Is your organic traffic steadily declining?

There’s a clear reason why. AI tools like ChatGPT have transformed the way people search for information.

Instead of clicking through different sites, users are used to concisely getting answers from their favorite AI tools.

Google followed suit with AI Overviews to protect its search dominance.

The result? Zero-search clicks are rising. Like most websites, you’re probably seeing high organic impressions but steadily declining click-through rates.

This isn’t just a temporary dip… it’s a fundamental shift in how search works.

SEO experts forecast that this trend is here to stay and will only get worse. The only question is: how quickly will you adapt to the new search reality?

In this article, I’m going to share 30+ AI trends and predictions in SEO to watch to help you prepare your WordPress site for what’s coming. You’ll discover which changes to expect, which ones to prioritize, and how to adapt your SEO strategy so you’re not left behind.

Here is a quick overview of the topics I’ll cover in this guide:

How Is AI Reshaping SEO?

In November 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT, which has significantly altered how people search online and consume content. Unlike traditional Google Search, AI tools gave users instant answers to their questions without needing to visit multiple websites.

Recognizing this shift in user behavior, Google quickly adapted by introducing Google AI Overviews in search results. Here’s an example of how itlooks:

These AI-generated summaries typically appear at the top of search pages.

In fact, Google considers AI Overviews as a success, as it has actually encouraged users to search more often:

“Instead of searching less, people who use AI Overviews are actually showing an increase in their total number of searches.”

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google

However, this has a big impact on websites. When people get the answer directly on Google, they have less reason to click on search results, which is causing a significant drop in organic traffic for many sites.

Preparing your WordPress website for this new reality is essential, so let’s dive into these AI search predictions and statistics so you know what to expect.

How Often Do AI Overviews Appear in Search?

AI Overviews (AIOs) are becoming a dominant feature, appearing in up to 47% of Google searches, according to a Botify study.

To put that in perspective, nearly half of all Google searches now show an AI-generated answer at the top. 

This is a sharp rise considering the fact that it was first introduced on May 14, 2024, in the United States, and was only expanded to other countries in October 2024.

How Fast Are AI Overviews Dominating?

Since the Google March Core Update in 2025, the appearance of AI Overviews in search results has grown by a staggering 115%, according to a study by Ahrefs.

This shows how serious Google is about this feature. A 115% jump in just a few months means they are quickly changing the search experience for everyone.

To see where this change is hitting hardest, here are the industries that have spiked the most in AI Overviews since the recent rollout:

Growth Spike	Affected Industry & Sample Queries
528%⬆️	Entertainment queries (e.g., [Julia Roberts movies], [Movies filmed in Chicago]).
387%⬆️	Restaurant queries (e.g., [date night restaurants], [Thai restaurant near me], [downtown restaurants])
381%⬆️	Travel queries (e.g., [things to do in Santa Fe], [things to do in Hawaii], [things to do in Las Vegas]).

To be clear, one reason for these huge spikes is that these industries had a lower baseline to begin with. They historically triggered AI Overviews far less than topics like healthcare and education.

What Triggers a Google AI Overview?

AIOs are triggered by informational intent. Nearly all (99.2%) keywords that generate an AI Overview are informational in nature, rather than commercial or transactional.

This is the most important trigger to understand. It means AIOs are designed to appear when people are looking for answers and explanations, like asking ‘how to start a blog‘ or ‘what are the symptoms of the flu’.

To increase your chances of being featured in Google’s AI Overviews, you should focus on creating high-quality, authoritative content that directly answers user queries concisely and comprehensively

You can find relevant questions for your core niche by using a tool like the Free WPBeginner Keyword Generator. Its “Questions” tab shows you what people are really searching for, so you can create content that perfectly matches their needs.

Does the Length of a Query Matter to AI?

The longer and more complex a question is, the more likely it is to receive an AI Overview. A query with eight or more words is 7 times more likely to get an AI-generated answer.

This isn’t a coincidence. It aligns perfectly with Google’s stated purpose for the feature.

In a May 2024 tweet, Google said the goal of AI Overviews is to “answer your most complex problems and help you get things done.”

