Google Analytics 4: Everything You Need to Know

How to Move from Google Analytics to GA4.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s popular analytics platform.

It offers a number of advantages over the previous version, Universal Analytics (UA), including:

  • Cross-platform tracking: GA4 can track users across multiple devices and platforms, giving you a more complete view of their behaviour.
  • Machine learning: GA4 uses machine learning to provide more insights into your data, such as predicting future trends and identifying high-value customers.
  • Flexibility: GA4 is more flexible than UA, allowing you to customize your reports and dashboards to meet your specific needs.

If you’re still using UA, it’s time to make the switch to GA4. Here are the steps involved:

here are the step-by-step instructions on how to move from the current Google Analytics to the new GA4:

  1. Create a new GA4 property. To do this, go to the Google Analytics website and sign in to your account. Then, click on the “Admin” tab and select “Create property.” In the “Property type” dropdown menu, select “Google Analytics 4.”
  2. Install the GA4 tracking code on your website. The GA4 tracking code is a small snippet of JavaScript code that you need to add to your website’s code. This code will allow Google Analytics to track user activity on your website. You can find the GA4 tracking code in the Google Analytics website.
  3. Set up your GA4 data streams. A data stream is a way to group data from different sources. For example, you might have one data stream for your website and another data stream for your mobile app. To set up a data stream, go to the “Admin” tab in Google Analytics and select “Data streams.” Click on the “Create data stream” button and follow the instructions.
  4. Start collecting data. Once you have installed the GA4 tracking code and set up your data streams, Google Analytics will start collecting data. You can view this data in the “Reports” section of Google Analytics.
  5. Compare GA4 data to Universal Analytics data. Google Analytics 4 uses a different data model than Universal Analytics. This means that some of the reports in GA4 will look different than the reports in Universal Analytics. To compare GA4 data to Universal Analytics data, you can use the “Comparison tool” in Google Analytics.

Here are some additional tips for moving from Universal Analytics to GA4:

  • Start collecting data early. The sooner you start collecting data in GA4, the more data you will have to work with when you start analyzing your results.
  • Use the comparison tool to compare GA4 data to Universal Analytics data. This will help you to understand how the two data models differ and how to interpret your results.
  • Be patient. GA4 is a new product and it is still under development. There may be some bugs or unexpected behavior. If you encounter any problems, be sure to report them to Google.

In addition to the advantages listed above, GA4 also offers a number of other features that make it a more powerful and versatile analytics platform. These features include:

  • Attribution modelling: GA4 offers a number of attribution models that can help you understand how your marketing efforts are driving conversions.
  • Data privacy: GA4 is designed with data privacy in mind. You can control how your data is collected and used, and you can delete your data at any time.
  • Integrations: GA4 integrates with a number of other Google products, such as Google Ads and Google Marketing Platform. This makes it easy to use GA4 data to improve your marketing campaigns.

If you’re looking for a more powerful and versatile analytics platform, GA4 is the answer. It offers a number of advantages over UA, and it’s the future of Google Analytics.

If you are struggling with GA4 – contact the team at Digital Clarity for advice.

 

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