GA4 Update
Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the latest version of Google’s analytics tool, is its biggest and most ambitious overhaul since the tool was introduced in 2015. Built with Google’s machine learning, it has been radically redesigned to be “future-proof,” respond to the evolution in the customer journey and to prioritize user privacy in a cookie-less future.
GA4 is replacing Universal Analytics (also called Google Analytics 3) and all properties will need to move to the new system by July 1, 2023, when Universal Analytics will stop processing data (although you will be able to see reports for a period after that date).
If you are already using Universal Analytics, Google advises that site owners set up both property types and run them in parallel in order to become accustomed to the new system and to benefit from new features as they are added to GA4. All new users are automatically signed up to GA4 and do not need to take any action.
In this article, we explain some of the key new features you will find in GA4 and share some useful tips for migrating to GA4 from Universal Analytics.
So, what’s new in Google Analytics 4?
GA4 has been designed to give a comprehensive understanding of the customer journey across devices, from acquisition to engagement to retention. It is built with Google machine learning, allows it to fill in data gaps (increasingly important as we move towards a future without cookies) in order to provide detailed insights about site traffic and user behavior.
These are some of the key new features in GA4:
- Cross-channel data – We all know that the customer journey today is complex, often occurring across multiple devices or profiles. So, GA4 collects both website and app data so you no longer have to measure them separately. This gives you a much better understanding of the entire customer journey, tracking cross-channel data accurately as users move between their different devices.
- A new measurement model – Data is collected differently in GA4 than in Universal Analytics. GA4 has a user-based model based on events, allowing you to measure all the different user interactions on your website and app. This is a more comprehensive and detailed collection system than the session-based model used in Universal Analytics, which gathers data as hits within these sessions. And GA4 also allows users to edit and correct the way events are tracked without having to change the site or app code.
- New predictive capabilities – Given the increased data protection regulations (such as GDPR and CCPA) and the phasing out of third-party cookies, data is going to become ever scarcer. GA4 offers powerful Machine Learning capabilities and predictive metrics that can identify trends, detect anomalies, predict outcomes and bridge the data gap.
- User privacy and consent mode – Respecting and ensuring user privacy is ever more important, but historically this has made it harder to get data. The Consent Mode feature in GA4 gives users the option to consent to being tracked. If a user declines, GA4 uses modeled data, based on data from similar users, rather than the directly observed data obtained through standard tracking. As a result, it is now possible to achieve an accurate dataset while still respecting users’ choices regarding their data privacy.
- Customer life cycle report – GA4 is putting a very strong focus on providing a more complete understanding of the customer journey across devices. The new Life Cycle Report feature allows you to measure in detail the complete user journey from end to end across different devices and channels, from acquisition (i.e., which channels are driving customers to your site), to engagement (i.e., how users interact with your site) and retention (i.e, if users continue to avail of your services).
Some useful resources for making the switch to Google Analytics 4
- How to add GA4 to your Metro Publisher website.
- Google’s own help page is the best starting point for making the move to GA4. You’ll find it here. They also have a video that gives you an overview of the process, which may also be helpful.
- And, if you’d like to get a more in-depth understanding of how to make the most of GA4 in your business, Semrush offer a free short course.
