Piwik PRO blog

Where digital marketing professionals find advice on how to collect and analyze data in a privacy-friendly way.

  • What is PII, non-PII, and personal data? [UPDATED]

    What is PII, non-PII, and personal data? [UPDATED]

    Personally identifiable information (PII) and personal data are two classifications of data that often confuse organizations that collect, store and analyze such data. Both terms cover common ground, classifying information that could reveal an individual’s identity directly or indirectly. PII is used in the US, but no specific legal document defines it. The legal system…

  • What is first-party data and how does it benefit your marketing strategy [Updated]

    What is first-party data and how does it benefit your marketing strategy [Updated]

    First-party data is information a company collects directly from its customers through owned channels like websites, apps, transactions, and customer interactions. Unlike third-party data purchased from external sources, first-party data comes straight from your audience, making it more accurate, privacy-compliant, and valuable for personalized marketing. According to Acquia’s 2024 CX Trends Report, 93% of marketers…

  • Digital marketing analytics: The beginner’s guide to data-driven marketing success [Updated]

    Digital marketing analytics: The beginner’s guide to data-driven marketing success [Updated]

    Digital marketing analytics is the practice of gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data from digital channels like websites, social media, email campaigns, and paid advertising to make informed marketing decisions and improve performance. By tracking key metrics across these channels, marketers can understand customer behavior, optimize campaigns in real-time, and demonstrate clear ROI. As markets become…

  • We’re introducing Piwik PRO MCP Beta – get answers from your data without building a single report

    We’re introducing Piwik PRO MCP Beta – get answers from your data without building a single report

    We’ve just shipped MCP Beta for Piwik PRO, making it possible to query your analytics data directly through AI tools like Claude. It’s available now for early adopters. Here’s what it solves, how it works, and how to get access. Getting answers from your analytics shouldn’t feel like a research project – but it often…

  • Google is changing how GA4 and Google Ads share data: Here’s how it puts your compliance at risk

    Google is changing how GA4 and Google Ads share data: Here’s how it puts your compliance at risk

    Starting June 15, 2026, Google will consolidate data controls across GA4 and Google Ads. The Google Signals setting in GA4 will no longer control Google Ads cookie and ID collection. This will now be fully managed by Google Consent Mode, specifically the ad_storage parameter. The change is technical on the surface, but the compliance implications…

  • HIPAA-compliant analytics for healthcare systems: How hospital marketing teams can measure what matters

    HIPAA-compliant analytics for healthcare systems: How hospital marketing teams can measure what matters

    Patients now research symptoms, compare providers, and book appointments entirely online before ever contacting a hospital. Healthcare marketers need to adapt to digital-first patient journeys, run campaigns for numerous service lines, manage hospital marketing analytics across multiple locations, and prove ROI to administrators. For nonprofit hospitals, the picture is broader still — donation tracking is…

  • Privacy by design in practice: How “just enough” data beats “just in case” collection

    Privacy by design in practice: How “just enough” data beats “just in case” collection

    While collecting more data “just in case” feels safer, according to Matt Gershoff, it’s also one of the biggest sources of unnecessary compliance risk, analytical noise, and wasted organizational resources in the analytics industry today. His approach of “just enough” data collection is more intentional, more aligned with privacy regulation, and often more analytically effective.

  • 4 ways to make your analytics HIPAA-compliant: Implementation guide

    4 ways to make your analytics HIPAA-compliant: Implementation guide

    Healthcare organizations have four main approaches to achieving HIPAA-compliant analytics. Each has different trade-offs in cost, technical complexity, and analytics capabilities. This guide compares all four implementation methods – from using Google Analytics with workarounds to deploying fully HIPAA-compliant analytics platforms – so you can choose the right approach for your organization’s needs and resources.

  • Is Google Analytics HIPAA-compliant?

    Is Google Analytics HIPAA-compliant?

    If you use Google Analytics or similar software, you’re likely already optimizing your website to serve your customers better. But what about Google Analytics and HIPAA compliance? In short – if you’re a HIPAA-covered entity, using GA4 puts you at serious risk of a HIPAA breach. Google states that Google Analytics doesn’t satisfy HIPAA requirements. And…

  • HIPAA-compliant marketing & advertising: How to run compliant campaigns in healthcare

    HIPAA-compliant marketing & advertising: How to run compliant campaigns in healthcare

    Healthcare organizations deal with tons of sensitive information concerning people’s health. It needs to be handled with proper care. In the US, safe parameters for using this kind of data in different contexts, including marketing, are set by HIPAA. Unfortunately, many companies are still unaware of the provisions of the law and the potential consequences…

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