Complete Guide to Google Analytics 4
Google Analytics has long been a trusted tool for businesses and marketers, and it recently got a major upgrade. In late 2020, Google announced the introduction of Google Analytics 4, and it’s full of updates that are valuable to companies of all sizes. Earlier this year, Google also announced Google Analytics 4 would replace Univeral Analytics in 2023, so now is the ideal time to dive into this platform. So, to help you get the most out of Google Analytics 4, we created a complete guide to Google Analytics 4 that includes what it is, key features, and how to get started.
What is Google Analytics 4?
If you’re a brand new user of Google Analytics or a current user of the Universal Analytics platform, you might be wondering what exactly is Google Analytics 4. Basically, Google Analytics 4 is a significant update to the current platform and offers improved ways of tracking and reporting data. Beginning July 1, 2023, data will only process through Google Analytics 4 and move away from Universal Analytics, so the plan is for Google Analytics 4 to be the primary platform.
The good news is, if you love Universal Analytics, you will love Google Analytics 4 even more! With websites, privacy, user experiences, and data constantly evolving, Google Analytics 4 stays several steps ahead by reporting data in a more versatile way while still upholding the user’s privacy online. It’s the analytics of the future! Let’s look at some key features of Google Analytics 4 and what provides the most value to you as a business when using this platform.
Key Features of Google Analytics 4
- Tracking events instead of sessions
Probably the most significant change Google Analytics 4 makes is how it tracks data. Traditionally, Google Analytics used a session-based model, which grouped all of a user’s interactions within a certain time frame into one session. Now Google Analytics 4 uses an event-based model, which separates each user interaction as a single event. This change makes analyzing user data from multiple platforms much easier since it’s not all combined into one session.
- More charts and graphs
Google Analytics doesn’t lack reports. You can review many different reports from your website’s data in Google Analytics, but in Universal Analytics, it’s mostly numbers. Google Analytics 4 is different by generating visual charts and graphs to report the data instead of just a table of numbers. This makes reviewing reports simple and easy to find trends in the data. Of course, you still have the full data tables available, but if you’re looking for the highlights or key trends, the charts and graphs Google Analytics 4 provides are perfect.
- Predicting user behavior
We’ve relied on Google Analytics to study a user’s past behavior on websites, and now with technology improving, we can use this platform to help predict a user’s future behavior. In Google Analytics 4, this is called predictive analysis, which works alongside the improved reporting. Predictive analysis means that Google Analytics 4 uses technology like machine learning and artificial intelligence to help predict how users will interact in future events. You can see this in the Insights, Audiences, and Explorations sections of Google Analytics 4.
How to Use Google Analytics 4
Now that you have an overview of what’s to love about Google Analytics 4, how do you get started? It’s simple! Log on to your Google Analytics account, select Admin, choose your account and property, then click GA4 Setup Assistant. From there, you’ll select Get Started and begin creating a new Google Analytics 4 property. If you currently use the Universal Google Analytics platform, this setup will copy your property information into Google Analytics 4.
Once the setup assistant is complete, you are ready to dive into Google Analytics 4! As your Google Analytics 4 account starts tracking data, you’ll see an overview snapshot on the home page with data like traffic, page views, and top-performing campaigns. From there, you can go deeper into further insights and reporting. Additionally, it may be helpful to look through the Google Analytics 4 demo account to better understand this platform full of data and reports.
Google Analytics 4 is a welcomed update that provides a wealth of new tools to help you make more informed decisions for a winning marketing strategy. With a clearer picture of what’s working for your website users and what isn’t, you can create a strategy that leads to more sales.
Need help with your marketing strategy? Suite Edge is a digital marketing team that uses tools like Google Analytics 4 to bring businesses long-lasting results. We partner with companies to develop a winning strategy and execute with design, development, marketing, and analytics. Suite Edge is passionate about helping small businesses grow exponentially, and our team has the talents and expert tools to make that happen. So let’s talk today about how Suite Edge can serve you!
Connect with Suite Edge on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter!