Migrating to Google Analytics 4: Everything You Need to Know
Google Analytics 4 is a new Google Analytics property that allows you to collect event-based user data from both websites and apps.
Migrating to Google Analytics 4 is a necessary action to be able to use Google’s new tracking and data collection system. In fact, new online business opportunities depend on data behavior and observation of user behavior.
Google Analytics 4 is a cutting-edge tool, in addition to being essential for managing website and app traffic, it is useful for implementing conversion strategies and monitoring insights and statistics in real time.
In this article we tell you everything you need to know, let’s find out what Google Analytics 4 is, the functions and features of GA4, how to migrate to Google Analytics 4, what the advantages are and why it is necessary to make this step.
What is Google Analytics 4?
Google Analytics is an analytics service provided by Google that allows you to measure the traffic and performance of a website. It also allows you to collect data from the various sites and apps you own to create reports with information about your activities.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4), on the other hand, is a new property designed to collect data from sites and apps and better understand the customer journey. The data it uses is based on events and not sessions.
Events are data that can be viewed in Google reports and refer to an interaction between the user and a website or app.
As reported by the official Google Analytics Guide:
On July 1, 2023, the Universal Analytics standard (Google Analytics 3) will no longer process data. You will only be able to view reports for a limited time, and new data will only be transmitted to Google Analytics 4.
Therefore, if you want to continue monitoring the performance of your site and tracking the customer journey, you will have to switch to GA4.
What’s new in Google Analytics 4
There are many new features compared to the tracking systems of its predecessor (GA3). Among the new features of GA4 we have Data-Models, the collection of user data: it is no longer based on their profile, but on their online behavior and interactions. In this regard, GA4 also includes new monetization and loyalty sections.
With GA4 you can manage and categorize events more completely.
Here are the categories of events that can be tracked with Google Analytics 4:
- Events collected automatically: these are events collected by default and include, for example, language and localization.
- Advanced measurement events: these allow you to measure interactions with the site’s content and include downloads, scrolls, outgoing clicks, searches and video engagement.
- Recommended Events: Events recommended by Google to measure additional functions and behaviors such as logins, sharing, online purchases. These allow you to generate detailed reports.
- Custom events: events and parameters to be implemented independently, based on the parameters of your website.
Other important new features of GA4 are:
The ability to customize sessions, highlight metrics, use pre-set dashboards made available for beginners.
Finally, privacy controls such as cookie-free measurement, predictive features, and direct integrations to multimedia platforms.
Google Analytics functions and features 4
Google Analytics 4, compared to the previous version, has new functions and features. Among the features we have:
- Machine learning to create and deliver reliable reports and predict new insights.
- Data collectionfrom your website and apps to understand the customer journey.
- Data collected is event-based and no longer session-based.
- A privacy controlis in place as a cookie-free measurement of user behavior and conversions.
- Direct integrations to multimedia platforms to encourage actions on your site or app.
As for the new advanced features of GA4, we can say that they are available to everyone, among the most important are:
- Access to BigQuery RAW data: RAW data is a very important resource because it allows you to track the behavior of users online. Big Query is a Google cloud data warehouse where you can store and retrieve data using an SQL space. Big Query, thanks to GA4, can be installed on your own servers and connected with Analytics. It also allows you to download all the data to view it and find all the necessary information.
- Integration of app and web data: Thanks to this integration of the data of your website and apps within the same property, you have the possibility of tracking sites and apps simultaneously.
- Advanced segmentation: another important function that allows you to segment users who have landed on a page of your site and purchased a product or service within a short time.
How to migrate to Google Analytics 4
As previously announced, Google Analytics 4 will replace Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023. Therefore, Universal Analytics (GA3) properties will stop processing data.
The stepsif you already have a site include:
1. Create a GA4 property and data stream
2. Collect data from your website and apps
3. Activate Google Signals
4. Set up conversions
5. Add users
6. Connect Google ADS
7. Switch audiences
8. Validate conversions
9. Import conversions
10. Add Analytics audiences to a campaign or ad group
Migrating your data to Google Analytics 4 is a critical step for websites, apps, and e-commerce businesses.
To migrate from Google Analytics 3 to Google Analytics 4, you need to create duplicate events for the GA4 property, so use new unique event names and the required parameters.
Please note that there are two separate implementations, one for Google Analytics 3 and one for GA4, so you cannot implement UA site reporting for a GA4 property, as the data would be incomplete. You need to add new parameters to be able to use all the features of GA4 and create new reports.
It is also good to include all the mandatory parameters for specific events for the website because otherwise they would not be included in the GA4 reports but recorded as custom events.
Advantages of Ga4
The advantages of Google Analytics 4 compared to its predecessor are many, let’s see some in particular.
One of the first advantages is a different way of collecting user data, that is, the collection is done based on data obtained from events. Each event has a unique name and includes transactions, interactions, page views and more.
A second advantage is the possibility of being able to plan marketing campaigns more effectively thanks to AI-based insights. In addition, with machine learning you can predict outcomes including abandonment rates, conversions and sales.
With GA4 you can get a complete view of the customer journey thanks to complete reporting of their behaviors within the website.
Finally, you can prevent spam, a problem that is often seen on Google Analytics 3 is related to spam traffic reports. With GA4 this is a problem that is solved, in fact a measurement protocol provides that only hits with a secret key can send traffic to GA4 properties.
Why switch to GA4?
Switching to GA4 is a necessary step because Universal Analytics (Google Analytics 3) will stop processing data from July 1, 2023. So, to continue monitoring your site’s performance, the only solution is to switch to Google Analytics 4.
Google Analytics 4 is an indispensable tool for those who manage websites and apps, therefore for the implementation of conversion strategies.
We recommend that you migrate from GA3 to GA4 as soon as possible, so you can get used to the new platform, collect and monitor data in real time.
