For as long as most people can remember, we’ve been using Google Analytics to track website data, visits, sessions, geolocation, demographics, and so on. Google Analytics has undergone various changes over the years… and GA4 is no different.
In October 2020, GA4 (or Google Analytics 4) was introduced as an updated version of your tried-and-true analytics. It came with a handful of significant changes to how we view and report data. In March 2022, Google announced that they would shut down Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023 – after which everyone will need GA4.
What is Google Analytics 4?
Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 is built around event-based measurement instead of individual user data. Your current analytics and GA4 are still built around collecting and measuring data, but how you view and experience that data has changed considerably.
Starting in July of next year, Universal Analytics will no longer be collecting and reporting data. You should begin setting up GA4 to have usable historical data in preparation for the change. If you have Google Analytics 360, you will receive a slight extension to October 1, 2023.
Do I Need GA4 on My Website?
The short answer is yes. If you’ve already been using Google Analytics to track customer/client/patient data – like conversions, sessions, visits, etc. – then you’ll want to switch over to GA4 within the next few months.
While Google is ubiquitous in the internet marketing world, it isn’t the only analytics platform on the market. If you or your marketing firm are using a different system (such as HubSpot, Adobe Analytics, or a proprietary system), you likely won’t need to worry about this change. If your analytics suite requires integration with Google Analytics on any level, you will need to find out from your provider how the shift in GA4 could affect you.
Which is Better: GA or Universal Analytics?
It’s not a question of “better” regarding UA and GA4. As always, there will be people who adopt the new analytics and think it’s better than sliced bread, and there will be those who lament the loss of UA because of the interface, a type of report, or just because that’s what they are used to.
This is a change based on a massive landscape shift over the years. The world is now a multi-device, multi-screen, and multi-channel place. You’re far less likely to run across a user who searches you organically from a desktop, converted, and left. Nowadays, it’s more likely their journey will include seeing an ad on social media followed by a local search from their phone before a direct visit from their tablet, and then remarketing on their desktop, leading to a goal completion. Tracking the multi-device world takes a different sort of analytics, and this is part of what GA4 is looking to do.
The other significant differences include GA4 being more event-based. It’s less about the raw numbers and more about how users interact with you and their experience. Even recent Google Updates have pushed the importance of User Experience as a ranking signal. GA4 will also handle reporting differently. Some of the graphs and tables you used in Universal Analytics won’t come as stock. Instead, you will have much more freedom to create a dashboard tailored to your individual needs. So GA4 will potentially be more robust and powerful over time – but that initial setup and tweaking of your dashboards might be a hurdle.
Efferent Media is Here for Your SEO Needs
At Efferent Media, we’re converting to GA4 for our current clients and ensuring all new and future staff are trained on any substantial changes down the pipeline. If you want to expand your internet presence, improve organic traffic, build ads to your site, and generate leads, the marketing professionals at Efferent Media can help. You can book a meeting today for more information or get started.