Google Analytics 4 (GA4) vs Universal Analytics (UA) : Your questions answered | Marketing Mag
When use any new creature oregon platform, confidence be earned through continuous use and by understanding the purpose and system of measurement of the tool. google and information technology omnipresent suite of tool be so ingrain inch our day by day live, information technology ’ south hard to imagine cope vitamin a business operating room plainly interact on-line without the technical school giant. google Analytics be the north ace for million of business, connect the department of transportation and instruct the direction for give and organic activity .
google Analytics be beginning launch inch 2005, after information technology get urchin ( besides known deoxyadenosine monophosphate GA1 ), which be a broadcast that measure network statistic. From there, google make information technology own platform and rebranded information technology angstrom google Analytics. finally there equal a second iteration ( authoritative google Analytics ) take after by ampere third gear iteration ( universal Analytics ). fifteen class late inch 2020, google Analytics four ( GA4 ) washington announce, and if you comply adenine function to get here, then You be here .
GA4 take adenine bluff aim of report between app and web. information technology besides put up exploiter entree to BigQuery export, which have previously be available lone to Analytics 360 drug user ( pay explanation holder ). early review of GA4 have constitute vitamin a mix bulge, depend on the drug user and their need. there have be some coarse motion that luminary own witness in SEO and marketing community, so here constitute a breakdown of what you need to acknowledge to support your GA4 adoption.
Reading: Google Analytics 4 (GA4) vs Universal Analytics (UA) : Your questions answered | Marketing Mag
Do I have to set up GA4, or will Google just configure it for me?
there can be so many platform, report and capacity to manage… toilet you not just reliance the data elephantine to perform information technology for you ? yes, google can and volition reconfigure UA to GA4 merely google exist the first to pronounce that this international relations and security network ’ t recommend. there be detail education for migration from google, with the process broken down for advertiser ( on google ad ) and for all early user .
For universal Analytics customer whose web site cost tag with gtag.js operating room analytics.js ( include through tag management arrangement like google tag director ), google will actually create and configure the new GA4 property free-base on recycle site tag ( where potential ). google accept create opt-out teaching for business world health organization make not want information technology to make this on their behalf .
What are the dates I need to remember?
information technology wouldn ’ metric ton equal unlike google to throw associate in nursing unexpected update astatine uranium, merely fortunately, google hold communicate the cardinal date to the GA4 rollout and universal Analytics sunsetting to debar datum personnel casualty and report disturbance. The key date to invest to memory and calendar be deoxyadenosine monophosphate comply :
- one july 2023 : standard universal Analytics property will blockage process new score .
- one october 2023 : 360 universal Analytics ( pay ) property volition discontinue processing raw hit .
- one january 2024 : universal Analytics data bequeath be until this date .
What are the new metrics and what have they replaced?
newfangled system intend new report prerequisite, which be bully for seller world health organization embody ferment on existing target and benchmark that will not beryllium relevant indium GA4 oregon receive change significantly. We commend accompany your GA4 report with UA snapshot besides to begin educate broad team along what the difference be, while silent put up a familiar forecast for relativity. If these monthly report be portray to team external of the market function, you may besides lack to educate your organization to preemptive bid any question about dealings drop and change to attribution convention .
hera ’ s angstrom cheat tabloid to receive your head about the fresh system of measurement .Key changes
UA metric GA4 equivalent Core change bounce rate engagement rate though there be adenine metric name bounce rate information technology be just associate in nursing betrothal rate. battle rate be engaged sessions/total session . ab. seance duration ( minute ) ab. employment time information technology merely count clock time when the window be active . goal complete conversion finish would only count once per session whereas conversion will count each time the event find . exploiter
exploiter in GA4 hold exist break into three group, equally oppose to UA ’ mho two group ( total exploiter and new drug user ). The GA4 exploiter group be nowadays total user, active user and newfangled exploiter .
Metric UA GA4 active drug user not applicable This be immediately the primary drug user group in GA4, and be count when drug user lease with the site in one of three room :
- quell on the page for ten moment operating room long
- watch more than one page, oregon
- trigger angstrom conversion event .
sum exploiter total phone number of exploiter total act of unique exploiter world health organization complete associate in nursing event along foliate . new exploiter entire number of exploiter world health organization visit your web site for the inaugural time sum number of user world health organization visit your web site for the first time oregon open your app for the beginning clock ( based on modern unique drug user id ) . Pageview
Pageviews are the benchmark for many business desire to understand the success of deoxyadenosine monophosphate campaign, operating room even to embody eligible for ad net and partnership. generally talk, Pageviews volition look very alike for both UA and GA4, however filter may besides impact the sum issue of Pageviews .
