Getting Started with Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

What is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest tracking software that offers a ton of new possibilities. As a dependable and powerful marketing tool, GA4 can help assist in all of your marketing decisions. Using mostly data structure and data collection logic as well as building around users and events instead of sessions, it enables you to collect, track, and measure traffic numbers on the media. Taking a more futuristic approach, GA4 focuses on machine learning and data visualization.

Data Structure and Data Collection Logic

GA4 is made up of one or more data streams and is based on a different measurement model than past software. The software differs greatly in appearance from that software of the past. Tracking and reporting are key components of the new and improved software. GA4 has the ability to keep track of users’ presence online, regardless of what type of device they are using or switching between. Some of the key features introduced in the latest software are a wide range of privacy features, personal data deletion, restricted data transfer, requiring of consent, decreased data storage duration, and default IP anonymization.

GA4 uses events and users versus sessions, which is the technique used by the previous platform: Universal Analytics. Universal Analytics used the session model to group interactions among users over a certain period of time. GA4 has gotten rid of this technique, relying now on an event-based model. In doing so, flexibility has increased as well as accuracy in predictions. Events allow for account owners to measure interactions on their sites or apps. They are used to track the clicking, purchasing, loading, etc. of user actions. Events and users are classified as actions that involve content from a web page or app that results in user interaction. Fortunately enough, GA4 has the ability to locate events automatically.

Switching to Google Analytics 4

When making the switch to GA4, it is important to know that Google is no longer processing sessions and data in Universal Analytics. As of July 1st, 2023, processing will only occur with GA4. Failure to make this switch will result in your loss of personal data, for it will not be processed over time.

While Universal Analytics has stopped processing, it is still possible to access historical data for the following year. Your previously operated data can still be accessed in Universal Analytics until July 1st, 2024. With this being said, it is important to have all historical data exported for your own use prior to this deadline, for it will no longer be accessible in the future.

Instructions

It is strongly recommended that you migrate your goals from Universal Analytics to GA4. When making this switch, there are a number of resources to make the process as smooth as possible. Using the Goals Migration Tool, your goals can automatically be migrated from Universal Analytics to GA4. First, you must click the “editor role” on your account. Next, you must ensure that you are using the correct account. In GA4, be sure to click “Admin.” Move on over to the “Property” column. This is where you will be able to select GA4 property that collects the data from your website. Here, select “Setup Assistant.” Scroll over to “Property Settings” and “Set Up Conversions.” Next, click “Actions” followed by “Import from Universal Analytics.” You will see a panel that reads “Import existing goals from your connected property.” Here, you can select the goals you wish to create as conversion events in GA4. When done, select “Import Selected Conversions” in the top right corner. Look out for the confirmation message that will appear at the bottom left corner of your screen, then you are good to go!

How It Works

The Goals Migration Tool completes the switch between Universal Analytics and GA4 by creating a new create rule automatically. In doing so, it marks it as a conversion and creates the once per session method of counting. There are two types of goals that can be migrated with this tool: destination goal and event goal. In a destination goal, a user lands on a page that is quite specific. In an event goal, a user triggers an event like an ad click. Using this tool, you have the ability to create up to thirty conversion events per GA4 property. The tool keeps track of your events and notifies you of how many you’ve converted.

Google Analytics 4 Overview

There are a number of different tabs that serve various importance throughout Google Analytics 4. Stemming from Universal Analytics, the Acquisition tab remains the same. It is a report that can be used for insights on how users discover your website. The original Audience tab has been transformed into a Demographics tab, thus showing your audience in the reports section. It goes into the specifics of the audience, for it can share their spoken language, personal interests, physical location on the map, age, and even their gender. The Behavior tab has been renamed Engagement, serving a similar purpose between both properties. It tracks the amount of time someone spends on the page, allowing you to measure and calculate a number of important factors as the site owner. You can stay mindful of user activity within your site. The Conversions tab has become Monetization in GA4. This is an overview report that shows revenue data. This section of GA4 has all to do with money and product sales. Here, you can keep track of sales and earnings of products as well as coupons and promotions. You will be able to see if promotions are successful in luring in new users. This tab specifically focuses on the conversion of product into money, thus generating revenue within the site.

Reports

One of the strongest changes in GA4 is Explorer Reports. The Analysis Hub is more advanced than default reports that help you monitor key business stats. It permits access to many techniques that are more advanced and to a template gallery that cannot be found elsewhere. Because of its flexibility, it allows for more creating and analyzing of data in comparison to Universal Analytics. It is also much easier for viewers to understand, for it has clear and precise visualizations. With visualizations being key to these reports, it is important to recognize all six techniques. They are known as Free Form, Cohort, Funnel Exploration, Path Exploration, Segment Overlap, and User Lifetime.

Cohort Exploration includes knowing how users with similar characteristics behave over an extended period of time and how their behaviors change over time.

Funnel Exploration includes knowing at what point users begin abandoning the funnel in order to help increase conversion rates and make the funnel more effective. Studies can be run to learn if there is anything specific that causes users to abandon at this point in their search.

Path Exploration helps to understand how the site is navigated and the paths that are taken by users to get from one page to the next. In doing so, this form of exploration helps learn why users may exit out of the content when they do.

Segment Overlap Exploration has to do with the overlapping of factors that contribute to segment viewing. For example, location and devices are important and influential factors for those surfing the web. By observing the way in which these factors overlap, it can be learned why or how conversion rates grow when they do, thus helping to obtain information that can benefit your numbers.

User Lifetime Exploration can be used to learn about user behavior such as the last time they made a purchase and their expected lifetime value. This approach helps to understand how to obtain valuable customers as well as how to understand what adds value to a campaign.

If you’re looking for further information regarding Google Analytics 4, reach out to us at Doukas Media to set up your free discovery call today!