An Introduction to Google Analytics 4: What’s New and Why You Should Upgrade

Digital marketers rely on Google Analytics to make digital marketing strategies for businesses and clients. It helps provide them with insights by processing and interpreting consumer data for them. The data insights are a window into consumer behavior and help digital marketers perform digital marketing activities such as PPC, SEO, SMO, and many more. Until July 1, Universal Analytics was the default Google Analytics in use but now has been replaced by Google Analytics 4. Let us learn more about what GA4 is and why it is time to upgrade.

What do you mean by analytics?

Analytics is the systematic scientific analysis of data using maths, statistics, and computational analysis. It uses raw data to draw insights and conclusions to improve business decisions. Data is collected from multiple systems across one or numerous organizations. The data in hand is processed, examined, analyzed, and interpreted at a granular level to make solid and backed-up data-driven decisions. These insights are drawn by running data through AI and machine learning technologies. This way, companies can get information on their current performance, inefficiencies, and strategies to make room for possible improvements.

What is Google Analytics 4, and why is it important?

Google Analytics 4, popularly known as GA4, is an analytics tool that helps companies and businesses measure their website traffic, engagement, and other insights. It is the latest and upgraded version of Google Analytics and also works for apps. It has been designed using advanced machine learning to increase sales, generate leads, and drive website traffic. After July 1, 2023, it became a default for universal analytics. It analyses consumer behavior across websites and apps to draw multi-layered insights, allowing businesses to rely on the insights and make data-driven decisions. Cross-platform tracking helps in offering robust insights while protecting the privacy of customers.

What is the difference between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics?

1. Data extraction- While universal analytics is a session-based model, GA4 is an event-based model. So universal analytics tracks user interaction across a specific session and depends on cookies to track user interactions. So if cookies are cleared, all data is lost. In GA4, you can define any custom event to extract relevant data.
2. Tracking users- Since universal analytics is confined to tracking sessions, it loses data when consumers switch from one session to another or from a website to an app. GA4 allows user-ID tracking that allows cross-device tracking and helps in tracking the trends and patterns of a single customer.
3. Tracking technique- Universal analytics uses traditional analytics techniques to get data insights. It follows user segmentation and goal tracking. GA4 makes use of machine learning to analyze consumer behavior and preferences. So it can easily spot those trends and behaviours that are otherwise difficult to spot using traditional analytics.
4. Enhanced decision making- GA4 analyses data on a granular level and provides more granular data than universal analytics to give better and data-oriented insights and opportunities for improvement.
5. Reporting metrics- Universal analytics measured user engagement and behavior using traditional reporting metrics and was confined to offering metrics such as bounce rate, pages per session, and time on page. GA4 has more comprehensive reporting metrics that give insights such as engagement rate, user lifetime, and event value.

Benefits of Google Analytics 4

1. Integrated with technology- GA4 has machine learning and AI capabilities to offer improvised insights, predictions, and recommendations. This eases digital marketers in making data-driven decisions.
2. Integrated with Google BigQuery- The improved integration with BigQuery makes GA4 fit to perform data analysis of more complex data and custom queries on raw data. It facilitates custom reporting and offers more profound insights.
3. User engagement insights- GA4 reporting metrics allow digital marketers to get a lifecycle report to analyze user engagement and conversion. Marketers can see changes through different consumer journey stages and make informed decisions.
4. Cross-platform tracking- User interactions across various websites, apps, and other online platforms have become more accessible. GA4 works to offer a unified user report that allows digital marketers to have all relevant data in a single space to study insights and optimize their strategies across various digital channels.

The benefits and importance of Google Analytics 4 are better and upgraded from universal analytics, making GA4 the ultimate choice for digital marketers.

Banyanbrain is a digital marketing service provider that offers its services globally to help clients build their brand image and increase lead generation and sales. We are skilled at providing PPC, SEO, SMO, and other digital marketing services.