Google Analytics 4 or GA4 is the new analytics tool for websites from the world’s most widely used search engine.
After the beta launch of App + Web, the software will become practically mandatory as of July 1, 2023, and offers a much more accurate and relevant study of user traffic than its predecessor.
Therefore, it is important to get to know it and start considering switching to this version as soon as possible.
Let’s see all the details together!
What is Google Analytics 4
Google Analytics 4 is the new tracking system launched by Google that allows you to analyze the behavior of users visiting your site. Progressively, this will replace the traditional Universal Analytics that we have all been using until now.
However, before analyzing what is really new about the new instrument, let us understand the main differences between the two:
- Universal Analytics is based on metrics that we can now consider outdated and obsolete. Specifically, the time a user stays on the page or the bounce rate. For example, the second variable indicates how many users leave your site without visiting at least one other page. This, however, tells us little about the value of their visits.
- Google Analytics 4, in contrast, provides website owners with a much more comprehensive and interactive dashboard. Its goal is to enabledata analysis from a different approach that abandons the old parameter of time on page. More specifically, GA4 considers the active behavior of users on your site, beyond the number of seconds invested in navigation.
Why start using GA4
But why, specifically, should you consider moving to GA4? The answers are more than one.
Specifically, Google Analytics 4 allows you to:
Know more about the user conversion path – Knowing where potential customers come from, or which pages of your site they visit before making a conversion, allows you to tailor your online communication strategy to attract more of them. With GA4 you have more accurate information about the route users take before taking a valuable action.
Have more engagement-focused analytics tools – In the past, it could happen that a user would open your site and stay there for minutes at a time just because they were distracted by something else at home. With GA4, this behavior is no longer frowned upon, because the visitor does not take actions on the page and-as a result-is not engaged by it.
Better target your audience – Knowing your audience in more detail allows you to plan more effective user experiences and campaigns.
Choose which goals and events to focus on – When implementing a content marketing or digital advertising activity, the most important thing is to know which results to analyze. The very high degree of customization of the GA4 interface simplifies this step.
Get detailed traffic statistics – Google Analytics 4 returns more accurate reports on your website traffic in terms of demographic and behavioral characteristics
Ensuring greater respect for privacy – Italy’s Privacy Guarantor continues to tighten data collection rules: with GA4, there is no longer a risk of transgressing them.
Not familiar with the new regulations? Read:
All the changes in the new cookie regulations effective July 10, 2021
What’s new in GA4
Let us now look in more detail at all the new features of the new Google GA4 tool:
- New event-based data model.
GA4 places much more emphasis on what are called engaged sessions. That is, all those times when the user stays yes for more than 10 seconds on your site but also performs a valuable event such as a purchase, downloading a document or scrolling 90% of the page. - Simplified and customizable interface.
Every site owner can customize GA4’s graphical interface to suit their needs. This allows you to keep an eye on the progress of your portal while giving more prominence to the data you care about. - Increased attention to user data protection.
This factor is particularly important as regulations regarding GDPR, cookies and data collection are becoming more and more stringent. - Data modeling.
GA4 can estimate online conversions that cannot be observed directly. For example, when the valuable action is performed by an unidentifiable user due to privacy protection, technical limitations, or browsing across multiple devices. - Machine learning for better data analysis.
GA4 leverages machine learning technology to develop and return more accurate data automatically, minimizing site owner intervention. - More focus on user engagement.
As mentioned, bounce rate or visitor dwell time are no longer the only aspects taken into account by GA4. This is because they are not the real indicator of your audience’s engagement, which is expressed rather by the actions they take on the site. - Cross-device customer journey logging.
GA4 can track the user journey, thus providing very useful data. For example, you may find that your customers read your newsletter from smartphones, but complete their purchase from PCs. This way, you know how to optimize graphics and templates to provide them with a better browsing experience. - Advanced integrations with Google Ads.
Lastly, GA4 and Google Ads collaborate effectively. Thus, by cross-referencing data, it is possible to create better performing advertising campaigns and increase the return on investment in digital marketing operations.
How and when to make the transition from UA to GA4?
Currently, deciding whether to switch to GA4 is still at the discretion of the site owner. However, this will soon no longer be the case.
As of July 1, 2023, Universal Analytics will stop recording and collecting data. Not only that, anyone with a property on this tool will only be able to access it for another six months.
In our view, therefore, it is better to anticipate a step that will, in fact, become mandatory. Moreover, by opening a property on GA4 now, one can count on a number of advantages. For example:
- Start parallel tracking on the two instruments to compare their results
- Create a useful history to compare with reports collected on Google Analytics 4 as of now
- Make a gradual migration to become familiar with the new platform bit by bit
Want to migrate your business site to Google Analytics 4?
Contact Isola di Comunicazione!