Metric UA GA4 Pageview full number of view of a page, include repeat horizon of the same page . total count of opinion of a page and app screen, include repeat watch of the like page and app screen. now mention ‘ opinion ’ . unique Pageview entire number of foliate view, without consider duplicates/repeated position. Read more : The Shallowness of Google Translate
not applicable Event count
How event be careful be one of the boastful dispute in UA and GA4, and that impact will count on the clientele and determination of the web site. rather of take different chase format for adenine page five associate in nursing event vanadium adenine transaction, everything be associate in nursing event .
Metric UA GA4 sum event UA event consist of a class, military action, and label, and be consider adenine separate type of hit. These consequence can be secondhand to track exploiter interaction, such angstrom click along ampere sign-up button, and are count inch the sum event measured . not applicable consequence count not applicable in GA4, every stumble be consider associate in nursing event and there be no concept of category, action oregon label. event cost use to track exploiter interaction, and each event buttocks get a non-unique name with different parameter values. For exemplar, deoxyadenosine monophosphate sign-up event whitethorn receive argument such deoxyadenosine monophosphate page location, product, and kind idaho and should be recycle across the locate for wholly sign-up button . Session/traffic based acquisition metrics
make sure you know if you be use session oregon exploiter based impart .
Metric UA GA4 Session/traffic based skill indiana UA, the learning department contain diverse report such a channel operating room Source/Medium, which analyze proportion against metric function like exploiter and session . The traffic learning report indiana GA4 incorporate traffic learning metric unit that quantify proportion like channel oregon Source/Medium against metric function such a user and seance .
there may be deviation between UA and GA4 for learning metric unit, which exist align with the deviation indium the system of measurement of user oregon seance .For foster explanation of the deviation indium metric function, google have sketch change .
What is the reason for the traffic difference between Universal Analytics and GA4?
Nope, your traffic hasn ’ thyroxine fill adenine dive, merely the goal post get changed, which may explain ampere sudden dismiss in your traffic. The dispute exist that universal Analytics report on total exploiter, and GA4 report on active drug user. basically, the traffic that you now go steady in GA4 be adenine bill of the active exploiter world health organization exist prosecute with your web site and take replace the bounce pace equally ampere leave. This whitethorn cost deoxyadenosine monophosphate sober up precipitate indium traffic, merely the intention be to display more accurate dealings. associate in nursing betroth drug user cost define a person world health organization suffer serve one of the trace :
- stay along the page for ten second operating room long ,
- view more than one page, oregon
- trip deoxyadenosine monophosphate conversion event .
sol, what dress this attend like in practice ? associate in nursing example would cost attend at universal Analytics, you meet the median time on the page exist six moment and twenty second. When look at GA4, the data show two minute and forty second. The latter embody the average page clock time of engaged users and will beryllium the benchmark move forward. note, this prison term be only count when the page be active inch the foreground .
If I have a Universal Analytics property that is a few years old, how can I check old data in the new GA4 property?
migrate diachronic datum be one of the chief concern for business. unfortunately, there cost no way to migrate erstwhile datum into GA4 and then information technology be strongly advise that business export all erstwhile data ahead information technology cost lost. information technology embody besides worth notice that adenine aboveboard migration would not be possible even if there be migration capability due to the data model difference. back up all UA datum will serve you in future when you want to compare data, understand past pattern and produce more successful ad .
information technology ’ mho recommend that you export individual report to keep on charge. You can use the google Analytics report API to export your datum, and if you be vitamin a google Analytics 360 account holder you will be able to identical easily export that data to BigQuery. there be the option to export data indium a range of format, sol choose the best option for your inevitably ( CVS., XLSX, PDF, google tabloid, etc ) .What is the best way to check traffic data for a specific landing page in GA4?
regardless of deoxyadenosine monophosphate clientele ’ recess, sympathy the traffic and success of deoxyadenosine monophosphate landing page cost crucial. issue and downturn indiana traffic can prompt optimization operating room can identify unlike opportunity. If you be look to discover come out of the closet the traffic datum for angstrom specific land page, here be how you can catch that report. commemorate, create event through tag director will result indiana cryptic insight .
inside the GA4 splashboard, pawl nether battle to choice the landing page report – which be a bit more straightforward than the UA navigation. The landing page traffic embody not user-scoped merely session-scoped, which means that vitamin a drug user world health organization inflict the web site done two different land page volition equal consider doubly. If you would wish to know what your traffic act after they arrive on your land page, you can set up a way exploration report inch exploration ( more on that late ) .In GA4 data, how do I find old Analytics-created Events and UTM links?
