What constitutes success in digital marketing or SEO? For most of us, the answer can only be derived through a data-driven approach. Analytics provide a real, measurable, quantifiable way to track performance, identify growth opportunities, and reveal the best approach to resource allocation.

For years, the analytics game was dominated by Universal Analytics (UA), a widely used, free version of Google Analytics. An overwhelming majority of marketers have used this tool, often making it their sole platform for measuring campaign performance.

But soon, all that will change. In October of this year, Universal Analytics will be sun-downed, leaving Google Analytics 4 (GA4) in its place.

So, what should marketers and SEOs know about this new tool? Is it an upgrade? A downgrade? Worth using? Here’s our take.

What is GA4?

Google’s decision to replace Universal Analytics with a whole new metrics platform was prompted in part by changing attitudes toward online privacy, and in part by shifts in consumer behavior.

In theory, GA4 provides a more holistic, cross-platform tracking tool, allowing marketers to collect website and app information simultaneously and to measure their users’ behavior across various channels. The thinking is that this cross-platform approach better reflects the way people actually use the Internet.

There are some other changes, too, that include machine learning, AI-based predictive analysis, data visualization, and yes, some new safeguards to protect user privacy. All of these features add up to make GA4 the future of analytics… and soon, it will be the only option for marketers seeking a Google property to monitor their customer journey and measure campaign success.

How Does GA4 Differ from Universal Analytics?

With that said, let’s dig a little deeper into some of the features that set GA4 apart from its predecessor.

Updated Dashboard

If you have experience with Universal Analytics, the first thing you’ll notice about GA4 is the streamlined user interface. It may take some getting used to, but the new layout ultimately provides greater usability and control, offering easy access to a wide range of reports and features. It’s true, however, that to utilize some of your most trusted reporting metrics from UA, you’ll need to create your own custom reports in GA4.

New Metrics

GA4 differs from Universal Analytics not only in how it looks, but also in what it measures. There are some new metrics available, but it’s just as important to take some time to understand how GA4 has changed the verbiage and the measurement of some of the metrics that marketers used most in Universal Analytics. At the top of that list is the “goal conversions” metric, which is no longer in GA4. Goal conversion tracking was the go-to metric for anyone serious about their UA data, and it is nowhere to be found in GA4. But there is no need to panic. Instead, GA4 has reworked how to track conversions and the latest platform measures and reports these as events, attempting to provide a more in-depth understanding of how users interact with a marketing campaign across different websites and apps.

Google Ads Integration

GA4 also provides a way to measure app and web integrations together, making it easy for marketers to track their conversions from a range of different channels and platforms.

Predictive Insight

With its AI and machine learning functions, GA4 gives marketers who don’t have access to more robust tools, a predictive insight into things like purchase probability, churn probability, and more.

Customer Lifecycle Reports

New reporting tools enable marketers to better assess the customer lifecycle, viewing reports that indicate acquisition, monetization, and retention rates, among other things.

Privacy Controls

Also noteworthy: GA4 provides more nuanced control over user privacy, shifting away from cookies toward a more robust form of data modeling.

What Are the Benefits of GA4?

Do these new features actually make GA4 a good product, or an improvement on the old version?

On the whole, we believe this is a big step forward for marketers, especially ones that rely solely on Google Analytics for their data. And while we do not fall into that category, there are many that do. Which is why it is not surprising that the early adoption rate for GA4 is pretty high, suggesting that many marketers, SEOs, and business owners have found this new platform to be valuable.

Consider just a few of the benefits that GA4 offers:

• Combined app and web tracking, making it far easier to see the holistic consumer journey and to make informed decisions about customer lifecycle.
• Predictive insights make it easier for marketers to assess what their users are looking for, and to give it to them… creating a more cohesive and satisfying online experience.
• More granular and sophisticated analytics also provide better opportunities to create custom audiences, ultimately benefiting the bottom line.
• Finally, more advanced privacy tools allow marketers to show a sensitivity to rising concerns over online confidentiality, while still accessing meaningful data and analytics.

None of this is meant to suggest that GA4 is perfect, or that there won’t be a learning curve. For one thing, migrating data from Universal Analytics to GA4 involves some time and complexity. Marketers who are well-versed in the old dashboard may find the new interface difficult to get used to. And there are fewer attribution models than there were with the old platform, part of Google’s shift toward a fuller view of the consumer journey.

Even so, this new platform can be a positive tool for marketers and SEOs looking to better understand how their consumers interact with them across different websites and apps. If you have any questions about the new analytics tool, or you think you’re ready to make the switch for yourself, reach out to the enCOMPASS team at any time.