GOOGLE ANALYTICS 4

WHAT IS GOOGLE ANALYTICS 4?

GA4, or Google Analytics 4, is an analytics service that enables you to measure traffic and engagement across your websites and apps. It’s a new kind of property with different reports than what you're used to seeing in Universal Analytics properties. The core purpose of GA4? It's a privacy first approach, giving you more flexibility when dealing with privacy breaches, etc. It automatically anonymises IP addresses, you can request data deletion, and more. If your website currently uses a Universal Analytics property, it’s being replaced by GA4 on July 1st, 2023. On that date, all standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new hits. Simply put, if you have a Universal Analytics property, you must migrate before it’s too late. The earlier you migrate, the more historic data and insights you will have in Google Analytics 4.

WORKING WITH A GA4 SPECIALIST AGENCY

We understand if all this talk about GA4 can get confusing. Migrating from Universal Analytics to GA4 is daunting, and you are NOT alone. The sooner you initiate the migration process and get that data generating, the smoother things will be. Our Google Analytics 4 services include:

GA4 Migration - Helping you move from UA to GA4 with ease.

GA4 Training - Helping you and your team understand the benefits of this shift in data analysis and how to track event-based data.

For more help and assistance on GA4 and Digital Advertising, or if you want to review your Digital Strategy for 2023...

HOW DOES GA4 WORK?

GA4 is set to give you a complete view of consumer behaviour across web and app by using first-party, modelled data. Improved machine learning features, actionable reporting, and new integrations help you adapt to an evolving privacy and technology landscape to keep getting the insights you rely on.

WHAT DOES THE CHANGE FROM UNIVERSAL ANALYTICS TO GA4 MEAN?

Universal Analytics currently uses Cookie data, otherwise known as 3rd party data. In other words, when you accept cookies, Google Analytics drops a pin on your activity and can share that data to Universal Analytics for you to review, analyse and feed back into your digital strategies. The difference with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is that it uses an event-based model, otherwise known as 1st party data. Aka, no pins being dropped unless you consent to it. It's bringing in Machine Learning to model data and make predictions on audience behaviour to assist in filling the gaps that will appear and even introduce features like & Data Removal' where you can delete data from Google's servers.

HOW CAN I MIGRATE TO GOOGLE ANALYTICS 4?

The Visible Rank can ensure you get the professional expertise required to migrate with ease from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4. Key steps to migration are:

Look at your Account Structure

Collect Website & App Data

Create a GA4 Property & Data Stream

Turn on Google Signals

Set up Conversions

Add Users

It's also important to consider your current business goals and set SMART OBJECTIVES to achieve them. This will assist in figuring out what kind of events you need tracked and can build the most valuable metrics for your business.

SOME ADVANTAGES OF GOOGLE ANALYTICS 4

While GA4 has been surrounded by a cloak of insecurity to date, there are a lot of exciting improvements ahead:

It will allow for cross-platform analysis

The event-based data will allow for different touch points and interactions being noted, and this can really enhance cross-platform analysis when it comes to your digital campaigns.

The new engagement metrics

The new ‘event modelling’ approach can really allow you to break down your engagement data into granular details, and truly understand the online behaviours of your audience /buyers / users / fans. Plus, being able to track things like scrolls down a page is a game-change.

The amount of data

Being that it’s 1st party data and then machine learning / AI for those wanting to remain anonymous, there will be a huge amount of valuable insights Google will be able to offer us all that to date,they simply haven’t been able to.