Google Analytics 4, Here We Come!
Google Analytics is an excellent software tool for analyzing and reporting on website performance. It displays various data points and provides insight into the customer's usage patterns. With Google Analytics, you can monitor and improve the performance of your website. It also gives you a deeper understanding of how your digital marketing campaign and SEO perform.
Since 2005, Google Analytics has been providing a comprehensive view of website and marketing performance, bringing so much benefit to the various digital marketing agency. It has made numerous improvements and additions over the years.
If you manage a digital marketing agency or your work is related to SEO and digital marketing, understanding how Google Analytics 4 works help improve performance. In this blog post, let us walk you through some of the most common questions regarding Google Analytics.
The New Google Analytics 4
Recently, Google unveiled a new version of the Analytics software, which is the company's most popular tool for analyzing and reporting on web traffic. So, what is the new Google Analytics 4 (GA4) about?
It is the newest version of Google's marketing software. It is designed to improve the efficiency of your marketing efforts.
Google Analytics is a widely used reporting tool that helps businesses track the interactions between their users and various web and mobile apps. Most of them know this platform as the one that helps them monitor their marketing channels and measure their main KPIs (Key performance indicators).
The new version of Google Analytics 4 features many new and improved features. One of the biggest changes is the data modeling feature, which uses AI to fill in the gaps in data that traditional analytics can not handle.
In addition, its interface is very different from that of the previous versions. It is a step-by-step overview of the differences.
What Exactly Is Google Analytics 4?
The new Google Analytics 4 platform is designed to provide a next-generation approach to tracking and measuring. It will focus on AI-based predictive data and privacy-first tracking. It is a new tool that uses machine learning to analyze data from websites and provide actionable insights. It can collect data without relying on the hits that come from every page.
The new version of Google Analytics is built on the same platform as the previous one, the App + Web. This version of the tool was mainly used by marketers to track users across various apps and websites. The goal of Google Analytics 4 is to shift the way data is presented to focus on the user journey. This is done through the various events that happen in the data.
Analyzing and improving the customer base through machine learning is a big step forward for businesses. It can help them identify gaps in their customer base and improve their sales and marketing efforts. Due to the growing number of websites that allow Analytics to collect data from their users, many Internet users are becoming stingy about allowing the service to track their sessions.
The need for Google Analytics 4 is largely due to the changes in the privacy protection laws that have affected traditional analytics. Many businesses have found that they are not able to effectively use the data that they collect using the Universal Google Analytics platform.
Best Part Of The New Google Analytics 4
● This platform is built with machine learning as its main component. It can then use this knowledge to make predictions about the behavior of its users. Its new AI-powered insights feature is designed to provide helpful information for marketers.
● It is focused on helping marketers gain a deeper understanding of their customer's journey across devices. It does not just focus on individual metrics.
● It is designed to be future proof and work seamlessly in a world without the need for any data or tracking.
● Data streams are the main component of Google Analytics 4 that replace the old Universal Analytics properties.
● Instead of having a view level section, Google Analytics 4 has two levels: Account and Property. This makes it very different from traditional analytics, where there are three levels: View, Property, and Account.
● In contrast, traditional analytics tools require users to modify their code to enable event tracking. With Analytics 4, Google claims that users can easily fine-tune the interactions within the UI.
Other New Potential And Capabilities Of Google Analytics 4
● Through the platform of google analytics 4, marketers will be able to modify the events tracked in their Analytics without modifying the site code.
● Data import can now handle a wide variety of data from non-website sources, such as apps.
● Cross-domain tracking can be done within the UI without requiring code adjustments.
● A Life-Cycle Report is one of the major changes in Analytics that focuses on the user journey. It is also a feature that gives marketers a way to visualize and collect data on the fly.
What Are The Differences Between Google Analytics 4 And Universal Analytics?
Google Analytics 4 is built differently to meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s businesses. It has plenty of new features and enhancements that will help get the most out of data.
Many of the features and reports that were previously available in traditional analytics are no longer supported. Instead, they are now only available in two main categories – account and property.
There are many differences between Google Analytics and Universal Analytics. For instance, in terms of how data is collected, there are many differences between the two.
Events
The main difference between GA4 and UA is that the former is session-based, while the latter is event-based. This means that the ability to track various events, such as video plays and button clicks, is built in with GA4.
Parameters
Each event also has a set of parameters that provide context to it. These bits of information are typically related to the event's page titles, article IDs, and where and how it was logged.
Cross-Device Tracking
The former is built on top of web traffic, while the latter gives businesses visibility into all of their app and website journeys.
Machine learning
It is a technology that can analyze and predict the behavior of a user. It can collect and interpret data from various sources.
Privacy-friendly
All data collected by the UA is stored on cookies, while the GA4 does not.
Aside from the key terms, there are also a few other concepts that are different from those used in the older version of Analytics. This requires adaption to the new terminology and learning how to use them for your business.
The pageviews from traditional Analytics will also translate to the event named "page_view" in the Universal Analytics event catalog. However, in GA4, every hit type is treated equally.
What To Do If You Are Currently Using universal Analytics?
Use GA4 as soon as possible
Before the change takes effect, it is best to make the switch to get the most out of your GA4 account. To do so, use the Google GA4 Setup Assistant to create a new property and add it to your existing tag.
Modify your Google Ads conversion tracking
Once you have set up Google Analytics for your account, you will be able to view all of your conversions in Google Ads. Importing those conversions into Google Ads will prevent duplicate conversions.
Transport historical reports
Google will allow users to access their Universal Analytics data for up to six months after July 1, 2023. There are three ways to export Universal Analytics data – export individual reports, group reports, and export to BigQuery.
Prepare For The Future With Google Analytics 4
If you are still hesitant to switch to GA4, it is important that you do not drag your feet. The sooner you start, the better. Google’s machine learning will start surfacing and predicting future insights.
So, what are you waiting for? Learn more about Google Analytics 4 and improve your SEO & digital marketing strategies, by hiring a high performance digital marketing agency.
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