Why you should transition early to GA4... and how

Google Analytics sits at the core of many businesses’ online marketing efforts, providing invaluable insights into how customers browse, search and shop. But did you know that Google Analytics is about to change, and the countdown clock is ticking?

From 1 July 2023, Google’s standard Universal Analytics properties will no longer process data. Instead, your website’s analytics will only flow into Google Analytics 4. For enterprise customers using Universal Analytics 360, the sunsetting of GA has been pushed back to July 2024.

However, this doesn’t mean enterprise businesses can rest on their laurels. In a blog post, Russel Ketchum, director of project management at Google Analytics, noted that GA360 performance ‘will likely degrade’ until the new date due to Google gradually shifting its focus to GA4.

While it might feel like there’s still a long time to make the switch from GA3 to GA4, the reality is that businesses large and small should be making the switch now. Google is putting a heavy focus on the new GA, and businesses should be doing the same.

Old vs new

There are several key differences between the old and the new Google Analytics. The most fundamental change is that a different data measurement model is being used. In GA4, data isn’t reported in sessions and page views. Instead, it’s presented in terms of events and parameters. This change allows for much richer information but could take a while to get your head around if you’re used to the GA3 set-up.

Another major change is around goals and e-commerce tracking. When you log into GA4, the first thing you may notice is that you don’t have the ability to set up goals anymore. Now, all important actions are tracked using conversions.

While standard analytics are one thing, conversion tracking is another ballgame entirely. Setting up conversions tracking may require you to take the plunge and start using Google Tag Manager, which is definitely not a user-friendly tool. It will require some in-depth research and shouldn’t be tackled at the last minute.

Some other notable changes are that the concept of ‘reporting views’ is gone in GA4, replaced with data streams and audiences. There’s also no more bounce rate, which is a huge change and means we must get used to the new engagement rate metric. The reporting interface also looks different.

Event tracking in GA4 is much more powerful, allowing you to track any information that you like, which wasn’t possible in GA3. Events can track things like transaction details and elements that people have clicked. You are also able to turn on enhanced measurement to track scrolls, outbound clicks, site search, video engagement and file downloads.

By default, GA4 will automatically track a number of events (eg, page view, outbound link clicks, file download, video start, view search results) when someone views a page. Google also provides a list of recommended events for online sales.

What do I do now?

While we wait for the impending deadline, it’s advisable to set up GA4 as soon as possible and run the two platforms concurrently. The changes are considerable, so it’s important to get up to speed and educate yourself on the new GA sooner rather than later. That way, you’ll be able to compare and understand where the information you are used to is located. This will also leave you time to find your way around and set up your conversion reports and link your search console.

While installing GA4 is not too complex, setting up conversions is a different ballgame: goals and e-commerce tracking have been replaced by GA4 events. While Google is now providing detailed documentation on mapping goals and conversions, we expect that this part of the migration will be more complex.

If you are using a smaller, custom-built, third-party shopping cart, the developers may not have updated the platform to suit GA4 and it is important you check their development roadmap now.

If you’re guilty of putting Google Analytics at the bottom of your to-do list, pencil in a few dates in your calendar and make the time to set it up properly. If the technical stuff goes over your head, find a developer who specialises in Google Analytics to help you. Make sure to complete this task before the end of the calendar year, so that you have six full months with the two platforms running concurrently.

Although enterprise businesses have an extra 12 months to get things sorted, the added complexities inherent in larger organisations mean that you should similarly aim to set GA4 up before the end of the year. What are you waiting for?

Image credit: iStock.com/franckreporter