Should You Update to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
Written By: Shane Clark on April 20, 2022
You’re undoubtedly thinking about upgrading your Universal Analytics property to the latest version as part of your SEO effort now that Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has been released.
Businesses must negotiate new obstacles to understand their customers’ complicated, multi-platform journeys in today’s measuring market while preserving user privacy.
Google released Google Analytics 4 two and a half years ago to address the changing measurement requirements in search and help businesses prosper online. Google Analytics 4 provides a solid analytics experience built for the future, with the ability to measure a wide range of data types.
GA4 enables organizations to view unified user journeys across their websites and applications and leverage Google’s machine learning technology to surface and forecast new insights. Most crucially, it’s engineered to keep up with a dynamic ecosystem.
If you don’t use the most current analytics platform, you’re leaving vital business insights on the table. GA4 is the best cross-platform analytics solution right now. The previous iteration of Analytics, Universal Analytics, will be phased out next year.
Google announced that on July 1, 2023, all standard Universal Analytics properties would stop processing new hits.
Universal Analytics 360 properties will receive an additional three months of new hit processing, ending on October 1, 2023.
What is GA4?
Google Analytics 4 is a vital marketing tool that may assist you in making better marketing decisions.
There’s a lot to understand with significant improvements, and it’s reasonable to question how this may influence your business. While we haven’t heard anything to suggest that standard GA will be phased out very soon, new properties now use GA4. This is a strong indication that mastering Google Analytics 4 should be a top priority.
You do not have to update to Google Analytics 4 straight away if you are strapped for time. This applies most especially to folks who try to maintain their sites by themselves. Google has no intention of prohibiting you from using the older Universal Analytics.
Do not trust any of the online reports floating around that state that if you don’t make the switch ASAP, Google will get rid of your data. These reports are simply false.
You will gain access to additional features and reports if you upgrade, but you won’t lose anything if you don’t.
Continuous Improvement
However, even if it’s not a top priority, you should probably start working on your Google Analytics 4 update the soonest. You’ll also be able to access the most recent reports and features, as Google is continuously improving Google Analytics 4. In addition, this adds more options for how you obtain custom data for your reports.
When you’ve finished upgrading to GA4, your current reports will remain unchanged (in your Universal Analytics property). The update procedure introduces a new property. Therefore, Universal Analytics and a GA4 property will both be active, simultaneously. Head to the admin section and look for the ‘Property’ column when you’re ready to finish the Google Analytics 4 upgrade. The ‘GA4 Setup Assistant’ should be at the top of the column. Click on it to use the GA4 Update Assistant.
What’s New in Google Analytics 4?
GA4 has a very different data structure and data collecting algorithm than GA3. Google now builds everything around people and events rather than sessions, as we expect. Google treats each user interaction as a separate event in an event-based approach. This is noteworthy since we previously depended on a session-based model that categorized user activities into time frames.
Marketers get significant advantages by shifting their attention from sessions to events, such as cross-platform analysis and increased pathing analytic capacity. GA4 has become more flexible and capable of predicting user behavior by switching to an event-based approach.
Is It Time to Switch to GA4?
Is it necessary to upgrade to Google Analytics 4 right now? Yes, to answer the question succinctly. First, create a GA4 property to work alongside Universal Analytics. Even if you don’t intend to use it, gathering data and improving your machine learning (ML) models will make future analysis more valuable. Enhanced data collection equals a more educated marketing strategy.
How to Install GA4
GA4 is easy to set up with just a few clicks. The setup assistant will not alter the analytics property you’re used to. It will continue to collect data. In addition, the admin screen will still provide you access to your UA view.
Google Analytics 4 (formerly known as “App + Web”) is a new type of property that offers various benefits over Universal Analytics.
GA4 Benefits:
- Focused on privacy and long-term viability
- Intelligent, utilizing machine learning to extract information about the customer journey across platforms and devices.
- Improved, seamless interfaces with Google’s advertising platforms to boost campaign performance and marketing ROI.
Set up a Google Analytics 4 property for your web property or app to leverage the new update. If you’re working on another person’s website, you will need to ask them to assign you the Editor role on the Google Analytics account.
Create an account and a Google Analytics 4 property if you currently don’t have access to Analytics.
If you are already running a Universal Analytics property, replace it with a Google Analytics 4 property. Then, when you select GA4 Setup Assistant, it creates a Google Analytics 4 property alongside the older iteration.
Your Universal Analytics property remains unaffected and gathers data; you may always access it through the property selector or the Admin panel.
The setup assistant will automatically enable enhanced measurement in your Google Analytics 4 property after creation. Third-party widgets and form submissions still require custom code. However, the setup assistant automates the most basic forms of event tracking are and they are ready to use.
Summary:
Updating to GA4 is critical for all digital marketing efforts, including SEO. If you need help upgrading to Google Analytics 4 and getting your site analytics up to speed, contact Shane today.