Here’s a great example. Imagine you search for “3 day easy meal plan for a group”. You’ll see an AI Overview in the search results, like the one in the image below:

To create such a helpful and specific answer, the AI analyzes several key parts of your query at once:

• Duration: 3 days
• Complexity: Easy (e.g., simple recipes, minimal prep time)
• Audience: A group (e.g., recipes that are scalable or serve multiple people
• Outcome: A structured meal plan for the entire duration

The AI Overview then generates a complete, structured meal plan. It will often lay out suggestions for each day and meal, complete with images and links to the full recipes.

What makes this feature particularly powerful is its interactivity. If you don’t like a particular suggestion, then you can simply click the ‘Replace’ button underneath it.

This action pulls up a variety of alternative dishes that still match your original request, allowing you to tailor the plan perfectly to your group’s tastes.

By understanding and combining all these elements, the AI provides a comprehensive answer that would have previously required multiple searches.

This is also a huge time-saver because, as a user, you can find everything you need in one place, FAST.

Where Do Most AI Overviews Appear?

They are primarily a mobile feature. A massive 81% of queries that trigger an AI Overview are performed on mobile devices.

This means that if your website isn’t optimized for mobile users, you’re missing out on the biggest opportunity to appear in AI search.

How Does Keyword Competition and Monetization Affect AI Overviews?

AI Overviews show more for search keywords that have low or medium competition (80% and 60%), and they are far less common for the most highly competitive terms (10%).

But this isn’t a simple opportunity to get featured. It’s a strategic decision tied directly to Google’s revenue.

The reality is that AI Overviews are most common for searches that don’t make Google money. Over 71% of queries that get an AI answer have no advertising cost associated with them.

This is because high-competition keywords are often highly commercial and packed with valuable ads. It seems that Google is protecting its primary revenue stream by testing AI Overviews in lower-risk, informational areas first.

How Are AI Overviews Affecting Local Queries?

Local search is less affected for now. AIOs appear less frequently for local search queries compared to general informational searches.

Query Type	Share of Standard Search	Share of AI Overviews
Local Queries	19.09%	6.85% ⬇️
Non-Local Queries	80.91%	93.15%

For local businesses, this means traditional SEO is still your best friend.

Your main goal should be to rank high in the standard search results and in the Google Maps results. Our ultimate WordPress local SEO guide has all the steps you need to get there.

How Are Branded Queries Affected by AI Search?

Branded searches are far less likely to trigger an AI Overview, showing up in only 4.79% of cases.

More importantly, when an AI summary does appear for your brand, it comes with a surprising advantage.

Research from Amsive shows these queries receive an 18.68% boost in click-through rate (CTR). This is likely because the user’s existing trust and familiarity with your brand make them more eager to click.

How Are People Using AI Tools for Search?

More than 15 million adults in the U.S. now use generative AI as their main tool for searching online. That number is expected to jump to over 36 million in the next four years.

This shows that a new user habit is forming quickly.

Millions of people already prefer getting direct answers from an AI tool like ChatGPT instead of clicking through a list of websites, and that number is growing fast.

What Platforms Are People Actually Using to Search?

Despite the rise of AI, people are still overwhelmingly turning to Google for search. Google manages about 14 billion searches daily, capturing over 93% of the market.

On the other hand, ChatGPT sees an estimated 37.5 million search-like prompts per day, equaling just 0.25% of the market share.

That’s less than Microsoft Bing (4.10%), Yahoo (1.35%), and DuckDuckGo (0.73%).

Do Users Actually Read AI Overviews?

The majority of users (86%) “skim quickly” through AI Overviews, looking for key points rather than reading every word.

This behavior is nothing new. It’s exactly how people scan blog posts, hunting for specific answers.

This leads to a surprising advantage. While you might get fewer clicks overall, the ones you do receive from AI Overviews can be incredibly valuable.

Because these users are skimming for specific information, a click signals that they believe your site has the exact answer they need. This results in high-intent visitors who are more likely to convert compared to an average user from traditional search results.

If you want to get recommendations on how to improve the on-page SEO of your content, you can use TruSEO inside the All in One SEO plugin.

Its built-in TruSEO analysis checks your writing for things like sentence length and clarity, giving you real-time suggestions to make your content easier to understand.

