Staying up-to-date on the latest tools and trends is essential for staying ahead of the marketing game. And that's what we're all about. It's time to get excited about Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and what it can do for your business. So, buckle up—we will make this a short flight.
GA4 is the next generation of analytics for your website, app, or other digital properties. But it's not just a new coat of paint. After all, we're talking about the future of analytics, and you wouldn't fly to outer space on a prop plane. GA4 is a completely new software. Google's approach to GA4 focused on machine learning (that's right, AI) and data visualization. GA4 is packed with new features that can help you unlock insights into your audience and better understand their behavior.
The best way to dive into these updates is to compare it to what we've been using, UA (Universal Analytics).
The most obvious difference between the systems is how GA4 tracks users across platforms. Each user is given a specific ID. So, when Jane jumps from a website on her laptop to the app on her phone (which Jane does constantly), GA4 will be able to track that. Using GA4, you will get to go on Jane's marketing journey through cross-platform tracking. From her first interaction to her click to purchase to her return to your site for more, you can better understand her user experience.
This brings us to another difference. Previously, UA utilized page views as its primary metric. With GA4, page views are no more; in their place are "events." These events reveal data that breaks down a user's interaction with your app and website. Some of the new helpful metrics are "engagement" metrics, including their engagement sessions, rate, and time they spend on your web or app.
Metrics don't stop with engagement. They can also track attribution and demographics. And remember how we talked about GA4 using machine learning? Well, this AI technology incorporates the power of predictive metrics. (You should be hearing dramatic music right now). What that means for you is that you can learn more about Jane and her purchase, churn, and even expected revenue probabilities. Truly its capabilities are intriguing as it allows more control in how to market your brand.
Now, for users, Google worked hard to ensure they complied with privacy laws. These laws include things like IP anonymization, server location, restricted data transfer, consent mode, users' personal data deletion, and rules regarding personally identifiable information (PII).
While those may be meaningless terms, they held a lot of weight. In fact, these privacy concerns are what fueled the release of GA4. One thing is for sure, with GA4, users gain more control over their information.
While this flight into the future of analytics may have some in the SEO Industry cringing, there is fair weather ahead. Yes, the user experience will be different. But GA4 is just another tool to uncover what is and what is not working with your digital and web content. In essence, it will help you measure your goals. Of course, there are other ways to do that, too, hence the link to the left. 😉
When you partner with us, we will help you arrive at your figurative marketing destination, capitalizing on the most up-to-date analytics for your business. And we promise a nice, smooth landing.