Understanding Google Analytics: GA4 vs. Universal Analytics

Google Analytics (#GA), the world's most popular #digital #analytics package, has recently undergone a major transformation. The latest version, Google Analytics 4 (#GA4), is a complete rewrite from the ground up, boasting a new data model, interface, and a plethora of additional functionality. Understanding the nuances between GA4 and its predecessor, Universal Analytics, is crucial for getting the most out of your data.

The Evolution of Google Analytics: From Urchin to GA4

Google Analytics has come a long way since the days of Urchin, a company that Google acquired, forming the basis of the initial analytics system with urchin.js. Google then introduced Google Analytics, powered by ga.js, which evolved into Universal Analytics running on analytics.js and later GTAG.js. Now, the new Google Analytics 4 also utilizes GTAG.js, marking the fourth iteration of this robust analytics tool.

What's New in GA4?

GA4 brings a host of exciting changes and upgrades. The most prominent shift is towards an entirely event-driven model, based on Firebase, which offers numerous advantages for businesses tracking user behavior.

Enhanced Tracking

One significant enhancement is the introduction of automatic tracking, or enhanced measurement. This feature tracks various user actions automatically, including page scrolling, outbound clicks, site searches, video engagements, and file downloads. This automation simplifies the once-tedious manual process, making GA4 more user-friendly.

Cross-Device Tracking

GA4 also introduces cross-device tracking, a feature that leverages Google signals to differentiate between a single user accessing your site from multiple devices. This results in a more accurate representation of user behavior, giving you a clearer picture of how people use your site across different devices.

Improved Analytics

Google Analytics 4 has also improved how it handles sessions, with new calculations to ensure continuity even past midnight, avoiding double-counting. The improvements extend to funnel and path analysis, which are now more intuitive, and accurately represent on-site user behavior.

More Flexible Conversion Goals and Data Export

With GA4, businesses can set more flexible conversion goals, resulting in a more accurate representation of what's happening on your site or app. Additionally, advanced users can export all of their data to the cloud via BigQuery, a feature that was once exclusive to the enterprise version.

Features Missing from GA4

Despite these advancements, some features available in Universal Analytics are not yet present in GA4. These include attribution, multi-channel funnels, stream-level user permissions, and filters. E-commerce features and funnels, referral exclusion lists, and certain integrations with the full Google Marketing Platform suite are also in development. It's worth noting, however, that these features are actively being developed and added to GA4.

GA4 or Universal Analytics: Which Should You Choose?

If you're starting from scratch or setting up Google Analytics for a new website, GA4 is likely the best choice. This recommendation is based on Google's plan to discontinue Universal Analytics by July 2023. If you're an existing user of Google Analytics and your workflow relies heavily on features not yet available in GA4, running both versions simultaneously is advisable.

It's essential to remember that GA4 does not port over previous data. This means that when you transition to GA4, you start from scratch. However, to build a useful data set for analysis, it's best to start as soon as possible. Furthermore, Google will not charge you twice for running both GA4 and Universal Analytics simultaneously.

In conclusion, Google Analytics 4 represents a significant leap forward in the world of digital analytics. Despite some features still being developed, the advantages offered by GA4 are compelling. When in doubt, the general consensus leans toward choosing Google Analytics4 as the tool for the future. As more features are added, it will become increasingly powerful and comprehensive, priming it to become the go-to tool for digital analytics.

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