There’s even a free version of All in One SEO that you can get started with.

Does Your Position Within the AI Overview Matter?

The top of the AI Overview is now the most valuable real estate in search. Not only does the feature itself take up nearly half the screen space on both desktop and mobile devices, but data also shows most users don’t look past the first third of the result.

In other words, they’re only reading about 30% of the information.

This means getting mentioned by the AI isn’t enough. Your brand must also be featured in the very first few sentences to have any real impact.

You can see a perfect example of this below, where WPForms is featured right at the top of the answer for “best contact form for wordpress.”

Do Users Trust Generative AI Results?

The relationship users have with generative AI is complicated. On one hand, adoption is happening fast, with 70% of consumers having at least some trust in generative AI results.

This shows that a majority of people already see it as a credible source for information.

However, a Growth Memo study found that for 38% of searches, users still felt the need to double-check the AI’s answer by opening an organic link “just to be sure,” especially for important topics like health or money.

This creates a clear split in user behavior. For simple questions, the AI answer is enough.

But for important topics, the habit of seeking a “second opinion” means that a click to your website is incredibly valuable. It signals that the user is actively looking for an authority to verify the facts.

Where are Users Clicking After an AI Overview?

When users want to verify an AI answer, they don’t just look for another article; they look for community proof.

Data from post-AI clicks shows that users are turning to platforms like Reddit (18% of clicks) and YouTube (10%) to see what real people are saying.

This behavior signals a significant shift. To succeed, you need to meet your audience where they are to build trust. Instead of just writing about your expertise, you need to prove it in public forums.

Here are some effective strategies that we’ve been using at WPBeginner and our sister sites:

• Become a Resource: Actively participate in relevant Reddit threads or Facebook groups. Answer user questions thoroughly to build a reputation as a trusted authority.
• Use Video: Create video content for YouTube that addresses common user problems or provides tutorials. Embedding these videos in your blog posts also adds a powerful layer of trust. To learn how, see our guide on how to easily embed videos in WordPress blog posts.
• Showcase Reviews on Your Site: Bring community proof onto your own turf. Prominently feature customer testimonials, user reviews, and case studies on your product and landing pages. See our tutorial on how to add a customer reviews page to your WordPress site.

By being active in these channels, you not only build brand trust but also create pathways to capture those valuable clicks from users seeking to verify AI-generated information.

How Does AI Search Affect Organic Traffic & Referral Traffic?

A powerful new traffic source is emerging for website owners. While traditional search traffic has dipped by 21%, AI referral traffic, which is clicks from chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot, has skyrocketed by 10x over the last year.

The key to capturing this growing stream of visitors is to think beyond traditional rankings and focus on becoming a trusted source for AI.

To do this, you must clearly signal your credibility through E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). AI models are programmed to look for these signals to ensure the information they provide is reliable.

An effective way to build these signals on your site is with All in One SEO. Its Author SEO features are designed to showcase expertise, allowing you to easily add author bio boxes with credentials.

Here’s an example of how it looks:

This sends clear proof to both users and AI models that a real expert is behind your content.

How Does Google’s AI Mode Affect Traffic?

Beyond the automatic AI Overviews, Google’s experimental AI Mode shows an even more dramatic impact on website traffic.

A recent iPullRank study found that while 24% of traditional Google Search sessions result in a click, that number drops to just 4.5% in AI Mode.

So, what is AI Mode? Unlike the automatic Overviews, it’s a separate, opt-in search experience that users must actively select. It functions more like a chatbot, providing comprehensive answers that reduce the need to visit external websites.

However, there’s a silver lining. When users in AI Mode click a website link, their engagement is nearly identical to traditional searchers, averaging 5.9 pageviews per session.

How Does AI Search Affect Clicks?

A recent study by Ahrefs analyzed 300,000 keywords and found that when Google showed an AI Overview, the top-ranking page saw a 34.5% drop in average click-through rate compared to similar results without AI.

This statistic highlights a major shift: the value of ranking #1 is changing.

Because the AI Overview often gives a direct answer, fewer people need to click on a link. This means the top spot is now less about getting the most traffic directly and more about being chosen as a trusted source for the AI’s answer itself.

