Upgrade to the Future of Analytics: A Comprehensive Guide for Migrating from GA3 to?GA4
Introduction:
If you are still using Google Analytics 3 (GA3) or Universal Analytics, you might have seen a warning message from Google that your tracking will stop working after July 1, 2023. That’s because Google is replacing GA3 with Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the latest version of its web and app analytics platform.
GA4 is not just an upgrade, but a completely new way of measuring and analyzing user behavior across different devices and platforms. GA4 uses a new measurement model called Event+Parameter, which allows you to track any user interaction as an event with custom parameters. GA4 also offers more advanced features such as cross-platform analysis, predictive analytics, enhanced privacy controls, and integration with BigQuery.
In this blog post, we will answer these questions and provide you with a comprehensive guide for migrating from GA3 to GA4.
How to create a GA4 property and data stream
To use GA4, you need to create a GA4 property and a data stream for your website. Here are the steps to do that:
1. Sign in to your Google Analytics account and go to the Admin section.
2. Under the Account column, select the account where you want to create the GA4 property.
3. Under the Property column, click on Create Property.
4. Enter a name for your GA4 property and select your reporting time zone and currency.
5. Click on Next and choose Web as your platform.
6. Enter your website URL and a name for your data stream.
7. Click on Create Stream and copy the measurement ID that appears on the screen.
8. Paste the measurement ID into the global site tag (gtag.js) code on your website or use Google Tag Manager to install it.
9. You have successfully created a GA4 property and a data stream for your website. You can now start collecting and analyzing data with GA4.
How to collect website and app data in GA4
To create a GA4 property, follow these steps:
- Sign in to your Google Analytics account.
- Click Admin in the bottom left corner of the page.
- In the Account column, select the account where you want to create the property.
- In the Property column, click Create Property.
- Enter a name for your property and select your reporting time zone and currency.
- Click Next and select Web + App as your property type.
- Click Create.
To set up data streams for your website and app, follow these steps:
- In the Property column, select the GA4 property that you created.
- In the Data Streams section, click Add stream.
- Select Web or App depending on which platform you want to collect data from.
- For Web, enter your website URL and click Create stream. You will get a measurement ID that you need to add to your website code or tag manager.
- For App, select your app platform (Android or iOS) and click Continue. You will need to register your app with Firebase and link it to your GA4 property.
- Repeat these steps for each website and app that you want to collect data from.
Once you have set up your data streams, you can start collecting and analyzing website and app data in GA4. You can view your reports in the Home and Analysis sections of your GA4 property.
How to turn on Google signals for enhanced remarketing and reporting
If you want to use Google’s enhanced remarketing and reporting features, you need to turn on Google signals in your Google Analytics account. Google signals allows you to track users across devices and platforms, and get more insights into their behavior and preferences. Here are the steps to turn on Google signals:
1. Sign in to your Google Analytics account and go to Admin.
2. Under Property, click Tracking Info and then Data Collection.
3. Under Data Collection for Google Signals, toggle the switch to ON.
4. Read and accept the terms of service and click SAVE.
That’s it! You have successfully enabled Google signals for your property. You can now use enhanced remarketing and reporting features such as cross-device reports, remarketing lists for search ads, and more.
How to link your GA4 property with Google Ads, Google Search Console, and BigQuery
If you want to link your GA4 property with Google Ads, Google Search Console, and BigQuery, you need to follow these steps:
- For Google Ads, go to the admin panel of your GA4 property and click on Google Ads Linking under Product Linking. Select the Google Ads accounts you want to link and confirm. You can also enable personalized advertising and auto-tagging for your linked accounts?.
- For Google Search Console, go to the admin panel of your GA4 property and click on Search Console Links under Product Linking. Choose the Search Console property you want to link and confirm. You can also create the link in the Search Console.
- For BigQuery, go to the admin panel of your GA4 property and click on BigQuery Linking under Product Linking. Select the BigQuery project you want to link and confirm. You can also export your GA4 data to BigQuery using Data Streams.
Linking your GA4 property with these products will help you analyze your website performance, user behavior, and marketing campaigns more effectively.
How to migrate users, audiences, goals, and conversions from GA3 to GA4
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s web analytics platform. It offers new features and capabilities that can help you measure and optimize your website performance. However, if you are currently using Google Analytics 3 (GA3), you may wonder how to migrate your existing data and settings to GA4. In this blog post, we will show you how to migrate users, audiences, goals, and conversions from GA3 to GA4 in a few simple steps.
Step 1: Create a GA4 property
The first step is to create a GA4 property for your website. You can do this by going to your GA3 admin page and clicking on the “Upgrade to GA4” button. This will automatically create a new GA4 property and link it to your GA3 property. You can also create a GA4 property manually by following the instructions here.
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Step 2: Configure your GA4 property
The next step is to configure your GA4 property to match your GA3 settings. You can do this by going to your GA4 admin page and clicking on the “Data Streams” tab. Here, you can edit your stream settings, such as the measurement ID, the default URL, and the enhanced measurement options. You can also enable or disable Google signals, which allows you to collect data from users who have turned on Ads Personalization.
