The measurement skill gap that's costing you clients

Author

Jeff Sauer
December 26, 2025

Server-side tagging keeps coming up in every conversation.

Not some of them. Not occasionally. 

At least 75% of the questions we're getting - especially the ones clients ask behind closed doors - have a server-side component to it.

Server-Side Momentum

Usercentrics just published research showing what's coming in 2026 and 2027. We're about to hit a massive wave of businesses needing server-side tagging - driven by new regulations, privacy concerns, and the simple fact that it makes data better.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: if a prospective client asks you about server-side tagging and you can't have an intelligent conversation about it, but their other vendors can? 

You're going to have trouble keeping that client.

I'm not saying this to scare you. I'm saying it to prepare you.

The same way I'm preparing myself and our entire team.

Beyond Server-Side

Let's zoom out for a second, because this week’s video isn't just about server-side tagging.

It's about how you level up your measurement in general.

Maybe you've got the "good enough to get going" version of measurement set up for your clients. The out-of-the-box stuff that works but doesn't wow anyone.

Now you're ready to do more. You know there's more out there. You're just not sure where to start.

That's where the CLEAN Data Framework comes in - and specifically, the "enhance" piece that Manisha and Julie have been diving deep into.

Today’s video focuses on the third piece of the framework: Enhance.

Three Ways to Enhance Your Data

1. Enrich - Send More Details

Instead of just knowing "someone became a lead," you know they opted in to your checklist vs. your webinar vs. your guide.

You can create custom events that tell your platforms exactly what's happening. Did they scroll far enough to see the CTA? Did they watch the video long enough to see the offer appear?

This is how you move from basic tracking to intelligent tracking.

2. Protect - Implement or Upgrade

This is where you implement consent management, upgrade to a tag management system like Google Tag Manager, or finally tackle server-side tagging.

This is where you protect your client from legal issues. Protect your time. Protect your data by making it first-party instead of third-party.

3. Connect - Stitch It Together

This is where you combine everything to tell one complete story.

Maybe you're sending data to BigQuery or another cloud system. Maybe you're using tools that let you stitch customer journeys together across platforms.

The goal is to understand the full picture: which traffic sources actually convert buyers? Which lead magnets are worth the effort? Where should you tell clients to spend their money?

Pro Tips for Actually Learning This Stuff

Create a playground to practice.

Seriously. Set up a WordPress site or Shopify store or whatever platform you work with. A place where you can experiment, break things, rebuild them, and figure out how it all works.

I've overcomplicated things in my head so many times, only to actually do it and realize it was way simpler than I thought.

Record yourself while you're learning.

You'll forget what you did. In the future, you will thank the present you for leaving breadcrumbs.

Spend 30-60 minutes every week building this skill.

Even if none of your current clients are asking for it yet. Because they will be.

And when they are, you want to be ready.

The Bottom Line

We have plenty of free videos on YouTube and in our community if you want to dive into server-side tagging or any other aspect of the CLEAN Data Framework.

The questions customers ask are changing. Their needs are evolving. And 2026 will require a different skill set than 2024 did.

Our whole team is leveling up.

How about you?

To Your Measured Success!

--Jeff Sauer
Co-Founder of MeasureU

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