Google Analytics 4: Everything You Need To Know

Google Analytics 4 Agency

While there is a lot to learn and understand in this future update, in this post, let’s uncover everything you need to know about Google Analytics 4 (GA4):

• What is Google Analytics 4?
• What are the fundamental changes and notable features of GA4?
• Should you take the switch to GA4?

What is Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?

The current Google Analytics 3 (Universal Analytics) will halt its operations starting July 1, 2023, and make way for the new property, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the latest version of Google Analytics. It’s more powerful than previous versions and built with a focus on delivering data throughout the customer journey experience while at the same time fulfilling the shifting consumer behavior and online data user privacy. 

Furthermore, this new property intends to allow users and businesses to predict and gain more insights with machine learning. This also means that website owners will be able to understand and gather data to monitor customers’ user journeys on their sites and apps.

3 New Important and Improved Features of GA4

New Machine Learning-Powered Insight

Google Analytics 4 is equipped with artificial intelligence for insights and predictions to highlight trends over a growing interest product in the market. Furthermore, it can also predict outcomes like churn rates to sales. Making it easier to foresee your customers’ actions, promoting the best product for your customers, and enabling you to focus on relevant audiences for your site.

What’s more, this machine learning feature can help businesses make clear directions from planning down to executing their future campaigns. 

New Streamlined Customer Lifecycle Reporting

This new version has some significant differences from its predecessor — including a new user interface, which is simpler and easier to use than UA. It also features an intuitive design that allows more data to be displayed at once; this means that users won’t have any trouble understanding what they see on their screens when they use GA4.

In the new GA4, compared to the old UA, the reports are convenient as it is well-organized. Additionally, you can monitor how these customers interact or engage on all of your channels. Just like which device or channel is helping customers go to your website, engage or remain on the page. 

New Approach to Data Controls

With the journey towards getting rid of third-party cookies, Google Analytics highlights the use of first-party data and a new way of data modeling to address the issues in the customer journey where there are no accessible data available to have much more accurate reporting and better insights. 

Moreover, this new approach to data controls can also help advertisers to align with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) since Google Analytics should have to make sure to follow the new privacy landscape.

Making the Switch to GA4

With the old system halting its operation next year, the ultimate and essential step is to switch and upgrade to the new GA4. Google advised that although UA will continue to be available, all the site owners must upgrade to familiarize themselves with the new interface and features. 

The time to update to GA4 is now to comply with global data protection requirements as the world is moving toward data protection.

Conclusion

Google Analytics 4 is worth the upgrade for businesses that want to enhance their marketing strategy while considering data privacy. The new AI-powered system to predict and improve the customer journey, the new interface, which was designed with users in mind, makes it even easier for marketers to understand how their website is performing and where they can make adjustments so that more people will visit and drive traffic, eventually translating to sales.