovering information on visits and interactions is simplified, data being stored on one single cookie, which associates activities over several sessions with a unique identifier. Since statistics on users are increasingly accurate, the user experience can be further improved and personalised.