Mindful Updates in Google Analytics 2023.

On July 1, 2023, Google Universal Analytics will cease to exist and be replaced by Google Analytics 4. Google has also said that it will stop allowing third-party cookies. Google has prolonged its technology phaseout once more to give their advertisers time to catch up. Originally scheduled for 2022, this has been moved up to 2023. Google will then start to block third-party cookies going ahead. What exactly does it mean when traditional retargeting is no longer an option?

Google Analytics 4 will support cross-platform monitoring and use an event-based data model instead of cookies to measure and track users. Additionally, this new format will no longer store IP addresses due to user resistance over privacy concerns.

Event-Based Data Model:

Event-based analytics is a technique for monitoring and examining online user activity in relation to your digital products and services. Events are the actions consumers do while browsing the internet on a desktop or a mobile device. Events can be classified into three categories:

• Events within your product that are crucial to finishing a process, like a tutorial or signup.
• Events that lead a user through your product's primary mechanics.
• Events that allow users to buy things in apps.

Users here stand in for potential clients and customers who engage with your company online. Along with other crucial information like location, the type of device being used, the chosen language, email addresses, and phone numbers, their interactions, demographics, and other aspects are tracked and recorded. The most important thing to remember is that the majority of the data you have come to rely on will not change, but some important parts of the user puzzle will no longer be available.

How to handle change:

Install GA4 right away if you haven't already. Although there is still time to enjoy Universal Analytics, it would be in your best interest to set up GA4 so that you can start collecting pertinent historical data. Remember that Universal Analytics can still be used in conjunction with GA4 but be ready for the change.

There are similarities and differences in everything. Many of the same attributes are still there, but they have been specified differently and need some adjustment. Now is the perfect moment to go forward since you will need to invest some time in understanding where to find the essential information and how to read and use it. You still have time to become familiar with the new platform and use Universal Analytics to support your comprehension of how GA4 functions. However, You only have six months to utilize and access the data from Universal Analytics, according to Google's release. However, if you want to track changes over time, you'll need to obtain historical data. It's possible that they will decide to keep this information public for a longer period because things do change, but I'd advise against taking that chance.?

Conclusion:

In conclusion, because the field of digital marketing is always changing, we must always be on the lookout for the freshest and most promising prospects. There will be a variety of new opportunities for advertisers and marketers to identify and target their prospects, even though Google Analytics is undergoing a metamorphosis and third-party cookies are being phased out.

For instance, "The Privacy Sandbox," a new product from Google, promises to offer an alternative to ad targeting. Consumers will essentially be able to preserve their privacy while yet enabling advertising to identify ways to target people directly with this technology.

Be prepared to be nimble and adapt to the always changing world of digital marketing, rather than being fearful of change.