Earning a mention inside the AI Overview has become the new prize, turning your top ranking into a signal of authority for Google’s AI.

Is AI Creating More Zero-Click Searches?

It’s undeniable: clicks are steadily declining from Google Search. In the last year alone, zero-click searches have risen from 24.4% to 27.2%.

A major reason for this is Google’s strategy with AI Overviews. Nearly 44% of all AI answers source Google’s own properties, creating a powerful loop that directs users back to its own services.

This is further proven by the fact that clicks to other Google sites like Maps and YouTube have also increased to 14.3%, compared to 12.1% a year ago.

This is where your conversion strategy becomes super important. Tools like OptinMonster are designed for this exact moment, allowing you to present targeted offers that convert these highly interested visitors into long-term subscribers and customers.

If you want more ideas, see our guide on advanced landing page tips to skyrocket WordPress conversions.

What Are the Top Ranking Factors for AI Search?

The three factors with the highest correlation to getting mentioned in an AI Overview are: Branded web mentions, branded anchor text, and branded search volume.

This is a huge change. Now, your brand’s reputation matters more than almost anything else to Google’s AI.

Think of it like this: research from Ahrefs shows that if your brand isn’t being talked about online, you’re basically invisible to AI.

New and small sites in their study averaged between zero and three mentions. At the same time, the most popular brands got a huge boost, receiving 10 times more features in AI Overviews than the next group down.

How Should You Structure Your Content for AI Search?

The “People Also Ask” feature appeared in 80.92% of all AI Overview query search results. Featured snippets, thumbnails, video previews, and discussions were also prominent in AIO search results.

This shows that future content will need to be structured as a series of “answer blocks.” Successful websites will break down their articles into clear, concise sections designed to answer one specific question at a time.

This makes it easy for Google to grab the text for a featured snippet, which in turn makes it a perfect source for an AI Overview.

You can make this strategy even more effective by adding schema markup, like FAQ schema for Q&As or How-to schema for tutorials.

We use the All in One SEO plugin on our own sites because it makes it easy to add different types of schema markup, without needing to touch any code.

This directly signals to Google what your content is about, increasing your chances of being featured.

On WPBeginner and our partner sites, using schema consistently has really helped us show up more in AI answers.

Do Organic Rankings Still Matter for AI Search?

Yes, they absolutely do. 75% of the websites cited in AI Overviews are also found ranking in the top 12, showing that the AI trusts and uses high-ranking pages for its information.

The data tells us that a high organic ranking is the first step. Without it, your chances of being featured by the AI are extremely low.

Key Takeaways: How Can Businesses Optimize for AI Search?

I’ve covered a lot of data, but it all comes down to a few key actions.

If you’re looking for a quick checklist on what to do next, here are the most important takeaways from these AI search predictions and statistics:

• ✅ Focus on Brand Mentions, Not Just Backlinks: Your brand’s presence and discussion across the web are now more influential than traditional link-building metrics.
• ✅ Create Content that Answers Informational Questions: Shift your content strategy to focus on answering specific, long-tail questions that users are asking.
• ✅ Structure Your Content as “Answer Blocks”: To get noticed, structure your articles with clear headings and concise answer blocks that can be easily pulled for both featured snippets and AI Overviews. Using FAQ or How-to schema makes this even more effective.
• ✅ Build Your Presence on Community and Video Platforms: Being active on these platforms provides the “community proof” that both users and AI systems are looking for.
• ✅ Don’t Abandon Traditional SEO, It’s Your Foundation: Ranking still matters. You need a strong organic ranking to even be considered by the AI, so don’t skip out on traditional WordPress SEO.
• ✅ Build a Brand People Search For Directly: Building a brand that users trust and search for by name is one of the most effective strategies for the future.

Sources: Ahrefs, Search Engine Land, Gartner, Growth Memo, Statista, SparkToro, Botify, DemandSphere, Semrush, SE Ranking, iPullRank

We hope this list of AI search statistics and predictions helps you adapt your website’s SEO strategy for the changes ahead.

