If you’re like any organization preparing for Universal Analytics to sunset on July 1, you’re probably asking yourself: How do I implement Google Analytics 4 (GA4), and what does this mean for me?
While it may feel like you’re starting from scratch, this upgraded service will provide deeper, more valuable insights that can better help you reach short- and long-term goals—as long as you’re using it correctly.
Before you dive into the platform, read below to learn about what GA4 is, what it does, and key takeaways that can help you prepare for the upcoming change.
GA4 is a free analytics platform that allows users to measure both website and app metrics. Unlike Universal Analytics (the generation of Google Analytics before the launch of GA4), GA4 can measure website and app performance in one place.
This service uses automation throughout to help users better understand their data. It uses two types of Analytics Insights: automated insights and custom insights. Automated insights identify data changes or trends and immediately notify users, while custom insights are user-generated conditions that detect data changes.
In short, Google launched GA4 to help users scale their organizations and achieve goals, provide dependable, long-term reporting, and use automation to provide robust, unmatched data.
Now that you understand what GA4 is, you need to connect your GA4 property. There are two ways to do this, depending on if you already have a Universal Analytics account.
If you already have a Universal Analytics account, this step is seamless. Log into your Universal Account and choose Settings, then Admin. Under the “Property” column, select GA4 Setup Assistant and follow the instructions. Once you’ve connected the account, make sure to tag the property to your website.
> Pro tip: There are two ways to tag your GA4 account with your HubSpot account: integrating GA4 using your measurement ID or adding your Google Analytics tracking code to your domain’s site header HTML. If you choose the measurement ID route and your website includes a GDPR feature or cookie consent banner that requires visitor opt-in, the Google Analytics script will run only for those who opt in to being tracked. If you choose the site header option, data will be recorded regardless of a visitor’s opt-in status.
If you aren’t yet using Google Analytics, you’ll need to set up your GA4 property from scratch. Google shares these instructions below.
> Pro tip: With GA4, users can set up individual properties for a website, an iOS mobile app, and an Android mobile app for enhanced—and streamlined—data collection. This differs from the previous model, in which Universal Analytics measured websites and Google Analytics for Firebase measured mobile app activity.
In Universal Analytics, sessions serve as the foundation for all reporting. Unlike Universal, GA4 uses events as the foundation for all reporting. Events provide insight into distinct actions that take place on your websites or mobile apps, such as page views, button clicks, user actions, or system events.
With events, users can better track granular, more specific information that can optimize reporting.
> Pro tip: Google also offers an enhanced measurement feature, which you can use to automatically collect additional events without updating your website code.
Remember when you could filter your data in views? In GA4, views will become obsolete.
Have no fear, though.
GA4 users can still create filters for internal traffic at the property level. Google offers simple instructions for integrating these rules (below).
Now, you may also be thinking: What about bot traffic?
GA4 filters known bot traffic; however, users cannot disable bot exclusion or view excluded bot traffic for the time being.
🔥Pro tip: When filtering internal traffic, you can use either IPv4, a 32-bit address, or IPv6, a 128-bit address.
In Google Analytics, identity spaces track a user’s journey on your website. While Universal Analytics properties primarily rely on the Device-ID identity space (details below), GA4 properties process data using all identity spaces to map a single, holistic user journey. GA4 tracks these identity spaces in this order:
So why is this important? Using as many identity spaces as possible is key for detailed reporting. With Universal Analytics, identity spaces work separately, making it difficult to track user journeys. For example, when only one identity space is used, such as Device-ID, one visitor could be tracked as a separate user if he or she browses the same website on different devices.
> Pro tip: Activate Google signals by choosing Admin, then Data Settings, then Data Collection. Simply turn Google signals on to begin collecting more in-depth data.
With the new “Explore” tab, GA4 allows users to create deeper data reports using several tools. They include:
If these options don’t match your needs, you can also create a custom exploration.
> Pro tip: These techniques are also set up as templates, which you can copy and customize based on your specific needs.
Need support migrating your organization's analytics property to GA4? Our team of Google Analytics-certified experts can help. From simple migration or the creation of a GA4 account to advanced configuration to measure your unique needs—Brightfind has you covered. Learn more about our GA4 services here or sign up for our upcoming webinar with Ready North, GA4: How to Track and Optimize Your Website's Success. Save your spot by clicking the button below.