As most are aware, Google has announced that it will be sunsetting its legacy Universal Analytics (UA) platform and moving to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) beginning July 1, 2023. With GA4 comes a need to fundamentally change the way conversion tracking is planned, implemented, and interpreted, so it makes sense that many people are anxious about the upcoming shift. While any major change in platform functionality/capability can be disruptive; disruption can be a positive. The light at the end of the migration tunnel is a more expansive measurement tool that allows for more customization, broader incorporation of tracking variables, and ultimately more emphasis on attribution. Google
Migrating to Google Analytics 4: What does it mean for your business?
Taking advantage of GA4’s expanded possibilities requires learning new techniques and shifting one’s perspective. With the continued emphasis on privacy and data security from a regulatory standpoint, it was imperative that Google (which depends on attributing conversion data to ad performance as a revenue driver) update its platform capabilities. There is no doubt that the process will take time and intentional focus to fully understand how this will impact your business, and ultimately affect the way you not only collect but interpret the data. That is where we come in.
Key Differences between UA & GA4
Google’s Universal Analytics platform has limitations on the number of conversions or ‘goals’ you can track per session within a single platform. With GA4, you can now track multiple conversions per session across different platforms.
So what does that mean?
This means we can gather deeper insights into the user journey, regardless of if they are using an app on their phone, or interacting with a website on their computer or tablet. Strategizing how to effectively capitalize on this new found customer data should be at the forefront of a business’s transition to-do list.
GA4: Increased Capabilities
Essentially, we’re moving from the ability to track 20 single conversions in a session to upwards of 30 conversions across multiple platforms per session each time a conversion event occurs. This significantly expands our abilities in not only what we can track, but also what we can understand regarding how users are engaging with websites and advertising campaigns. It also expands on the setup time, strategy, and reporting approach. With Google continuing to roll out new features and improvements, this transition will present an ongoing opportunity to use GA4’s increased capabilities when it comes to measuring marketing conversions and exploring the user journey.
The Greatest Impact
In summary, the switch to GA4 will fundamentally change the way in which we approach data capture. The enhanced reporting features in GA4 enable comprehensive tracking opportunities which can determine exactly which campaign, keyword, or ad had the greatest impact on an audience. Using this critical data to make decisions and optimizations can not only inform your business decisions but guide your marketing strategy in the future.
Simply said, with increased capabilities, comes increased opportunities to speak to your audience in the most impactful way possible – ultimately driving revenue and results and the time to dig in – is now. But don’t worry….Rebel can help.