About Google’s Upcoming Data & Consent Changes

If you use Google Analytics and Google Ads to track enquiries, measure performance, or run campaigns, there is an important update coming in June 2026 that is worth being aware of.

While the change is of a technical in nature, the impact is quite straightforward, it affects how user data is handled between Google Analytics and Google Ads, and how consent is managed.

For pest control businesses of all sizes, this is less about making immediate changes and more about understanding how tracking, reporting and advertising may evolve.

 

So What Is Changing?

From 15 June 2026, Google is simplifying how consent controls work between Google Analytics and Google Ads. At the moment, data collection and usage is controlled by a mix of settings across both platforms. Going forward, these controls will be separated more clearly:

• Google Analytics settings will control how data is used within Analytics
• Google Ads consent settings will control how data is used for advertising

In simple terms, Google Ads will rely on its own consent settings, rather than also being influenced by Analytics settings.

 

Why This Matters for Pest Control Businesses

Most pest control businesses rely on their website to generate enquiries, whether that’s through contact forms, calls or quote requests. To understand what’s working, businesses often use:

• Google Analytics to track website behaviour
• Google Ads to drive traffic and generate leads

This update affects how the two platforms share and use data, particularly when it comes to tracking conversions, building audiences, and measuring campaign performance. For smaller businesses, this may not require any immediate action, but for larger businesses or those running regular campaigns, it’s worth understanding how consent settings could impact performance over time.

 

Do You Need to Do Anything?

For many businesses, the answer is no immediate action is required. If you already have Google signals turned on, things will continue as they are, if not, Google Ads may begin using advertising cookies where users have given consent.

However, it’s important to be aware that consent settings will play a bigger role in how your data is used and changes to consent (such as restricting ad tracking) can impact how well campaigns perform.

 

What Happens If You Restrict Consent?

If you choose to limit or deny advertising consent (for example, setting ad_storage to “denied”), this will:

• Reduce the amount of data available for tracking
• Limit conversion measurement
• Affect how well Google Ads can optimise campaigns

For pest control businesses relying on paid ads for leads, this could impact performance, particularly in competitive local areas.

 

The Bigger Picture: Privacy and Simplicity

The aim of this update is to make things clearer and more consistent. Instead of multiple overlapping settings, Google is moving towards a simpler approach where:

• Users have clearer control over their data
• Businesses can manage consent more easily
• Data usage is more transparent

This is part of a wider shift towards privacy-first tracking, which is becoming increasingly important across all industries.

Rather than getting caught up in the technical detail, the key things to focus on are:

• Making sure your website has clear privacy and cookie policies
• Ensuring consent is collected properly
• Understanding that tracking and reporting may evolve over time
• Reviewing how reliant you are on Google Ads data for decision-making

For most pest control businesses, this is about staying aware and making small, sensible adjustments when needed.  As search, advertising and data privacy continue to evolve, keeping your website and tracking setup aligned with best practice will help ensure you continue to generate leads and measure performance effectively.

If you’re unsure how these changes might affect your website or campaigns, it’s worth reviewing your setup or speaking to someone who can guide you through it in simple terms.