What is Google Analytics? 

In the digital era, keeping a track of the best search engine optimization practices can be a tricky ordeal. Fortunately for businesses, Google Analytics is the perfect tool to keep track of your consumer behaviour and website’s performance. Not only does it provide comprehensive information, but it also regularly updates itself to keep up with the changing technological trends!

Google Analytics is a web analytics service created by Google that provides detailed information about website performance and user behaviour. It offers valuable insights by tracking website traffic, measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, and analysing audience demographics and interests. With this data, businesses can make informed decisions to enhance user experience, optimise their marketing strategies, and stay ahead in the competitive online landscape. Google Analytics is a powerful tool for understanding website performance and unlocking growth opportunities. Over the years, it has updated itself regularly to keep up with the changing digital landscape, with Google Analytics 4 being the latest version.

What is Google Analytics 4 (GA4)? 

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of the Google Analytics platform, introduced by Google in October 2020. It is designed to provide a more advanced and flexible approach to tracking and analysing user data across websites and apps. GA4 replaces the previous version of Google Analytics known as Universal Analytics.

GA4 focuses on event-based tracking, allowing you to track specific actions users take on your website or app, providing a more granular understanding of user interactions. It enables enhanced cross-platform tracking, enabling you to gain insights into user behaviour across websites, mobile apps (both Android and iOS), and offline data. GA4 Analytics also incorporates machine learning and AI capabilities, providing features like predictive analytics to anticipate user behaviour and identify opportunities.

The reporting interface in GA4 is far more streamlined and offers a more intuitive and user-friendly experience. It includes pre-built analysis reports and exploration capabilities for quicker insights. Privacy is another major priority in GA4, with enhanced consent controls, data deletion options, and more flexible data management. GA4 also allows for more customization of data collection and analysis. You can define custom events and parameters tailored to your business needs. The “Analysis Hub” feature enables data modelling with custom dimensions, metrics, and audiences. While Universal Analytics is still widely used, Google encourages users to transition to GA4 for its advanced capabilities and to align with future developments in the analytics ecosystem.

What are the Benefits of GA4? 

In the fast-paced digital world, understanding user behaviour and optimising marketing strategies are paramount to business success. Google Analytics has long been a trusted companion, and with the introduction of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), businesses can now unlock a new level of insights and opportunities.

Advanced Cross-Platform Tracking

GA4 brings a game-changing feature: the ability to track user interactions across various platforms. Whether it’s your website, mobile apps (Android and iOS), or even offline data, GA4 allows you to gain a holistic view of the customer journey. By understanding how users engage across channels, you can optimise your marketing efforts and enhance the overall user experience.

Event-Based Tracking for Deeper Insights

Moving beyond traditional pageview tracking, GA4 embraces event-based tracking. It enables businesses to track specific user actions such as button clicks, form submissions, video views, and more. This granular level of tracking unveils valuable insights into user behaviour and engagement patterns. With event-based tracking, you can identify the actions that truly matter and make data-driven decisions to drive conversions.

Harnessing the Power of Machine Learning and AI

GA4 harnesses the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide advanced analytics capabilities. Predictive analytics becomes a reality, empowering businesses to anticipate user behaviour and identify trends. With GA4, you can uncover hidden opportunities and make proactive adjustments to your marketing strategies. The integration of machine learning algorithms elevates your analytics game to new heights.

Streamlined Reporting and Intuitive Interface

One of the standout features of GA4 is its streamlined reporting and intuitive interface. The reporting dashboard is designed to provide a user-friendly experience, making it easier than ever to access and understand your data. Pre-built analysis reports and exploration capabilities equip you with the insights you need, right at your fingertips. With GA4, data-driven decision-making becomes a breeze.

Privacy-Focused Approach

In an era of evolving privacy regulations and user expectations, GA4 puts privacy at the forefront. Enhanced consent controls, data deletion options, and improved data management provide businesses with the tools to respect user privacy while still gaining valuable insights. By adhering to privacy standards, GA4 helps build trust with your audience, strengthening your brand reputation.