Looking for more interesting statistics? Check out our other research articles below:

More Statistics, Trends, and Research Articles

• 60+ Surprising AI Statistics – Everything You Need to Know
• 120+ Mindblowing SEO Statistics and Trends (Ultimate List)
• 90+ Exciting Google Search Statistics and Data
• Blogging Statistics, Trends & Data – Ultimate List (UPDATED)
• Creator Economy Statistics That Will Blow You Away
• 80+ Social Media Statistics (Ultimate List for Bloggers)
• 60+ Internet Usage Statistics and Latest Trends

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How AI is Reshaping SEO: 30+ Trends to Watch in 2025 first appeared on WPBeginner.

When I first started building WordPress websites, tracking visitor data just meant installing Google Analytics and calling it a day.

But times have changed. With new privacy regulations, using cookies to collect personal information without user consent can lead to legal headaches and lost visitors.

I’ve helped several WordPress site owners transition to cookie-free analytics solutions that still provide powerful insights. After testing numerous options and implementing them across various types of websites, I’ve identified the most effective approaches.

In this guide, let me show you two ways to add analytics while respecting your visitors’ privacy. One uses a privacy-first setup for Google Analytics (which uses first-party cookies), and the other is a cookieless option.

Do I Really Need Cookieless Analytics?

You’ve probably heard a lot about cookies and privacy laws. But what does it all really mean for your WordPress website’s analytics? Let me break it down.

Cookies are small pieces of data that are stored on a user’s browser when they visit a website.

Traditional analytics tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) use these cookies to track visitor behavior. This includes details like which pages they visit, how long they stay, and what actions they take.

All this data helps site owners better understand their audience and improve their websites.

🚨 Here’s the challenge: New privacy laws, like the GDPR, CCPA, and ePrivacy, require websites to ask for explicit user consent before tracking with cookies. Because of this, many website owners think they must switch to cookie-free analytics to stay compliant.

However, that’s not actually true!

You can still track important data with Google Analytics while staying compliant with privacy laws.

Why “Cookieless” Google Analytics 4 is the Best Option

When it comes to website analytics, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is still the best and most powerful tool available – and that’s true for all types of websites. So, if you want accurate insights into your visitors’ behavior, GA4 is the way to go.

But before we start, let’s clear up a common misunderstanding: GA4 does not rely on third-party cookies. Instead, it uses first-party cookies, which are set by your own website to collect data about your visitors’ activity on your WordPress site only.

In contrast, third-party cookies are set by external services (like ad networks) and track users across multiple websites. Because of their broader tracking scope, they raise more privacy concerns and are being phased out by many browsers.

Now, you might be wondering: “Since GA4 still uses cookies – even if they’re first-party – can it be used in a way that complies with privacy laws?”

The answer is yes!

However, do note that Google Analytics itself isn’t automatically compliant or non-compliant. It’s your responsibility to use it in a way that follows the rules that apply to you.

Plus, whether you need cookie consent for Google Analytics depends on several factors. They can be where you and your visitors are located, and how you handle their data.

Since cookie consent laws differ by country (even within the EU), some websites must ask users to consent to specific cookies, while others need a banner for any cookie use.

To help with this, I’ll show you how to pair GA4 with:

✅ MonsterInsights with the EU Compliance addon – This helps ensure your data handling aligns with GDPR and other privacy regulations.

✅ WPConsent cookie banners – These help you request and manage user consent the right way.

With these tools in place, you can continue using GA4 in a way that supports compliance with privacy laws. This helps you gather valuable insights while reducing the risk of legal issues.

How to Add WordPress Analytics Without Cookies

Now that I’ve covered what cookieless tracking is and whether you really need it, let’s talk about how to set it up on your WordPress site.

There are 2 solid options to do this:

1. GA4 + MonsterInsights EU Compliance addon – Track user behavior with GA4 while staying compliant with privacy laws like GDPR. It uses first-party cookies and offers configurable settings for stronger privacy. Ideal for getting detailed insights with easy website integration.
2. Burst Statistics – Let’s you set up analytics without cookies. It stores data on your server and offers a hybrid mode with optional cookies.

I will cover both methods in our tutorial, along with some extra tips and FAQs about cookieless tracking.

Feel free to use the jump links below to go to your preferred method:

Ready? Let’s break it down.

