Google has announced that its well-known current data analysis tool, Universal Analytics (or Google Analytics 3), is about to be discontinued in favor of the arrival of Google Analytics 4, described by its owner Google as the next-generation measurement solution.
Starting July 1, 2023, Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new results, and new data will only be sent to Google Analytics 4 properties. Thus, it seems really important to switch to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) as soon as possible to avoid any risk of data loss, to start making necessary changes, and to adapt to it. However, Universal Analytics reports will remain available for a period after July 1, 2023, to allow access to your data during the transition and also to make comparisons between the two systems.
Migrating to Google Analytics 4 is a major task and raises important questions, which we will address in this article.
What is Google Analytics 4?
Contrary to what one might initially think, Google Analytics 4 is not new. Its beta version first appeared in 2019 under the name App + Web before becoming Google Analytics 4 in October 2020 and being announced as the new default property and replacement tool for Universal Analytics.
If you are not familiar with Google Analytics in general, the platform is an essential tool designed to monitor organic traffic, paid traffic, conversions, engagement, etc., and to derive performance reports.
How is GA4 different from Universal Analytics?
Indeed, Google Analytics 4 is not an upgrade to Universal Analytics. It is a new tool that completely changes the way the system works with a new approach to data focused on user engagement. Although the differences are too many to list, three key changes illustrate the importance of switching to GA4:
- From a « session-centric » to an « event-centric » view
The new Analytics offers user-centric measurement (the customer) instead of fragmented measurement by device or platform based on sessions. The goal is to provide in-depth engagement analysis.
This gives a more complete view of the customer journey and user experience—that is, how your customers interact with the interface. You will gain a better understanding of customers throughout their lifecycle, from acquisition to conversion and retention. For example, you can see if customers first discover your business from a web ad, then install your app and make purchases there. Such an approach is crucial and wiser in a context where people’s needs evolve so quickly that you must make real-time decisions to win—and keep—new (and current) customers.
Also, in this engagement perspective, the bounce rate often requested by Analytics users is no longer used. It is considered irrelevant by some users since it corresponds concretely to the absence of interaction with page content after viewing the page—in other words, after opening a session. Although this measure seems quite interesting (and it is), it is not necessarily suitable for certain sites where no action is required, such as blogs or directories that provide a direct answer to the user’s query on the first page, and therefore naturally show a high bounce rate. The metric more relevant to consider is time spent on the page.
To address this, Google Analytics 4 replaces bounce rate with an engagement rate, which leads to other indicators such as engaged sessions, engagement percentage, engagement time, engaged sessions per user, etc.
- More relevant insights
The search for relevant insights is at the heart of the concerns Google Analytics 4 addresses. The GA4 property relies on your data and advanced machine learning models to design predictive models that anticipate user behavior and provide recommendations to improve conversion. For example, it calculates the churn probability to help you invest more effectively in customer retention. This information aims to improve marketing, financial, and strategic decision-making to achieve better ROI.
This advance requires, however, a substantial volume of data to maximize model reliability. Through alert settings, it automatically notifies you of significant trends observed and, if applicable, important data fluctuations detected, such as abnormal drops in visits, high demand for a product, etc.
- More privacy for a sustainable future
Google Analytics 4 has chosen to focus on privacy to ensure a sustainable future amid multiple regulations in this regard. GA4 does not use third-party cookies. It uses only first-party cookies to track users across sessions and compensates for the absence of third-party cookies with machine learning.
Overall, GA4 is easier to use and learn for beginners. The platform is mainly designed for funnel analysis, conversion paths, and customer journeys.
Is it necessary to migrate to Google Analytics 4?
Earlier this year, Google announced that all standard Universal Analytics accounts will stop processing data on July 1, 2023, followed by Universal Analytics 360 properties on October 1, 2023.
After these dates, Universal accounts will no longer collect data, and shortly thereafter, you will no longer be able to access previous data (Google estimates about six months).
It is a bad idea to wait before migrating. Google Analytics 4 is a completely different system from Universal Analytics, and most of your UA data is not compatible with the new property. You do not export your existing data into GA4; you start fresh and collect new data going forward. So, the sooner you start, the better.
If your UA data is very valuable, you can also export it to a third-party platform for future reference, but this will not help with migration to GA4.
How can I migrate to Google Analytics 4?
Below are the key steps to successfully migrate while answering some of your most frequent questions. Feel free to consult the detailed guide published by Google: Switch to Google Analytics 4 – Google Analytics Help. Ultimately, they are the best source for all the details.
The migration to Google Analytics 4 involves five key steps:
- Basic setup
Create a new Google Analytics 4 property and run it in parallel with your existing Universal Analytics property to collect data. Keeping dual tracking allows you to familiarize yourself with the new tool (new features should appear soon) and compare data from both trackings to detect potential gaps and adjust your GA4 tracking. Obviously, to track data, you need to create a data stream in this new property and activate it.
Your Universal Analytics property remains unchanged and continues to collect data as usual. However, as mentioned, the new Google Analytics 4 property does not carry over historical data. It collects only future data. To view historical data, use your Universal Analytics reports.
- Set up events and goals on GA4
Add events in your new account to track key user actions on your website, such as CTA clicks, items added to cart, form interactions, video views, etc., depending on your activity, KPIs, and goals.
Then create goals linked to the platform using your GA events (if applicable) to monitor your efforts’ progress and completion. The new engagement-centered logic will help you see things more clearly.
- Configure audiences on GA4
Add audience configurations to collect and display data for different audience types and profiles, such as organic traffic, new visitors, retention rate, buyer personas, etc.
- Confirmation
After the initial setup process, let your new GA4 property run and verify it collects data as expected after the first month.
Other changes?
On April 4, 2022, Google also announced that the Google My Business app will soon no longer be available. It will be replaced by Google Maps & Search, and businesses will manage their Google Business profile(s) directly from the Google Maps app.