Goodbye Google Universal Analytics, Hello GA4
There’s a saying that goes, “If you market it, you have to measure it.”
In the past, trying to figure out if your marketing strategies were working correctly, it took time and effort. While monitoring sales was the main choice of business owners and operators, there were plenty of outlying factors that could skew results.
Google Analytics changed that for website owners – whether they were selling a service, offering goods, or were using their sites as a method for funneling customers to their brick and mortar operations.
Rolled out by the search engine giant in 2005, the program presented website owners with loads of data and information. Google knew that the information needed to be easy to decipher, download, and then used to increase sales and web traffic.
Over the years, additional features were added to the package, painting an even clearer picture for Google Analytics users.
That’s all going to change on July 1, 2023 when Google Universal Analytics goes away and is replaced with Google Analytics 4.
But don’t worry, you’ll still be able to benefit from Google’s analytics’ features.
A Quick History Lesson on Google Analytics
If you want to understand the future of Google’s analytics offerings, a quick trip to the past can be a big help.
Google Analytics came out in 2005 and was a bare bones data source that provided a decent amount of information.
This was followed in 2012 by Universal Analytics. This new and improved version became the go to for website owners.
In four years, Google Analytics 360 made its debut and included an entire suite of software that included: Tag Manager, Optimize, Data Studio, Surveys, Attribution, and Audience Center.
Google Analytics 4 came out in October 2020, so even though it’s been operating for a year and a half, it will completely phase out Universal Analytics next year.
Figuring GA4 Out
Google’s announcement didn’t shed a great amount of light on the upcoming change. It was simple and to the point:
“On July 1, 2023, standard Universal Analytics properties will no longer process data. You’ll be able to see your Universal Analytics reports for a period of time after July 1, 2023. However, new data will only flow into your GA 4 properties.”
If you’re scratching your head at the term “properties,” you’re not alone. However, the definition is straightforward. In Google’s view, if you’re using Universal Analytics to track your website, they refer to it as a “Universal Analytics property.”
The replacement that will be completely taking over Google Analytics has been dubbed Google Analytics 4. Designed to take into effect current and future needs for reporting, and privacy, users will have access to even more data.
The event-based feature tracks events that include button clicks, video plays, and photo clicks. Unlike Universal Analytics, these events are easier to track. It’s a clear indicator that page views, while valuable, aren’t the only metric users need to track.
GA4’s cross-device tracking means you’ll be able to see just how your customer journeys through your website when they use apps on smartphones and tablets.
The new version is also smarter, and thanks to its ability to take advantage of machine learning, it will serve up even more accurate insights – and make predictions that allow you to customize your marketing plan.
Finally, with privacy continuing to be more of an issue, GA4 won’t use cookies to track users.
Work With Pink Dog Digital
Want to get a leg up on GA4 – or harness the power of Universal Analytics? Pink Dog’s team is ready to help.
Not only can we decipher the information provided by Google, we can help shape your marketing strategies to further your reach, and achieve your goals.
Check out our services and give us a call at (410) 696-3305 and we’ll help you crunch the numbers