March 16, 2022 Google Analytics shocked the marketing industry Announce Universal Analytics will stop processing hits in July 2023.
It didn’t go so well.
Some marketers are dissatisfied with the user interface; others are frustrated that GA4 doesn’t have key features.
Many are still in the rejection stage – besides, isn’t it still in beta?
Let’s take a step back and answer some burning questions here:
- Why is this happening?
- What do these changes mean?
- What do I need to do now?
Why Universal Analytics updated to Google Analytics 4
Many marketers have built their business processes around Universal Analytics and wonder why this change is happening.
So, I asked ex-Googlers Christa Seddonwho helped build GA4 and is also the founder of KS Digital, “Why is this GA4 update happening?”
Seiden explained that GA4 has actually been in development for many years.
Originally, it was a public beta called App+Web, and in October 2020 the beta label was removed and it was renamed GA4.
“GA4 is not so much an update as it is a whole new way of analyzing – expanding for the future, working in a cookie-free world, and with a greater focus on privacy,” explained Seiden.
Google’s announcement blog Titled “Getting Ready for the Future with Google Analytics 4”.
… for the future.
We hear this all the time; what does “for the future” mean?
As I read Google docs and chat with analytics experts, I noticed three main themes or ways GA4 prepares your business for the future:
- updated data model,
- work in a world without cookies,
- and privacy implications.
Let’s unpack these.
data model
The data model tells Google Analytics what to do with the website visitor information it collects.
Universal Analytics is built on a 15-year-old session-based data model.
This was before internet devices such as smartphones were widely used.
UA measurements are built for independent sessions (a set of user interactions within a given time frame) on desktop devices and use cookies to track user activity.
Fun fact, I learned from Adswerve’s head of innovation, Charles Farina, that you can actually still implement GA javascript code from 15 years ago.
Yes, I’m talking about the original tracking code (Urchin).
It still works today.
Over the past few years, this old measurement method has become obsolete.
As much as we love Google Analytics, there are plenty of examples of it being incompatible with the way users interact with our website today.
Farina shared a example with conversion.
In Universal Analytics, goals are session-based. You can’t measure goals by user.
If a user watches four videos in a session, only one conversion will be counted.
In GA4, conversions (or goals) are event-based.
Cookie-Free World
Google Analytics works by setting a cookie on the user’s browser when visiting your website.
Cookies allow websites to “remember” information about visitors.
This information can be as simple as “this user has visited before” or it can be more detailed, such as how the user has interacted with the site before.
Cookies are widely used on the web. They help remember what you put in your cart, etc.
However, cookies also present privacy risks because they share data with third parties.
As the world becomes more aware of privacy concerns, users increasingly want to opt out of sharing their data.
As more and more people choose not to share their data, Google Analytics cannot report on everyone who visits the site.
The gaps in the data collected are growing.
Google Analytics has to adapt to remain useful to website owners.
They did it.
GA4 is designed to fill the gaps in creating reports using machine learning and other protocols.
This is called “blended data”.
inside Blog post about this changeGoogle explained.
“As the technology landscape continues to evolve, the new Analytics is designed to accommodate a future with or without cookies or identifiers.
It uses flexible measurement methods and, in the future, will include modeling to fill in gaps where data may be incomplete.
That means you can rely on Google Analytics to help you measure your marketing results and meet customer needs as you navigate the recovery process and as you face uncertainty in the future. “
data privacy
Data privacy is a big topic that deserves a separate article. To oversimplify it, people want more control over their data and its use.
law as GDPR and California Consumer Privacy Act This wish is being implemented.
Google Analytics says GA4 is designed with privacy at its core – but what does that mean?
All UA privacy settings will be preserved and we will get new features.
For example, Google Analytics 4 does not store IP addresses, while GA4 relies on first party cookieswhich should make them comply with privacy laws.
I encourage you to use this time Consider your data strategy And set the tone for your company’s data privacy policy, assess your digital footprint and consent management, and ensure compliance.
What do these changes mean for my business?