Method 1: How to Set Up WordPress Cookieless Analytics (Keep Using GA4 for the Best Insights)

This method is for if you want access to powerful analytics while still respecting user privacy. I’ll be using MonsterInsights alongside WPConsent to set up cookieless tracking.

Step 1: Install MonsterInsights to Set Up Cookieless Analytics

MonsterInsights is the most popular Google Analytics plugin for WordPress, and for a good reason: it makes viewing your Google Analytics data in WordPress incredibly easy.

At WPBeginner, we use it to track traffic sources, visitor demographics, and conversion rates on our forms, buttons, referral links, and more. Check out our complete MonsterInsights review for a deeper look at its features.

So, let’s first install and activate the MonsterInsights plugin. For details, you can see this guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Step 2: Connect MonsterInsights to Google WordPress Analytics

Once you have MonsterInsights up and running, it’s time to connect it to your site and your Google Analytics account.

You can click the ‘Insights’ tab in the left-hand menu of your WordPress dashboard.

Next, just click the ‘Launch the Wizard’ button to start the MonsterInsights setup process.

On the next screen, you’ll need to pick a category that best describes your website.

This can be a WordPress blog, business site, or online store.

Just hit ‘Save and Continue’ after you make your choice.

After that, you’ll need to connect MonsterInsights to your website’s Google Analytics account.

Simply click the ‘Connect MonsterInsights’ button to begin the process.

In the next steps, you’ll have to sign in to your Google Analytics account and select the website you want to track.

MonsterInsights will then install Google Analytics on your site – easy as that!

For details, you can see this guide on how to install Google Analytics in WordPress.

Step 3: Install the MonsterInsights EU Compliance Addon

Since GA4 still uses first-party cookies, you need to make sure that your tracking complies with GDPR. The MonsterInsights EU Compliance addon makes this easier by automating key privacy settings in GA4.

Some of its essential features include:

• Anonymizing IP addresses to prevent personal data storage.
• Disabling the tracking of user demographics, interests, and User IDs.

To install the addon, you can navigate to Insights » Addons.

Here, go ahead and click the ‘Install & Activate’ button to install the EU Compliance addon.

After that, you can switch the toggle to activate the addon when it appears.

Upon activation, let’s go to the ‘Settings’ menu.

In the ‘Engagement’ tab, simply toggle the ‘Enable EU Compliance’ setting to turn it on.

We also recommend verifying the settings directly in GA4 to ensure your GA4 setup aligns with your MonsterInsights privacy settings.

For example, to make sure your GA4 doesn’t track demographics, you can navigate to your GA4 ‘Admin’ panel.​

Next up, you’ll want to locate the ‘Data collection and modification’ setting.

Then, simply click the ‘Data collection’ option.

Now, in the ‘Google signals data collection’ settings, you should make sure it’s disabled.

Why does this matter? Google Signals collects extra user data, including:

• Demographics & Interests – Age, gender, and hobbies.
• Location & Engagement – User locations (from Google accounts).
• Cross-Device Tracking – Identifies users as they switch between devices.
• Cross-Platform Reports – How users interact across devices.
• Ad Personalization Data – Connects with Google Ads for remarketing.

If it’s already off, then you should see the option to ‘Turn On’ like this:

You might also want to review your data retention settings.

Data retention controls how long GA4 stores user-level and event-level data before automatically deleting it. A shorter retention period can help with GDPR compliance and privacy regulations.

To do this, you can go to Data collection and modification » Data retention from the ‘Admin’ menu.

On the next screen, you’ll see options to set the event and user data retention period.

You can click the ‘Data retention’ dropdown menus for both event and user data. Then, for stricter compliance, simply choose the ‘2 months’ option.

Don’t forget to click ‘Save’ when you’re done adjusting.

To learn more about all things GA4, you can check out our beginner’s guide on how to use Google Analytics 4.

Step 4: Set Up the WPConsent Cookie Consent Plugin

Using Google Analytics 4 while complying with laws like GDPR and CCPA means you need to get user consent before tracking. And that responsibility falls on you.

Whether consent is required depends on where your business is based, where your users are located, what data you collect, and how it’s used. Plus, rules vary widely across countries, even within the EU, with some requiring consent for specific cookies and others for any type.

