Ashlyn Lujan
January 23, 2023

GA4: The Future of Analytics - What You Need to Know

Understanding Google’s New Analytics Platform

The ability to measure traffic and engagement on your website can be critical to your company’s success. Google Analytics 4 (“GA4”) is the latest platform offered by the tech giant. The fourth-generation platform is set to fully replace Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023.

What Is GA4?

GA4 stands for Google Analytics 4. The fourth-generation property is scheduled to replace Google’s prior analytics platform, Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023. It allows you to measure a number of metrics including users, engagement, and conversions. 

The reports generated by GA4 can help businesses better understand their customers and traffic. The newest generation of analytics offers several new features, making it easier than ever to see what is working and what isn’t.

How Is GA4 Different from Universal Analytics?

The newest Google Analytics property provides several new metrics to give you in-depth insight into your website’s users and their activity. Universal Analytics (“UA”) was limited to two User metrics: total users and new users. Total users was the primary metric used by UA which told a business the total number of unique users. 

Google Analytics 4 gives businesses three unique user metrics to view. In addition to the two provided in UA, the primary metric used in GA4 is active users. An active user is defined as someone who has an “engaged session.” User engagement can be critical to conversion.

What Other Differences Are There Between GA4 and UA?

In addition to increased user metrics, GA4 also gives businesses the opportunity to perform class-platform and event tracking. Event tracking, for example, allows businesses to track user interactions beyond clicks. The emphasis in GA4 is more on understanding the user’s journey and the events that are triggered throughout it. 

One of the big takeaways from the improvements made with GA4 is that there is more flexibility and customization available in reports. It also has improved artificial intelligence which will not only provide automated insights but also predictive analysis. The added information can help marketers better plan for the future, taking preemptive measures instead of solely reacting to changes in traffic or engagement. 

How We Can Help

It is important to remember that Universal Analytics properties will stop processing data on July 1, 2023. Failure to make the switch to GA4 could negatively impact your marketing efforts since you will no longer receive reports. 

Google Analytics is an important platform that can help businesses better understand how users are engaging with their website as well as other platforms. At WM Marketing, our team works with you to get in front of your target audience, generate new leads, and grow your business. We use real-time analytics to ensure real results. If you would like to learn more about how we can help, contact us today.