The second thing marketers want to know is, “How is GA4 different?”
Or really, “How will these changes affect my business?”
Don’t get too obsessed with comparisons General Analysis and GA4.
The numbers will not match.
This is a rabbit hole with no actionable or other useful results.
As Seiden points out, it’s not just a platform upgrade.
This is a brand new version of Google Analytics.
GA4 is a new data model and a new user interface.
Read on for a summary of the key differences between UA and GA4 data and how they affect your business.
Changes in data modeling
The most important change is the way the data is collected.
Universal Analytics uses a session-based data model (collecting user interactions over a given time frame) and collects data as various hit (user interaction) types within those sessions.
That’s why watching four videos in a session only counts as one conversion in UA.
Google Analytics 4 collects data on a user basis in the following forms event.
Each event has a unique name (the event_name parameter) that identifies the event, and additional parameters that describe the event.
For more information on the differences between the two data models, see UA and GA4 data in the Google help documentation.
Spam detection
Have you ever seen a huge traffic spike in Universal Analytics or a bunch of random traffic sources you can’t explain?
Spammers can use the Measurement Protocol to send fake data to people’s Google Analytics accounts.
As you can imagine, this creates a big problem with inaccurate data.
Google solves this problem by only allowing hits using the key to send data to the GA4 attribute. This key is visible in your GA4 streaming settings, but not public.
data retention
Data retention refers to how long Google Analytics retains categorical data. When the retention period ends, the data is automatically deleted.
The default is set to data retention In Universal Analytics it is 26 months. But you can choose a different time interval, from 14 months to “do not expire automatically”.
In GA4, you can choose to keep your data for two or 14 months.
At the end of the retention period, you keep the aggregated data in the standard report, but the disaggregated data used in the exploration report is no longer available.
What is aggregated vs. unaggregated data?
Think of aggregated data as a summary for viewing website visitors as a whole.
And disaggregated data is broken down or broken down into smaller sub-segments, such as specific audiences or segments.
Shorter retention periods aren’t a big deal.
You can still accomplish the same use cases while respecting user data privacy more.
You can still run (aggregated) standard reports to show how your performance compares to your past performance.
If you want to make predictions and take action, data from recent months is most useful.
User Interface: Reports
GA4 reports come with a learning curve.
Universal Analytics emphasizes pre-built reports. Navigating through a “done for you” report is quick and easy.
Google Analytics 4 is designed to take greater ownership of our data. With that comes the flexibility to customize report templates.
Because the data model has changed and the platform is more privacy-focused, some of the tasks you perform in Universal Analytics may not be replicated.
As an agency or freelancer, you have an additional responsibility to communicate wins and opportunities to your clients.
They will need time to learn GA4, or more likely rely on you to learn GA4.
To allow your clients to visualize data in a more familiar way, I highly recommend you data insights.
What do I need to do now?
There is no need to panic.
You have time to implement GA4 configurations, time to update business processes, and time to learn new reports.
In this way, GA4 needs to be preferred on your roadmap.
Review your existing analysis setup and create a GA4 configuration plan.
Setting up GA4 by July 2022 is mission critical.
Start building historical data so you can analyze year by year over the next year.
After collecting GA4 events, get your team up to speed and update your process.
After a year, they need to get used to using Google Analytics 4 to make marketing decisions.
Start planning team training sessions. SEJ has collected top educational guides and GA4 resources here.
Last but not least, there are plans to pull historical data in Universal Analytics by July 2023. BigQuery charges no fees other than low storage fees.
final thoughts
When you switch to Google Analytics 4, you don’t just get an upgrade. You also get a whole new way of analysis.
This solution is necessary to respect user data privacy and gain actionable insights in a cookie-free world.
At the heart of this change is a new data model that makes GA4 different from what we’ve used over the past decade.
Now, when the UA ends in July 2023, it’s important to configure GA4 and transition events for year-over-year data.
After accepting the changes, you may enjoy the flexibility and user insight that GA4 brings.
Happy tracking!
More resources:
Featured image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Magazine