Instead of handling this manually yourself, you can use WPConsent to simplify compliance.

This powerful plugin lets you display a cookie consent banner, log user choices, and control when tools like GA4 are allowed to run — all within WordPress.

At WPBeginner (and some of our partner brands), we use WPConsent, and it’s been a reliable solution for managing privacy settings. Explore all of its features in our complete WPConsent review!

So, let’s start by installing the WPConsent plugin. If you need help, then you can see this beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon plugin activation, let’s activate the license key.

To do this, you’ll need to go to WPConsent » Settings. After that, simply copy the license key from your WPConsent account and paste it into the ‘License Key’ field.

Then, go ahead and click the ‘Activate Key’ button.

With that done, let’s navigate to ‘Dashboard’ to go through the setup wizard.

Go ahead and click on the ‘Let’s Get Started’ button.

On the next screen, WPConsent will run a scan to see if your site is using cookies.

First, it will ask you to check your site’s email address.

If everything looks good already, then you can click ‘Scan Your Website.’

This will trigger the tool to start the cookie scan.

Once done, you’ll see a ‘Scan completed’ notification along with a short report on the tool’s findings. For example, here it says that WPConsent found 4 services on our site that have set cookies.

Let’s click on ‘OK’ to continue the process.

Next up, you’ll see your WordPress site’s scan results in more detail.

On my demo site, the services that use cookies are WordPress login (this might be because of the ‘Remember Me‘ option), WordPress Comments, Google Analytics, and Matomo.

Make sure that you select all the services. Then, you should also check the box that says ‘Prevent known scripts from adding cookies before consent is given.’

With that done, go ahead and click the ‘Auto-Configure selected’ button.

After that, WPConsent will prompt you to set up your cookie banner.

The process is super simple. You just need to choose a layout and pick a position.

Then, you can scroll down the page to preview your cookie consent banner.

If everything looks good to you, it’s time to click the ‘Save & Complete Setup’ button.

And you’re done!

Now, if you visit your website, you’ll see your cookie consent banner in action.

👉 Expert Tip: Adding a link to your privacy policy page in the cookie banner helps build trust with your visitors and align with legal requirements. If you don’t have one yet, then check out our tutorial on how to add a privacy policy page in WordPress.

After setting it up, you can embed the link into your cookie banner from the WPConsent editor.

Just navigate to WPConsent » Banner Design from your admin area. Then, you can edit the text in the ‘Message’ field to include the link to your Privacy Policy page.

Don’t forget to click the ‘Save’ button so you don’t lose your progress.

And here’s your cookie banner:

Step 5: Access Consent Logs to Verify Your Privacy Settings

WPConsent has a ‘Consent Logs’ section that provides a detailed record of how visitors interact with your site’s cookie consent popup.

To see your logs, go ahead and navigate to WPConsent » Consent Logs from your WordPress admin area.

Here, you’ll find a table with all your users’ consent details.

For example, I have a user who accepted all cookies – essential, statistics, and marketing.

And that’s it – you’ve successfully set up Google Analytics with enhanced privacy settings while still using cookies.

Method 2: How to Set Up WordPress Analytics Without Cookies (Free Option with Less Data Accuracy)

If you’re looking to track analytics without cookies, then Burst Statistics is a great option. This free plugin makes the process pretty simple.

Keep in mind that Burst Statistics uses a technique called fingerprinting. It’s a way to identify a computer or device based on its unique characteristics, like the browser, operating system, and installed fonts, even without using cookies.

While it’s generally considered less intrusive than cookies, it’s still a form of tracking, so it’s good to be aware of it.

Now, let’s take a look at how you can set it up on your WordPress site.

Step 1: Install and Activate the Burst Statistics Plugin on WordPress

To get started, you need to install and activate the free Burst Statistics plugin. Simply navigate to Plugins » Add New Plugin from your admin area.

After that, you’ll want to use the search feature to quickly find the plugin. Then, go ahead and click the ‘Install Now’ button.

Then, you should click once again on the ‘Activate’ button when it appears. If you need help, then you can check out this guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Step 2: Configure Settings for Optimal Performance and Privacy

Upon plugin activation, you can enable analytics without cookies straight away.

