Anyone with an online business, store, or even just a personal website has, at some point, come across Google Analytics. For business owners, Google Analytics has been the best way to track and record website traffic, sources, and other real-time statistics on how users interact with their site.
For businesses that rely on online traffic for purchases or income, Google Analytics lifted the veil of secrecy and gave them actionable information on which pages did better than others, how SEO improved their website and many other vital points that helped them develop a better online presence.
Over the years, Google’s standard Universal Analytics has gone through many updates and revamps. However, with the advent of Google Analytics 4, this system is set to be scrapped entirely and reinvented.
So, what does this mean for businesses and entrepreneurs who have made the old Google Analytics a part of their daily business routine? What’s changing? And will this new analytics service be better than the one millions of people have come to know and love?
What Is Google Analytics 4?
Google Analytics 4 isn’t simply an update on the regular old Google Analytics we’ve relied on for years. It’s a revamped, spruced-up data model that approaches data collection, storage, and filtering in a totally new way.
In short, the new GA4 is a modern approach to privacy-first tracking that uses machine-learning techniques to improve user experience and provide more accurate data for those using the system.
Why Is It Changing?
Google Analytics 4 is certainly not a new concept.
First introduced to the market back in October 2020, it was seen as a newcomer that wouldn’t be taking the old Universal Analytics’ place for at least three to five years. However, Google has recently announced that Universal Analytics will be permanently sunsetted come July 1st, 2023.
Although there has been no official explanation for the expedited switch between the two systems, GA4 likely needs to be implemented sooner to conform to new internet security and data privacy regulations.
GA4 vs. Universal Analytics
Unlike the earlier Google Analytics updates, GA4 will not have a one-stop-shop layout for all your website analytics tools. Instead, the GA4 system will focus solely on tracking “events” tied to a user and not on tracking website activity over a given amount of time, known as a “session.”
This new, specialized form of analytics means business owners will have to turn to additional tools to access the same information they would have received from Universal Analytics or GA3.
These tools will be necessary for data collection, visualization, and cloud data warehousing, which will significantly increase the complexity of migrating from one platform to the other.
What Will Happen to My Universal Analytics Data?
Up until June 30th, 2023, you will still be able to make full use of Universal Analytics’ data collection. However, this will end on July 1st of that year.
Once the switch has been finalized, you will only be able to view your old reports for another six months. There is also a possibility the interface may become completely inaccessible over time.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to move your data from Universal Analytics to GA4, so you will have to export your data separately before December 2023 to ensure that none of your information is lost.
Once this is done, you can blend this data with newly collected GA4 statistics in most of Google’s advanced analytics tools.
Core New Features of Google Analytics 4
However, GA4 offers users many new features that will change how you understand and visualize the data the system records. Some of the most popular new features include:
1. Event Tracking
We are all familiar with the traditional tracking of “sessions” in the standard Google Analytics.
This has changed completely when it comes to GA4. In the new system, everything a user does, all their interactions with your website, will be linked to their user identity, not to a session or specified time frame.
This customer-centric way of tracking interactions with online businesses will help the people behind these businesses gather more context around why certain actions were made and how they can improve their website’s layout, information, and overall appeal.
2. Measurements to Capture High-Volume Interactions
GA4 will automatically allow business owners to track the most common user interactions without updating website tags. These actions include:
– Downloads
– Video views
– Site searches
– Outbound clicks
– Pageviews
– Scrolling
Outsourcing tag management or assigning someone to gather and manage this information, as was common in Universal Analytics, will no longer be necessary.
3. Cross-Device Tracking
Traditionally, tracking user interaction across devices was incredibly difficult.
That’s because a mobile app or the mobile version of a website may produce vastly different data from a user’s activity on their desktop.
This is all about to change with GA4, which will allow tracking across all a user’s signed-in devices for more accurate data collection.
4. AI for Enhanced Predictions and Insights
Traditionally reserved for large corporations with the capital or skillset to leverage AI, machine learning forms an integral part of the new GA4 property.
The built-in AI will be able to use large amounts of recorded data to identify internet trends and make recommendations for improving your business’s online presence.
Why Should I Migrate to GA4 Now?
Despite there being just over a year left to make the switch from Universal Analytics to GA4, the sooner you migrate, the better.
By switching to GA4 now, you will have far more comparable data to work with once Universal Analytics is permanently sunsetted. Making the switch now will also allow fewer hiccups as you won’t be left with informational gaps as you navigate the new, overhauled system.
How National Positions Can Help
National Positions is working tirelessly to help our clients switch from Universal Analytics to GA4 right now.
By teaming up with National Positions, you can migrate your business to the new system with minimal bumps in the road and an experienced guide to help you understand and take advantage of all the new features GA4 has to offer.
For more information on how we can help you take your business to the next level, contact our expert team to get you started on the road to success.