Google Analytics will officially transition to GA4 on July 1, 2023. Are you ready?

On July 1, 2023, Google Analytics will officially transition to GA4. This announcement represents a sea change for marketers because analytics are the foundation of how we measure and analyze our progress. You may believe you have time, but it is critical to begin the process immediately because it is not as simple as flipping a switch. Here's what you should know.

What differentiates GA4 from the current Universal Analytics platform?

1. GA4 uses an event-based operating model to understand user behaviour by incorporating privacy-first tracking, AI predictive data, and machine learning.
2. In comparison to the current Universal Analytics platform, GA4 aims to provide a cross-channel view of the customer lifecycle and focuses on active users rather than total users.
3. GA4 uses machine learning to improve and simplify insight discovery by combining web and app data in the same property, whereas UA is very limited in automation.
4. The new GA4 model will have fewer standard reports, making it easier to create custom, ad-hoc reports.
5. In GA4, all customer actions, not just transactions and goals, are recorded as conversions (events).
6. GA4 does not rely on cookies and instead uses machine learning to fill data gaps as Google's data privacy regulations continue to tighten.
7. Google simplified its reporting interface to help marketers identify key trends and anomalies in data.
8. The event-based analytics model in GA4 and cross-device reporting generate a single user journey from data, which aids in the optimization of websites and online experiences.
9. GA4 tracks all customer events as important data streams in the customer journey rather than just page views.
10. Machine learning enables GA4 to predict future transactions and revenue by filling in gaps in consumer behaviour, which can assist advertisers in determining which consumers to target.

GA4 is the solution for how marketers can use data in new ways as we move into a more privacy-conscious online world. Marketers can use web and app data to focus more closely on the user journey from initial visit to conversion without using cookies or behavioural & conversion modelling.

The new update allows for innovative tracking without invading consumers' privacy. Helping you steer your campaign in the right direction by allowing marketers to focus on the data that matters is aided by useful insights and forecasts.

Prior to your transition, you must complete a few handoff tasks. Many marketers are aware that Google retains data for a period of 26 months. As a result, it is critical that you save your historical data. Following the transition, I recommend keeping all data from 2021 for future reporting purposes. You are now ready for your shift after compiling all data.

What you must do to begin the transition

• Access your Google Analytics account.
• Click Admin on the gear icon in the bottom left navigation
• Confirm that the desired account has been selected.
• Confirm that the desired property has been selected.
• The first option in the Property column is GA4 Setup Assistant.

Some people may be concerned about the GA4 update, but the key is to begin preparing and educating yourself as soon as possible. Your future campaigns will be more successful if you begin the setup process now so that you can see what is and isn't in GA4. As we move into a space where user privacy is a top priority, GA4 provides the analytical solution we require, but only if the setup process is done correctly.