Customization and Flexibility

GA4 empowers businesses with customization options for data collection and analysis. Tailor your analytics to fit your unique needs by defining custom events and parameters. The “Analysis Hub” feature enables data modelling, allowing you to create custom dimensions, metrics, and audiences. With GA4, you have the flexibility to align your analytics with your business goals and objectives.

Future-Proofing Your Analytics Strategy

Embracing GA4 ensures your analytics strategy is future proof. As Google encourages users to transition to GA4, staying ahead of the curve ensures compatibility with future developments, updates, and integrations within the Google Analytics ecosystem. By adopting GA4 early on, you position your business for long-term success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

How to Successfully Execute a GA4 Migration 

The deadline to finish migrating to GA4 is 30 June 2023. This means that time is of the essence. Luckily, it can be done in a fairly straightforward manner. 

Create a new GA4 Property

First, assess your Universal Analytics account and carefully audit everything. Once you have a clear idea of the events you are tracking, you are ready to begin transferring your data and creating a new GA4 Property. Creating a new GA4 Property involves signing into your Google Analytics account and accessing the admin section. Under the Account column, click on the “Create Property” button. Choose the appropriate option based on whether you want to track a website, or a mobile app. Follow the prompts to set up the new GA4 Property, including providing necessary information and configuring settings.

Begin Migrating Events 

Start by reviewing the automated goals that GA4 is already tracking. You may find that some events you manually set up in UA, such as scroll depth tracking, are now automatically tracked in GA4. Next, reference your UA audit and proceed to create new events in GA4 for every behaviour that is not currently being tracked. It is recommended to be highly specific and granular in this process. For example, you can create events to track when users add an item to their cart, initiate the checkout process, provide payment information, provide shipping information, and successfully complete a payment transaction. By meticulously defining and implementing these events, you ensure that the desired user behaviours are accurately captured and tracked in GA4. Remember to tailor the events according to your specific business needs and objectives.

Create Custom Metrics (if necessary!)

In GA4, you can choose from a variety of pre-designed reports, including traffic acquisition reports, funnel reports, and automated insights, among others. However, it’s worth noting that GA4 may not be the most suitable tool for visualising data when presenting it to stakeholders, especially if they are not experts in data analysis.

To address this challenge, it is crucial to focus on creating visually engaging reports that simplify and enhance the understanding of the data. By designing visually appealing reports, you can ensure that the information is presented in a clear and comprehensible manner, making it easier for stakeholders to grasp the insights and implications. This approach helps to mitigate the potential overwhelm that can arise from the vast amount of data gathered in GA4, ultimately facilitating effective communication and decision-making processes.

Set Up Integration & Back-up Old Data 

Before connecting your integrations to GA4, it is crucial to assess the integrations you previously used with Universal Analytics (UA). Take the time to review these integrations and determine how they will be linked to GA4. Some significant integrations to consider include Google Ads, Google Optimise, AdSense, Ad Exchange, and Merchant Centre.

In addition, it is vital to have a well-defined plan in place for archiving your old data. This ensures that your historical data is both protected against potential data breaches and accessible for a sufficient duration to provide ongoing value.

Fortunately, for data stored in Universal Analytics, you can rest assured as Google will be deleting all data by December 2024 at the latest. This means you don’t need to be concerned about managing the archiving of your historical data from Universal Analytics, as Google will handle its removal according to their timeline.

Please note that the migration process may still vary depending on your specific circumstances and requirements. It’s always recommended to refer to the official Google Analytics documentation and consult their resources for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding migrating to GA4.

Google Analytics 4 opens a world of possibilities for businesses seeking deeper insights, enhanced customization, and privacy-centric analytics. With advanced cross-platform tracking, event-based tracking, and powerful machine learning capabilities, GA4 equips businesses with the tools to make data-driven decisions, optimise marketing strategies, and unlock growth opportunities. Embrace GA4 today and unleash the true potential of your analytics journey.