With all the recent updates across the digital landscape, it might be hard to remember, but back in 2020, Google introduced Google Analytics 4 (GA4) as an upgrade to Universal Analytics (UA). This update was designed to address the constantly evolving measurement standards available to help your community reach valuable KPIs. GA4 will offer the flexibility to measure many different kinds of data inputs for your website, delivering a strong analytics experience that’s designed for the future. Additionally, it will allow your community to see the full journey your users take across multiple platforms and devices, while using Google’s machine learning technology to deliver new insights.
Moving On From Universal Analytics
When Universal Analytics was built, website measurement was much simpler. It was designed to focus on single visits, the desktop user experience and cookie data. Over time, the user journey has evolved. Users are now using multiple devices and visiting websites multiple times before converting. Plus, privacy concerns have slowly made cookie tracking almost obsolete.
Designed with privacy at its core, GA4 operates across platforms, does not rely exclusively on cookies and uses an event-based data model to deliver measurement focused on the user.
Increased functionality in Google Analytics 4
Here are just a few ways GA4 can support your business:
Improve ROI with data-driven attribution: Use data-driven attribution to analyze the full impact of your community’s marketing efforts across the entire customer journey. Attribution credit is assigned to more than just the last click, and helps you understand how your marketing activities collectively influence your online conversions.
Easily activate your insights: GA4 integrates with other Google products, like Google Ads, to work across your combined data sources, making it easy to use Analytics insights to optimize your campaigns.
Analyze performance using engagement: GA4 uses “engaged sessions,” which analyze how engaged a user is with your website, as opposed to recording a total number of clicks.
For example, sessions that last longer than 10 seconds, had a conversion event or had two or more screen or page views.
TL;DR
Google’s Universal Analytics is getting an upgrade to the new Google Analytics 4, announced in 2020 and set to launch later this year. This update will use an event-based data model that measures the entire user journey, instead of simply tracking cookies and link clicks. With this new model, you’ll have more flexibility and more valuable data points to help improve your ROI through data-driven attribution, easily activate your insights with integration of other Google products, and analyze performance using engagement across multiple devices.
What happens next?
All standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new traffic on July 1, 2023. After that, you’ll be able to access old data in Universal Analytics through the end of 2023. To get the most out of this upgrade, make the move over to GA4 as soon as possible to build the necessary historical data before Universal Analytics stops processing new traffic.
We’re already working on updates to our SK Client Dashboard to support GA4’s new reporting by their July 1st deadline to make sure our clients have all the insights possible on the data that matters most.
Want to learn more about how SK’s Client Dashboard can help you track your digital marketing success? Connect with us today!