by
Holly Peacock
| Apr 24, 2023
What is GA4?
GA4, or Google Analytics 4, is the latest version of Google's web analytics service. It was launched in October 2020 and is designed to provide more advanced tracking and analysis capabilities than the previous version, Google Analytics Universal Analytics (UA).
One of the key differences of GA4 from UA is the approach to data collection. GA4 uses an event-based model, which means that all user interactions with a website or app are tracked as events. This allows for more flexibility in tracking and analyzing user behavior, as well as the ability to track events across devices and platforms.
Overall, GA4 offers a more modern and flexible approach to web analytics and is recommended for new projects or those looking to upgrade their analytics capabilities.
Why are we automatically upgrade every Hired Hand customer to GA4?
Improved tracking capabilities: GA4's event-based tracking model allows for more comprehensive tracking of user interactions, both on websites and in apps, and provides more detailed insights into user behavior.
Cross-device and cross-platform tracking: GA4 enables tracking of user interactions across multiple devices and platforms, such as desktop and mobile, or web and app, which can help provide a more complete picture of user behavior.
Integration with Google Ads and other Google tools: GA4 is designed to integrate with Google's other marketing and advertising tools, including Google Ads, to provide more comprehensive tracking and reporting.
Advanced machine learning and predictive analytics: GA4 incorporates Google's machine learning capabilities to provide more advanced insights and predictive analytics based on user behavior data, which can help inform marketing strategies and improve overall business outcomes.
Future-proofing: Google has stated that GA4 will be the primary analytics platform going forward, and that new features and updates will be added to GA4 rather than Universal Analytics. Updating to GA4 now can help ensure that your ranch stays up to date with the latest developments in web analytics and can continue to leverage Google's data-driven tools and insights in the future.
How can I utilize the new features of GA4?
Set up event tracking: GA4's event-based model allows for more comprehensive tracking of user interactions on your website or app. You can set up custom events to track specific user actions, such as clicks, form submissions, or video views, and use these events to gain more detailed insights into user behavior.
Use predictive metrics: GA4 incorporates Google's machine learning capabilities to provide predictive metrics that can help you forecast future user behavior, such as predicted revenue or predicted conversion rate. You can use these metrics to inform your marketing and optimization strategies.
Explore the new reporting features: GA4 introduces several new reporting features, such as the Exploration report and the Path analysis report, which can help you gain more insights into user behavior and identify opportunities for optimization.
Connect to other Google tools: GA4 is designed to integrate with other Google marketing and advertising tools, such as Google Ads, to provide a more comprehensive view of your marketing performance. You can connect your GA4 property to other Google tools to access additional data and insights.
Take advantage of the enhanced cross-device and cross-platform tracking: GA4 allows you to track user interactions across multiple devices and platforms, which can help you understand the full customer journey and optimize your website or app accordingly.
To make the most of the new features of GA4, it's important to understand the platform's capabilities and how they can be applied to your specific business goals and objectives. Google provides resources, such as the GA4 implementation guide and the GA4 help center, to help businesses get started with the new platform.
When will GA4 automatically transition to everyone else?
If you have a #HiredHandPowered website, congrats! Your website analytics have already been fully updated to GA4 and you don't have to do anything!
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will automatically transition to everyone on July 1st, 2023. While GA4 has been available for use since its release in October 2020, it's still considered a new platform and some businesses may still be using the older version, Universal Analytics (UA).
However, Google has indicated that GA4 will eventually become the default analytics platform, and that new features and updates will be added to GA4 rather than UA. This means that businesses using UA will need to transition to GA4 at some point in the future.
If you have any questions about the new system or how to access your Google Analytics account, email us at info@hiredhandsoftware.com or contact Angie by phone. You must have a Google account (or Gmail address) to access Google Analytics, so if you do not, please set that up prior to calling.
Sources for this BLOG include Google's official documentation on GA4, articles from Search Engine Journal, Moz, and Analytics Mania, as well as other industry blogs, AI SYSTEMS, and forums that discuss digital marketing and web analytics.