Many clients have been forwarding me their email notifications warning them that they have until the end of June to migrate to GA4, along with “can you help with this please?”
If you have been receiving these, and perhaps marking them as unread so you can ‘come back to it later’, then read on….
What is GA4 all about?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest and greatest web analytics tool from Google, developed with businesses like yours in mind. Its purpose is to offer you a complete view of user interactions across various channels and devices, empowering you with valuable insights.
GA4’s standout feature is its event-based tracking focus. Rather than relying heavily on pageviews and sessions, it puts the spotlight on tracking individual events and interactions on your website or app. You can customise these events to match specific user actions and behaviours, enabling you to delve deeper into how users engage with your digital presence.
What sets GA4 apart is its seamless integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Equipped with built-in machine learning models, it will automatically analyse your data and uncover insights about user behaviour and marketing performance. This paves the way for data-driven decision-making, empowering you to optimise your marketing strategies based on AI-generated recommendations.
GA4 doesn’t stop there—it’s all about cross-platform measurement. You can effortlessly track user interactions across multiple channels, including websites and social profiles. This comprehensive view of user behaviour gives you a holistic understanding of how different touchpoints contribute to conversions and customer journeys.
Additionally, GA4 values your privacy. It aligns with evolving privacy regulations, such as GDPR, and offers features like enhanced consent controls and customisable data retention settings. So don’t worry, your privacy concerns are taken seriously.
In essence, Google Analytics 4 is your ticket to a more advanced and comprehensive approach to measuring and understanding user behaviour across diverse channels. It’s not only about capturing invaluable insights but also about safeguarding privacy and providing robust analytics capabilities.
How do I set up Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
You can follow these steps:
First, create a Google Analytics 4 Property:
- Go to the Google Analytics website (analytics.google.com) and sign in with your Google account.
- Click on “Admin” in the lower-left corner.
- In the “Property” column, click on “Create Property.”
- Enter a name for your property and select the appropriate data stream (web or app).
- Configure the data stream settings according to your needs.
- Click on “Create” to create the GA4 property.
Next, Install the GA4 tracking code:
- After creating the GA4 property, you will receive a Measurement ID (starts with “G-“) for your property.
- Implement the GA4 tracking code on your website or app, depending on the data stream you selected.
- For websites: the easiest way is to install a plugin called Google SiteKit. You can easily connect this to your Google account, and add in your ID, mentioned above.
Now there is a lot more you can configure, but even if the above was all you did, at a minimum you would now be collecting data. You can then look at the more advanced options which allow you to set up data collections, configure additional settings and start exploring reports and insights.
Google provides detailed documentation and resources on setting up and using Google Analytics 4, which you can access through the Google Analytics Help Centre.
I have the old version of Google Analytics, how to I migrate that to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
Chances are the email you have received about this is because you already have Google Analytics setup, but you just need to migrate to GA4. You can do this by following these steps below.
Firstly, set up a new GA4 Property, by following the steps mentioned in the previous answer.
Next, Link your GA4 property with the existing Universal Analytics property:
- In the Admin section of your GA4 property, under the “Property” column, click on “Data Streams.”
- Click on “Add Stream” and select “Google Analytics” as the data stream type.
- Select the existing Universal Analytics property you want to link with your GA4 property.
Lastly, Update your tracking code:
- In the Universal Analytics property, update your tracking code to include both the Universal Analytics code and the GA4 code.
- You can use Google Tag Manager or directly modify your website’s tracking code to include both snippets.
As with the above, there are further options you can set, but the above will ensure you are setup BEFORE the 1st of July.
If you would like HDS to help or do this for you, please Contact Us today.