Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – the website analytics for the future
In October 2020, Google Analytics 4 was released, which means that when you create a new Google Analytics account, Google wants to create a GA4 property for you automatically.
How exactly is GA4 different from the previous Universal Analytics and what can we gain by setting up the GA4 measurements?
Should we rush to create GA4 immediately or do we still have time to prepare? It’s better to do it sooner than later because on 01.07.2023, Universal Analytics (nicknamed GA3) will stop collecting data, and only GA4 will be available from that date.
What is Google Analytics 4?
GA4 is the latest version of the Google Analytics website and mobile app analytics solution, following GA3 (also known as Universal Analytics) in the queue, and what’s more important to know is that it’s actually a beta release of the former “web+app” Analytics property.
Universal Analytics was published in 2013. The critical element is that the online behavior of users has become more complex and fragmented over the years and with it the so-called conversion path as well (the process from searching for information to making a purchase). The GA3 system has been limited in its ability to track this complex pathway (despite the emergence of so-called attribution models and model comparison tools).
GA4, unlike the previous Universal Analytics, does not measure page views, but events on the website or mobile app, so it focuses specifically on interactions on the website or mobile app (e.g. file downloads).
Previously, as the measurement was based on page or screen impressions, it has caused a number of problems for non-traditional websites (e.g. one-page-web-application) and mobile apps. For example, think about what is more important when using our favorite fitness app: every page load, or should the data collection method focus on the features we use, the interaction with the mobile app?
Should I switch to Google Analytics 4 immediately?
The answer to this question is very complex and besides mere technical information, a complex analysis and interpretation of our business concept and business processes is needed.
But what is important is that in order to have enough historical data for future analyses on 01.07.2023, when Universal Analytics will be phased out by Google, we should set up our GA4 measurements as soon as possible – if we haven’t already!
GA4 metrics are far from complete at the moment, with some useful features still missing, but in the time since launch, Google has continued to roll out newer and newer features such as.
- utm parameters
- introduction of parameters automatically collected by events
- Google Search Console linking
- Google Ads account linking
- Referrer exclusions
- Dynamic remarketing for webshops
- Roll-up reporting, sub-property reporting
- Campaign timeout settings
- Google Optimize integration
The basic measurements (event measurements, conversion measurements, remarketing lists, e-commerce measurements) are already fully usable in GA4, so it is worth starting to collect data so that by the time GA4 is fully functional, everything is available. If we are creating a completely new website and a new Google Analytics property is being created for it, it is worth setting up GA4 measurements.
In Universal Analytics, due to its measurement limitations, more and more measurement gaps and bugs are appearing (e.g. the real-time report bug), which Google will not fix anymore, as the official indication is that it is fully focused on further development of GA4 with its experts. As a “source of truth”, Google now recommends the use of GA4.
Data flows in GA4
An interesting new feature we can see in GA4 is the issue of data streams. In Universal Analytics we could basically organize our websites into properties and views, but in GA4 there are no views and we can only organize up to several websites and mobile apps into one property (in case of crossdomain measurement, all our websites have to be placed in one data stream).
Data streams are set up in the Administration section.
Event tracking in GA4
As mentioned above, GA4 basically handles event metrics, and from the event metrics we have set up, we can literally create a conversion metric with one click (in GA3, these were called goals and goal completion).
About GA4 event measurements, it is worth knowing that instead of the event parameters used in GA3 (category, action, label, value), GA4 has event names, but it is also possible to specify additional parameters (e.g. value).
What is also very important is that GA4 handles multiple event types:
- Automatically collected events (GA4 automatically measures these, e.g. first_visit, session_start, user_engagement).
- Enhanced measurement events.
- Recommended events: a list of recommended events is available for several categories, e.g. generic, retail/ecommerce, jobs-education-real estate, travel, games.
- Custom events: almost any event can be created.
It’s worth knowing that when using GA4 event metrics, keep in mind that you should use automatic events first, enhanced events second, if you can’t find a suitable event, then only use the suggested events, and if you can’t find a suitable event, then only use custom events as a last resort!
GA4 is also new in that while GA3, i.e. Universal Analytics, only measures one conversion event in a session, GA4 measures all of them when multiple conversions are completed. Extra settings are needed if we want to keep the one session – one goal completion model that we are used to in GA3.
Other settings in GA4
As with Universal Analytics, cross-domain measurement (but without the usual domain display, using the equivalent hostname report column) and filtering of internal and developer traffic can be configured in GA4.
As in GA3, there is e-commerce measurement (but no dynamic remarketing function at the moment) and it is also possible to set up so-called custom funnel reports.
Cost data import is also now possible in GA4.
Integration of GA4 with other platforms
GA4 now also can be linked to Google Search Console, Google Ads, Google Optimize and Google Marketing Platform.
GA4 demo accounts
As with Universal Analytics, Google has made Demo accounts available for exploring GA4 to give you an overview of this interface.
GA4 – Flood-It! – mobil app account
GA4 – Google Merchandize Store – Ecommerce account
Summary
In short, it is worth starting slowly to set up your GA4 measurements, even though not all the previous features are yet available in the GA4 interface. It’s time to place the base code and set up the basic event measurements to start collecting data, and it’s also worth creating our audience lists for later use.
Better to start now, and get to know the new interface, as it will certainly replace the previous Universal Analytics system once full functionality is in place.
However, it is too early to throw away our previous measurements and rely solely on GA4.