Step 3: Migrate your users and audiences
To migrate your users and audiences from GA3 to GA4, you need to use the Audience Builder tool in GA4. You can access this tool by going to your GA4 admin page and clicking on the “Audiences” tab. Here, you can create new audiences based on various criteria, such as user behavior, demographics, and device type. You can also import your existing audiences from GA3 by clicking on the “Import audiences from Universal Analytics” button. This will allow you to select which audiences you want to import and map them to the corresponding GA4 events.
Step 4: Migrate your goals and conversions
To migrate your goals and conversions from GA3 to GA4, you need to use the Conversions tool in GA4. You can access this tool by going to your GA4 admin page and clicking on the “Conversions” tab. Here, you can create new conversions based on various events, such as page views, sessions, purchases, and sign-ups. You can also import your existing goals from GA3 by clicking on the “Import goals from Universal Analytics” button. This will allow you to select which goals you want to import and map them to the corresponding GA4 events.
Step 5: Analyze and compare your data
The final step is to analyze and compare your data from both GA3 and GA4. You can do this by using the Analysis Hub tool in GA4. You can access this tool by going to your GA4 admin page and clicking on the “Analysis” tab. Here, you can create various reports and charts based on your data, such as funnel analysis, path analysis, segment overlap, and cohort analysis. You can also compare your data from both properties by using the date range comparison feature.
How to transfer your historical GA3 data into GA4
If you are using Universal Analytics (GA3) for your website, you may be wondering how to save your historical data before it stops processing new hits on July 1, 2023. Unfortunately, you cannot migrate your data to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) directly, because they use different data models and definitions. However, you can export your data to a database or a data warehouse and then merge it with your GA4 data.
One way to do this is to use Electrik.AI, a tool that can export your GA3 hit level data and custom reports to Google BigQuery or other databases. You can also export your historical data from GA3 monthly using this tool. Once you have your data in a database, you can use BigQuery Export in GA4 to export your raw event data and then combine it with your GA3 data.
Another way to do this is to use Google Sheets and Google Data Studio. You can create a folder in your Google Drive and name it something like “UA Historical Data”. Then you can create a new Google Sheet for each report that you want to save and use the Google Analytics add-on to pull the data from GA3. You can also use Google Data Studio to create dashboards and charts based on your Google Sheets data.
These are some of the methods that you can use to save your historical GA3 data and transfer it to GA4. Remember to start exporting your data before December 2022 and set up your GA4 property as soon as possible. You can also import your existing goals from GA3 to GA4 using the goals migration tool in the Setup Assistant.
How to save your Universal Analytics data from being deleted
If you are using Universal Analytics (UA) to measure your website traffic, you need to act fast. Google has announced that UA properties will stop processing data on July 1, 2023, and will be deleted completely by the end of the year. This means you will lose access to your historical data and reports unless you export them before the deadline.
The good news is that you can switch to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the next-generation measurement solution from Google. GA4 offers more advanced features and insights than UA, and it is designed to help you understand your customers across devices and platforms.
To switch to GA4, you need to create a new GA4 property and connect it to your existing UA property. You can then use both properties in parallel until you are ready to fully migrate to GA4. You can also copy over some of your UA configurations (such as goals and audiences) to your GA4 property.
If you want to learn more about how to switch to GA4 and save your UA data from being deleted, check out this article: [link to article].
How to set up ecommerce tracking, custom events, and data import in GA4
If you want to track your ecommerce performance, custom events, and data import in Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you need to set up some configurations in your GA4 property. Here are the steps to follow:
1. Enable Enhanced Measurement in your GA4 property settings. This will automatically track some ecommerce events such as view_item, add_to_cart, and purchase.
2. Create custom events for any ecommerce actions that are not covered by Enhanced Measurement. For example, you can create a custom event for product reviews or refunds.
3. Set up data import to upload additional information about your products, such as category, brand, or margin. You can use a CSV file or the Measurement Protocol API to send data to your GA4 property.
4. Create custom dimensions and metrics to store and analyze your data import fields. For example, you can create a custom dimension for product category and a custom metric for product margin.
5. Use the Analysis Hub to create reports and insights based on your ecommerce data. You can use templates or create your own analysis techniques.
By following these steps, you can set up ecommerce tracking, custom events, and data import in GA4 and get a better understanding of your online store performance.
How to view and explore your reports in GA4
If you are using Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you might be wondering how to view and explore your reports in this new version. In this blog post, we will show you some basic steps to access and customize your reports in GA4.
First, you need to sign in to your Google Analytics account and select the GA4 property that you want to view. You will see the home page with some overview reports and insights.
Next, you can click on the Reports tab on the left menu to see more detailed reports. You can choose from different categories of reports, such as Realtime, User, Events, Conversions, and more.
You can also create your own custom reports by clicking on the Analysis tab on the left menu. Here you can use different tools and templates to analyze your data in various ways.
Finally, you can adjust the date range and filters of your reports by using the options on the top right corner of the page. You can also export, share, or download your reports as PDF files.
We hope this blog post helps you get started with viewing and exploring your reports in GA4. For more information and tips, please visit the Google Analytics Help Center.
Conclusion
Migrating from GA3 to GA4 may seem like a daunting task, but it’s an essential upgrade for any business that wants to stay ahead of the competition. By following this comprehensive guide, you can ensure that your migration is successful and that you’re making the most out of GA4’s new features and improvements. Remember to take the time to train your team and get familiar with the new interface so that you can make the most of all that GA4 has to offer.
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