Converting Google Analytics From UA to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

GA4 is the new version of Google Analytics, and it’s being rolled out to replace its predecessor, Universal Analytics. This is primarily due to user behavior and privacy regulations.

You’ll want to consider the impact of this change on your business and the way you measure data before making a decision. This process can take time and requires careful planning.

1. Create a New Property

GA4 is a big upgrade to the Google Analytics user interface. You'll need to spend a few hours to get the hang of it, but once you do, you'll be amazed at all of the new capabilities that you can begin to explore.

As a start, you should create a new property in your Google Analytics account. This is the one you will use to collect data as you work your way through the migration process.

2. Install the Google Analytics SDK

GA4 is a new platform with a whole bunch of new features. It also has a completely different data model and some very important changes in how data is collected and measured.

To get started, install the Google Analytics SDK on all of your web and app pages (and the servers that host them). This will allow you to track your website and app visitors using the new GA4 tracking code.

Next, conduct a thorough audit of your existing UA property to identify all the systems and tools that connect with it. This includes any analytics dashboards your organization uses and the specific metrics that influence their KPIs.

3. Import your UA data

GA4 is a new platform for analytics, and as you might expect, it has a different data collection model than UA. Google has provided some guidance on how to migrate your historical data, but this is a long process that’s unlikely to be a quick fix.

One of the biggest problems with UA-GA4 migration is that the two versions use completely different data models (schema and dimension). Also, they define and calculate metrics differently.

As a result, you can’t import your historical UA data directly to GA4. Instead, you should consider dual-tagging to avoid losing your historic UA data in the future.

4. Set up your tracking code

You'll need to set up your tracking code, which is a piece of JavaScript that works in conjunction with a larger JavaScript file on the Google server to track information about how users interact with your website. This includes information about their device, such as whether it's new or returning to the site.

This helps Google Analytics understand how to better track a user's journey and provide you with reports that are relevant to your business.

You can use this information to make informed decisions that will help you grow your business. However, this process can take time.

5. Start tracking

Google Analytics is a popular analytics tool that is used by marketers and businesses. It is a great way to track website performance and understand how users are engaging with your site.

GA4 focuses on event-based analytics, meaning it tracks every interaction your visitors have with your website. This information helps you understand user behavior and identify the most effective ways to engage them.

If you’re ready to switch to GA4, you should start tracking your data as soon as possible. Ideally, you should implement all of your tracking items before July 1, 2022, to ensure you get the most out of your data.

Conclusion

Whether you are doing google ads or just content for SEO purposes, you would want to take full advantage of all the features of Google Analytics 4.0. Features like the Google Tag Manager will be enhancements, and the tools have data collection methods that will help understand the customer journey. Content marketing can also be enhanced with how the mapping of the customer journey is captured. Blog posts, landing pages products, and services content will increase its precision on how to funnel and convert clients. Don't miss out, and get your Google Analytics installed in your store before Universal Analytics runs out. If you need help with this, reach out to us at wish@thegenielab.com