Get All Your Tracking And Consent Management Covered With Google Analytics 4
The release of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) represents a significant change in how site and app properties are tracked. Google Analytics 4—announced in October 2020—builds on the foundation of cross-device unified measurement introduced in July 2019. It was formerly known as “App + Web properties” in beta.
The new Google product GA4 enables the collection of Web and App data either independently or as a single continuous property. Both Universal Analytics (UA) and GA360, which will be discontinued in 2023, will be replaced by GA4. On July 1, 2023, UA accounts will stop collecting data, and on October 1, 2023, GA360 accounts will stop collecting data. GA4 will thereafter replace all other analytics platforms as Google’s single platform.
Google Analytics 4 aims to do away with manual stitching and workarounds between platforms in order to address marketers’ needs for unified data while also acknowledging the growing overlap between online and mobile app development and content.
Google Analytics 4: What is it?
Universal Analytics (UA) is not just redesigned; GA4 is an entirely new product that may be deployed in addition to your current UA profile. Having said that, GA4 is the “latest version,” which replaced UA as the standard analytics platform in October 2020, if you’re putting up GA for the first time. Although GA4 should be regarded as a Google Analytics update, UA can still be deployed.
Previously, Google Analytics for websites and Analytics for Firebase were separate programs (to specifically cater to app needs). The goal of Google Analytics 4 is, perhaps most crucially, to provide property owners with adaptable yet effective analytics tools that stay within the parameters of cookieless tracking and consent management.
In summary, GA4 offers a whole different perspective on the world. And if you’ve been using Google Analytics on a regular basis for a while, a new perspective can be both amazing and daunting.
Important Business Advantages of Google Analytics
When it comes to giving businesses the insights that matter—and can be acted upon—today, employing machine learning and AI components intended for the rapidly approaching cookieless future, GA4 is a step in the right direction.
GA4 creates a framework for describing and gathering data in the manner that is most valuable to each organization. Limitations are significantly reduced, and forcing engagement into the bounds of historical events is no longer effective. Gather the information you require and conduct the most insightful analysis possible.
Another noteworthy feature of GA4 is that free product linking is available. Before, connecting DV360, SA360, Campaign Manager 360, and BigQuery necessitated a GA360 license.
1. Unified Measurement and Scopes
The integration of the app and web views in Google Analytics 4 is by far its greatest benefit.
Traditional pageviews and behavioral events are combined in the collection process to create “events” with a more equal reach. Older Google Analytics versions had inconsistent (by default) metrics and dimensions, requiring distinct tagging and attributes.
Remember that when you first enter the new GA 4, there won’t be any historical or 24h+ data; but, over time, data will begin to appear.
2. User Interface Updates
The fact that GA4 has introduced various new reporting tools along with the re-scope of approach may be more significant to marketers and web analysts. The platform UI has also been modified to better arrange the current online and app reporting. The unified user interface across the app and website is undoubtedly the largest advantage, but Google has also redesigned its custom reporting tool to become an “analysis hub,” which provides a little bit more flexibility with bespoke and ad hoc reporting.
3. Adopting Future Methods for Data Gathering and Analysis
Since the beginning of app and online development, unified user journeys and reporting across platforms have been a challenge. Google has responded (finally!) and appears to comprehend that these needs will keep growing, particularly given the difficulties associated with data collection.
Google is prepared to move away from using third-party data collection as it is criticized by privacy advocates (and we see that some platforms have implemented tracking restrictions). Instead, it will use first-party data that has been anonymized and consent-based tracking. Google is moving away from client-side dependency by combining attributes, collecting scopes, and unveiling significant server-side capabilities.
New GA4 Capabilities & Features
Our GA vocabulary is evolving. The reasons we use GA data basically stay the same, but the data that is accessible has changed, as have the best approaches to respond to the questions at hand.
In Universal Analytics, a number of the measures we’ve come to rely on have either been modified or deprecated in favor of new metrics. Let’s look at some of the most significant updates.
Fresh metrics to monitor
The usage of outdated user behavioral measurements is ending. We will need to start using new metrics to understand behavior since GA4 will no longer support metrics like bounce rate and average session length. These indicators, which are more significant in what they depict than previously available metrics, include engagement rates and engaged sessions.
Conversions are in, goals are out
Despite mainly being a name change, the taxonomy has slightly changed as a result of the hierarchy of categories, actions, and labels for earlier events becoming deprecated.
It’s significant to remember that GA4 will count each occurrence of a conversion event, even if it happens more than once in a single session. For instance, if a user completes a form three times in a single session, three conversions will be recorded. Goals were formerly limited to one occurrence per session.
Views are in, Pageviews are out
Due to the integrated nature of web & app properties, “Views” is used instead of “pageviews” in GA4; “Views” accounts for both screenviews and pageviews. As always, repeated viewings of the same content count.
A new session has started after this one has ended
A session is now defined as something that happens when a particular event called “session start” is triggered. This event generates a session ID that is added to each event that takes place during the session.
After 30 minutes or the specified timeout duration, sessions stop. Sessions also aren’t restarted at midnight or if fresh campaign parameters are found.
Average Engagement Time has replaced Average Session Duration
Although the two measures are calculated differently, Average Engagement Time captures the user focus on web or screen sites that Average Session Duration attempted to but failed to fully capture.
An alternative data presentation method
The hit-based data model used by Universal Analytics consists of sessions and pageviews. Since they serve as the initial point of data gathering for Universal Analytics, pageviews are effectively the ignition key. The traditional “key” in GA4 is actually made up of occurrences.
Identity Spaces’ user information discovery
Four distinct identity techniques are included in GA4 to aid in the creation of a unified view of cross-device user journeys:
- User ID
- Google Signals
- Modeling
- Device IDs
The same identification space is given to all data related to the same user or identity. These identification spaces are utilized across all GA4 reporting, enabling companies and marketers to eliminate duplicate people from their user lists and get a deeper understanding of how they interact and relate to your company.
A Quick Overview of GA4 Expectations
In GA, Users and Sessions have moved around physically over the past few years. This subtly changing trend inspired marketers to start tracking users rather than session-by-session data as a gesture to the future.
In GA4, this change is clearly apparent. The flexibility and level of data granularity offered by event-based tracking over hit-based tracking were previously unattainable. Old mandatory categories like Category/Action/Label are no longer used, and all website interactions are now recorded with the same degree of detail.
A pageview occurs at the same level of specificity as a link click, as conversions are tracked and scroll depth is logged. The question becomes less about what transpired during a session and more about a user’s behavior and the conversion of data points into human behaviors thanks to this level-setting, which allows for flexibility that would have been more constrained otherwise.
Are You Ready to Switch to GA4?
Yes, as soon as you can. Site owners who haven’t yet installed GA4 will be rushing to do so once Universal Analytics (UA) is decommissioned. For your records, we strongly advise exporting and keeping hard copies of past data. Due to how their data models and definitions operate and function differently, data cannot be transferred from UA/GA360 to GA4 properties. Yukti Digital can assist you with this data export if you need it.
Get your site ready far in advance to avoid the frantic rush, especially considering how crucial GA data is. You base a lot of decisions on GA data, so you need to be sure the data you’re working with is accurate. Proper implementation—with time to work out any potential kinks—is essential.
We are witnessing a change in how Google Analytics will be most effectively utilized as a result of the change in the data model and how data is organized.
