Navigating Google Analytics 4
We all are interested in finding out more about how our business is performing, how successful our websites are, and learning more about the analytics tools to help us. Google Analytics is a great way to track how well your website is performing. It allows you to monitor many different aspects of your website so that it is able to perform to the best of its ability.
Google Analytics allow you to check to see if you are hitting specific goals, look at who you are targeting, check benchmarks to see where your business is performing in comparison to similar businesses, and much more. It is a valuable tool for any and all businesses.
One thing that you may not be aware of, but definitely should know, is that all of that data collection is soon changing! In July of 2023, Google Analytics is switching completely over to a new software system called Google Analytics 4 (GA4 for short). But don't let these changes scare you! The Sampson House is here to help you navigate the Google Analytics 4 properties and get the most out of your analytics!
What is GA4?
In October of 2020, Google announced it's launch of Google Analytics 4 or GA4. GA4 is the newest version of the Google Analytics tracking software. Starting in July of 2023, this will be the only option for tracking your website data. Currently, Google Analytics has been running on its 3rd version, Univeral Analytics which is what we have all been using for the last 10 years.
The new GA4 was created to transition website analytics into a world focusing on user privacy. It is a customizable and efficient solution that assists in finding accurate information that will help your business measure specific efforts. Although it may sound intimidating, the switch will allow for so many cool new ways to report on your website and app performance.
What is the Difference Between a Universal Analytics Property and a GA4 property?
The biggest difference between the previous Universal Analytics and the new GA4 software is the way that it measures its user data. Universal Analytics uses sessions and pageviews, whereas GA4 uses events. Another major difference between Universal Analytics and GA4 is the new ability to track both website analytics as well as analytics for applications.
The current iteration of Google Analytics (Universal Analytics) only allows for website tracking. There are also a ton of new features including tools that allow for integrations to an array of different media platforms, which will assist in driving conversions on your site or application.
Additionally, another cool update that will be available in GA4 is the easy and effective updates to the search bar. You will now be able to search for specific information such as "July pageviews for /contact-us page" and get a quick result within the search. That means no more digging around in the platform to find quick-hit information!
Why is this switch important?
Though it may not seem necessary to make the switch, it is actually extremely vital. We are heading closer and closer to a cookie-less world. You may be wondering what this means. A cookie-less world is a shift in the digital landscape that no longer utilizes the use of third-party cookies to collect user data.
Third-party cookies are essentially "codes" placed on a visitor's device after they have visited a website to track user behavior. This information is collected and used to provide more relevant advertising and a better-targeted experience.
Have you ever visited a site and looked at a specific product and then later seen an advertisement for that exact same product? You can thank third-party cookies for that ad!
So what does a "cookie-less" world look like for digital marketers? People are more concerned than ever about online privacy. I am sure that you have seen pop-ups everywhere asking you to accept or reject the usage of cookies. With many users "rejecting" the use of cookies, there is a lapse in data being collected.
With all of the new privacy initiatives, there was a concern about how we were able to monitor our web traffic. GA4 was created with these initiatives in mind. The new software will no longer rely on cookies and will no longer store IP addresses to collect information.
However, it will still allow users to track data more accurately by behavioral and conversion modeling that predicts where there may be some gaps in data and what actions people may be taking on your site. It does this by machine learning modeling tools.
What does this mean for you?
If you are already utilizing Google Analytics for tracking website data, it would be smart to set up a GA4 property sooner than later to start collecting year-over-year data. You can see step-by-step directions to getting your new property set up here.
If you do not currently have any analytics set up, you can go ahead and set up your GA4 property by creating an account. Google provides tons of resources to help you get started and begin tracking the performance of your websites/apps!
Do you still need help navigating the change? Our team is happy to provide you with the support you need to assist you with all of your reporting needs. Contact the Sampson House today!
