Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s analytics platform, offering a wide range of features and enhancements compared to Universal Analytics, the previous version.
Universal Analytics is a previous version of Google’s analytics platform that has been used by many websites over the past few years.
Although Universal Analytics remains a useful and effective platform, GA4 offers a range of advantages that make it a better option for most websites.
Why migrate from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4?
Migrating from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 can be a good idea for those looking to improve their analysis and decision-making in terms of digital marketing. Here are some reasons why transitioning can be beneficial:
1. Deeper analysis of user behavior:
Google Analytics 4 focuses on user behavior analysis, allowing users to track events occurring on the website and how users interact with it. This means that more detailed analysis can be performed to better understand how users navigate the website and interact with the content.
2. Enhanced integration with Google Ads:
With Google Analytics 4, the integration with Google Ads is more effective. This means there can be a better correlation between marketing actions in Google Ads and user behavior on the website, which helps optimize advertising campaigns and increase their effectiveness.
3. Focus on privacy.
With the growing concern for data privacy, Google Analytics 4 focuses on the privacy and security of user data. The new measurement model of Google Analytics 4 uses machine learning technology to identify patterns in user data without the need for cookies, thereby helping to meet the strictest privacy standards.
4. Customized reports:
With Google Analytics 4, it’s easier to create custom reports to fit your specific business needs. You can create and save custom reports for future use, saving time and focusing on the most important data for your business.
Future updates:
Google Analytics 4 will be regularly updated, and new functionalities are expected to be developed in the future. These updates and new features could enhance the quality of users’ analysis and decision-making.
The main advantages of GA4 are:
- Artificial Intelligence Integration: GA4 uses Google’s artificial intelligence to provide more advanced and accurate data analysis. This includes automatic event identification, data aggregation, and audience segmentation.
- Improved event tracking: GA4 enables greater customization and control over event tracking on your website. Additionally, GA4 utilizes a modern web-based event structure, making integration with other tools and platforms easier.
- Advanced Analysis: GA4 provides a wide range of advanced reports that are not available in Universal Analytics. These include reports on user experience, campaign effectiveness, and conversion optimization.
- Integrated data: GA4 enables a more effective integration of data with other Google tools, such as Google Ads and Google BigQuery. This allows for greater visibility and a more comprehensive analysis of the data.
GA4 is a more advanced and improved platform compared to Universal Analytics. By migrating to GA4, your website will have access to a wide range of advanced features and tools that are not available in Universal Analytics.
Step by step guide to migrate from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4:
- Create a GA4 property: Before migrating your Universal Analytics account to GA4, you need to create a new GA4 property in your Google Analytics account. This can be done from the main page of your Google Analytics account. Simply click on the “Create property” button and select “Google Analytics 4.”
- Configure the GA4 property: Once you have created the GA4 property, you must set it up to fit your needs. This includes defining events and configuring integration with other tools.
- Install tracking code on your website: Once you have set up the GA4 property, you need to install the tracking code on your website. This code can be obtained from the GA4 property settings page.
- Check the implementation: Before finalizing the migration, it’s important to verify that the tracking code is running correctly on your website. This can be done using tools such as Google Tag Manager or Chrome DevTools.
- Transfer the data from Universal Analytics: Finally, you can transfer the data from Universal Analytics to GA4. This can be done using the Google Analytics migration tool.
In summary, migrating from Universal Analytics to GA4 is a straightforward process that offers a wide range of benefits. By migrating to GA4, your website will have access to a variety of advanced features and tools that are not available in Universal Analytics.
As an SEO consultant and considering the importance of tracking data, I hope this article is useful for you and for clients who want to migrate to GA4. If you have any questions or need additional help, feel free to ask. Good luck with the migration!
