Is your WordPress site hosted on the WP Engine platform?
Does the cookie notice you’ve implemented for CCPA, Virginia CDPA or GDPR compliance display to all users worldwide?
If you’ve answered yes both times, let’s implement a solution so the cookie notice only displays for users in California, Virginia or the European Union, not worldwide.
Image credit: TechCrunch
What is GeoTarget Cookie Notice?
GeoTarget Cookie Notice is a WordPress plugin that is an essential component of a custom geotargeting solution designed for sites hosted at WP Engine.
Screenshot of results taken from GeoPeeker:
In addition to the GeoTarget Cookie Notice plugin, this custom geotargeting solution also includes use of a cookie notice plugin, modifying several WordPress Theme files and a few other components to work. Since there are multiple components of this solution, the GeoTarget Cookie Notice plugin is not available for download via the WordPress Plugin Directory.
Why Setup Cookie Notice GeoTargeting?
SEO Implications
- Impact on Page Load
- Impact on Googlebot Smartphone
- Impact on Site Tracking
- Impact on Conversion Rates
Let’s consider each implication in a little more detail.
Impact on Page Load
Depending upon whether or not tracking code such as Google Analytics is loaded prior to the user accepting cookies, there is still an impact to page load since there is additional HTML, CSS and JavaScript for both mobile and desktop devices to process in order to display the cookie notice.
The larger impact on page load would be on mobile devices, of course. See below for comparisons.
With both the cookie notice and Google Analytics without the user accepting cookies:
With the cookie notice but without Google Analytics until the user accepts cookies:
Without the cookie notice:
Note: Page load testing was done prior to the images being added and the only 3rd party code installed on this site is Google Analytics. Other 3rd party scripts such as VWO, Crazy Egg, Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insights, Pardot, SalesLoft, Hotjar, etc are not included so keep in mind that the level of impact on page load will depend on how many 3rd party scripts are installed as well as if the scripts load prior to users accepting cookies or not.
Impact on Googlebot Smartphone
According to this resource, Google does not have a data center located in California. Furthermore, I have been unable to find evidence that Googlebot is able to originate from a server located in California. That being the case, if the cookie notice isn’t geotargeted it will be served to Googlebot Smartphone. The GeoTarget Cookie Notice solution will enable the cookie notice implemented for CCPA compliance to only display for users in California as well as avoid serving the cookie notice to Googlebot Smartphone and negatively impacting page load time (one of Google’s many ranking factors for those that may not be aware). Using the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console, the comparisons below are the cookie notice with the GeoTarget Cookie Notice solution implemented and the cookie notice without the GeoTarget Cookie Notice solution implemented.
Visit Google’s cached version of this page for additional confirmation that the cookie notice is NOT being served to Googlebot Smartphone if GeoTarget Cookie Notice is implemented.
Impact on Site Tracking
Although more for GDPR and depending on the level of privacy your company or organization has implemented, Google Analytics or other analytics tracking code could be setup so they do not load until a user accepts cookies. With geotargeting the cookie notice the analytics tracking code will load for non-EU users without them having to accept cookies.
Impact on Conversion Rates
Simply put, faster loading pages have better conversion rates. If you haven’t already, check out Google’s industry benchmarks for mobile page speed.
Is GeoTarget Cookie Notice able to be setup to only target visitors in one location?
Yes – GeoTarget Cookie Notice is able to be setup to only target visitors in one location as well as visitors in any two locations. For example, this geotargeting solution is customizable and can be setup to only display for visitors in California and to not display for visitors in the European Union countries or Brazil.
Geolocation for Verizon Wireless
While visiting California a colleague and I came across an interesting find regarding geolocation and Verizon’s service. While using our mobile service we visited geocookienotice.com but neither of us were served the cookie notice. But wait, we were in California so what’s going on? According to an IP lookup site (WhatIsMyIP.com) it was showing that both of our cell phones were located in Bedminster, NJ which they were clearly not. Once we switched from mobile network to Wi-Fi on our phones we were then served the cookie notice after reloading the page.
Plugin Updates
- February 1, 2021 ‐ updated to include geotargeting for Virginia’s CDPA
- July 15, 2020 ‐ updated to include geotargeting for Brazil’s LGPD
- February 12, 2020 ‐ plugin launched with geotargeting for CCPA and GDPR
Prior Plugin:
Created EU GeoTargeted Cookie Banner, a WordPress plugin that is part of the cookie notice geotargeting solution for GDPR that first went live on May 22, 2018
About John
- Experience working on websites (HTML, CSS and light JavaScript) and SEO since 2001
- 3+ years experience in WordPress PHP web development
- Definitely NOT a graphic designer
Contact John if interested in getting started or with any questions.