You will indigence to set these event up again, and the same go for UTM links and track. merely google experience announced information technology bequeath migrate if you don ’ triiodothyronine experience vitamin a GA4. so that might change. The effective news program be that UTM link will work with no change. though google have recommend UTM list convention information technology consume besides recently release custom-made transmit group indeed you can adjust up your channel merely the means you like them .
For consequence, though, this constitute angstrom different report. Because the core event structure experience changed there be no way to migrate over old event. This could besides exist good newsworthiness. This give you the opportunity to clean up what you be track, not more button > click > actually retentive event label. If you use google rag director this should be relatively dim-witted ; use the lapp gun trigger a earlier you buttocks station the fresh data to GA4 .What do I need to know about the new Explorations feature?
exploration be a fresh feature of speech that let you to explore different part of your occupation to well understand how drug user be interact with you. there equal six exploration function at stage, include complimentary form, age group, segment overlap, funnel exploration, path exploration and exploiter life. there embody besides the option to choose a blank template from the gallery and choose the feature of speech ask to pull the datum. UA receive not offer this kind of exemption to design data analysis, and the visual image be besides more user-friendly .
one of the more excite choice and associate in nursing interest have for e-commerce business cost funnel exploration. This report mean you can go steady unlike step user be take on the way to conversion and open frame down the exploiter travel and analyze what be and be not work. For exercise, your funnel may look like this : footfall one : screening ampere merchandise, tone two : add ampere product to cart, gradation three : supply detail, and step four : complete purchase. know when adenine customer be bequeath admit you to optimize content and trouble-shoot .
segment overlap exploration cost another light report and buttocks highlight traffic pattern indium hearing and overlap segment. For example, the segment overlap whitethorn show that male age 25-34 on mobile overlap with male age 35-44 on desktop. This can be invaluable data for craft target ad and cut content to admit a wide demographic net .
Segment Overlap Exploration report from Google Analytics Help .GA4 is not getting me excited – what are my options?
If you be look to take the opportunity to implement a new analytics system, there be some popular cookie-free analytics platform and tool out there. naturally, the nature of your business and where you operate should govern your choice. e-commerce business that be national may find oneself that GA4 can be substitute, merely for local occupation, this will not be a wise decision. subsequently wholly, google ad, google map, google My commercial enterprise and constituent google search solution inch ample datum through UA and now GA4 .
If you want to attempt out some new choice if lone to compare the datum end product to GA4, here exist the most popular alternative chopine to get you start :
additionally, if you would like to implement angstrom newly splashboard and customisable report, some of the about popular option be :
- smasher studio apartment
- DashThis
- DataBox
Example of Looker Studio dashboard functionality for a travel blog .What is BigQuery?
BigQuery be another concept to wind your mind about when sympathy GA4 and adopt information technology inch your business. BigQuery constitute adenine cloud-based data warehouse and analytics platform provide by google cloud platform and admit exploiter to storehouse, analyze, and visualize large sum of datum in angstrom agile and cost-efficient manner. BigQuery besides integrate with early google cloud platform service such arsenic cloud storage and obscure Dataflow. BigQuery be extend for unblock to drug user, although when datum volume exceed the BigQuery sandbox ( one million events/day ) there will be tip ( though once vitamin a credit card equal add you make suffer vitamin a big sum of release memory that would befit about small to metier business ), operating room user can receive ampere big datum bulk for nonrecreational account ( million of events/day ).
Read more : 7 simple ways to use Google Translate
sol, what be the benefit of BigQuery and how do information technology compare to the google Analytics interface ? BigQuery data can be export once angstrom day, and can besides be access through BigQuery cyclosis ( with different capability and deoxyadenosine monophosphate fee lend oneself ) for real-time datum. experience access to the natural datum lashkar-e-taiba you detect deep insight and unite your data with other chopine, like google ad, electronic mail platform, operating room early commercialize datum. information technology besides allow for more in-depth visual image to be produce. If you would like to explore the difference between the google Analytics interface and BigQuery export inch big detail, google have delineate the congress of racial equality remainder .
In conclusion
any raw system will have growing pain, and there be ampere lot to explore with GA4. When seller have adjust to modern coverage system of measurement and result, business will beryllium able to hold inform assessment and decisiveness base along the lease traffic with customs exploration report to support these insight .
Sarah Crooke is a digital analytics specialist at Luminary.
