Here’s all you need to know about Google Analytics 4 and why it’s relevant to your business
Universal Analytics, known as Google Analytics 3, is saying goodbye for 2023. We want to inform you in advance so you can adjust to Google Analytics 4 as quickly as possible.
The name “Universal Analytics”, aka GA3, will cease to exist. Now, advertisers will use Google Analytics 4 as their new data platform.
Advertisers will have to export data from UA to GA4 through Data Studio, installing GA4 on their website to access year-to-date information before UA is gone for good.
Did you install GA4 already? Do you think this will be a hassle for most advertisers? Let us know in the comments below.
What is different about GA4?
UA is a session-based model, as opposed to GA4 which uses an event-based version that welcomes more data for your analytics platform.
The event parameters are now bigger, from four per event in UA to 25 per event in GA4. Also, GA4 can have 500 named events for those you set up, so the limit does not exist for default events.
In GA4, you will notice that the bounce rate is gone and replaced with “Engaged Sessions”, which logs data if the user stays on your website for more than 10 seconds, if your website has more than 2 page views, or if the user triggers a conversion.
However, not all sections in GA4 have the ability to change the time period. For example, while running a custom report, you won’t be able to change the time frame in that specific report. To be able to do this, advertisers will have to go back to the main Report menu and change the time logged there to see the changes reflected in your specific report.
Also, GA4 does not allow advertisers to click on reports and see the Ad Group. The platform will only show you all Ad Groups, with no way of seeing just a specific campaign.
Google now includes a tool to move your conversions from UA to GA4 if you have goals set up in UA. What happens if you don’t? You will have to tackle Google Tag Manager to push your conversion data.
Our Take
We notice that there are some limitations in GA4, specially if you have a hard time getting used to change. In order to modernize its platform, Google focused on updating the display to a less easy-to-use version. This doesn’t necessarily mean that GA4 is more complex, but we do see that settings are more hidden or harder to find.
We suggest advertisers practice and learn about GA4’s settings before UA is terminated so that you are ready to dive in without tackling the learning process simultaneously.
As expected, we will evaluate GA4’s performance and let you know if any changes are adjusted. Stay tuned!
About Quantikal
Quantikal is a data-driven performance marketing agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We help clients scale their business through profitable digital ad spending by constantly obsessing over clients’ key metrics. Quantikal’s experience working in diverse online companies in marketing roles including media buying allows us to provide solutions in the ever-demanding increase of marketing performance, doing more with less thus becoming a strategic partner.