Whether you’ve already made the switch from Google’s Universal Analytics to GA4, or you’re still planning your GA4 migration, this guide will give you a quick overview of the changes in terminology and data location you need to continue to track what’s important to your business.
GA4 is now the default
GA4 has been the default property since late in 2020. The majority of Workshop Digital’s clients are already tracking GA4 data, and we’re still uncovering new ways to utilize its features. Don’t forget that your current Universal Analytics will stop tracking sessions July 1, and historical data will disappear 6 months after that sunset.
The data model is simplified
Where Universal Analytics measured “hits,” GA4 will use “Events”. Every user interaction, including Conversions, is considered an Event. The advantage of this model is that you get more flexibility in tracking engagement.
Digging deeper into GA4
You’ll notice that “Pages” are now “screens” and they are tracked as an Event. Some Events, Like “Page View,” are automatically collected, so there’s no setup required. “Views” are the number of app screens or web pages users saw.
Free GA4 Migration Planner
Worried that a broken or incomplete infrastructure might make your switch to GA4 difficult? We can take a look and let you know where we see potential issues and how to make it work!
Use this GA4 Migration Planner to see what you might be missing.
Machine Learning Insights
This feature will help you connect the dots to spot trends and patterns that may not have been evident to the human eye. It’s great for notifications and detecting anomalies. It’s not so great for deciding what to do about the insights that it surfaces.
Customer Life Cycle Reports
Here are the big metrics that we (and our clients) are tracking in GA4:
- Acquisition - traffic sources
- Engagement - pages and content
- Monetization - purchases and ad revenue
- Retention - repeat visits and lifetime value
Analysis Hub Reports
These reports were previously only available to GA360 subscribers. The Funnel and Path Analysis reports show user abandonment at key stages of the customer life cycle.
Where to find what’s most important to your business
If you would like to know how to best use GA4 to meet your business goals, we’re here to help. Let’s talk through what you want to accomplish, and we can show you how to track your success the right way in GA4.