All you have to do is navigate to Statistics » Settings from your WordPress admin area. Then, let’s make sure you’re in the ‘General’ tab.

From here, simply switch on the ‘Enable Cookieless tracking’ option like this:

And that’s it – you’ve successfully set up WordPress analytics without cookies on your website.

Step 3: Verify if Your Analytics Are Working Properly

Unlike the more traditional approach, analytics without cookies avoids storing personal data, like IP addresses or other user identifiers. Instead, it provides anonymized, aggregated data.

That said, it’s important to note that some methods still involve data collection. This may carry privacy implications depending on how they’re implemented.

To see if your analytics are working properly, you need to go to the ‘Statistics’ menu. On the next screen, you’ll immediately find your visitors and pageviews graph for the last seven days.

To see the statistics in detail, you can scroll down this page.

Here, you might notice that your sessions are counted differently.

In traditional analytics, cookies track when a visitor starts and ends a session. If the same person comes back within a certain time frame (usually 30 minutes), it’s counted as the same session.

In analytics without cookies, returning users cannot be recognized within that window. Instead, each visit is treated as a new session, even if it occurs shortly after the last one.

🤔 What does this mean for your reports? You may see a higher number of sessions than usual because visitors who leave and return within a short period won’t be grouped into a single session.

Further down the page, Burst Statistics provides a dedicated ‘Pages’ report that shows how pageviews are distributed across your site.

For example, if your ‘Compare’ report shows 9 pageviews, then you can see that 3 views came from the ‘Career’ page, 2 views from the ‘Login’ page, and so on.

FAQs About Cookieless WordPress Analytics

Still have questions? Let’s clear up some common concerns about tracking website data without cookies.

Why do websites need cookies?

Cookies store small amounts of data to remember user preferences, track user behavior, and improve the user experience. Many analytics tools use cookies to identify returning visitors and track interactions over time.

How can I add analytics to my WordPress site?

In short, you can add analytics to your WordPress site using tools like MonsterInsights, Matomo, or HubSpot.

I recommend MonsterInsights because it makes installing Google Analytics in WordPress easy. It gives you all your GA4 data in easy-to-understand reports directly in your WordPress dashboard.

For details, see this guide on how to install Google Analytics in WordPress.

Do all websites with analytics need cookie warnings?

No. If your analytics solution doesn’t store personally identifiable information (PII) or track users across sessions using cookies, then you don’t need a cookie consent banner. This is why many site owners switch to analytics without cookies.

For example, Burst Statistics is a privacy-focused analytics tool that uses fingerprinting techniques. Instead of storing cookies, it analyzes non-personal browser and device data to differentiate visitors.

Keep in mind that while this approach is technically cookieless, it is still a form of data collection that may have privacy considerations.

Will cookieless analytics affect data accuracy?

It depends on the tool you use.

Cookieless tracking may not capture user journeys in as much detail, but it still provides accurate insights into overall traffic, page views, and engagement.

Many modern cookieless analytics tools use fingerprinting techniques or server-side tracking to improve accuracy. While these methods minimize cookie usage, they still collect data in other ways, which may raise concerns about privacy.

Can I switch back to traditional analytics if needed?

Yes, most analytics solutions allow you to switch between cookieless and traditional tracking. However, if you start using cookies again, then you may need to add a cookie consent banner to comply with privacy laws.

Further Reading 📚: More WordPress Analytics Guides

I hope this article has helped you learn how to add WordPress analytics without cookies.

Want to dive deeper into WordPress analytics? Check out these guides to track and understand your website’s performance more effectively:

• How to Set Up Google Analytics Goals
• How to See Search Analytics in WordPress
• How to Easily See Your Blog Stats
• How to Track Video Analytics in WordPress
• How to Set Up WordPress Form Tracking in Google Analytics
• How to Set Up Email Newsletter Tracking in Google Analytics
• How to Add Scroll Depth Tracking in WordPress with Google Analytics
• MonsterInsights vs Site Kit (Head-to-Head Comparison)
• Google Analytics vs Jetpack Stats (In-Depth Comparison)
• Best Analytics Solutions for WordPress Users

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The post How to Add WordPress Analytics Without Cookies (2 Easy Methods) first appeared on WPBeginner.