What is GA4?

GA4 is a cross-platform analytic solution. It will provide you with a deeper understanding of your customer’s online journey from initial search to detailed website and app use. It’s built around users and events rather than sessions, which will process each user interaction as a standalone event. 

6 Positive Changes

1. More customizable interface
2. Control over custom reporting
3. More detailed reporting
4. Better real-time data
5. New automatic tracking
6. More effective data exporting
   

Benefits of GA4

While GA4 does change the way you’re used to tracking and collecting data, there are a number of benefits to the new platform. 

Some of the main benefits of GA4 are: 

• It collects both website and app data and information to allow for a better understanding of the customer journey.
• GA4 uses event-based data rather than session-based data like Universal Analytics used.
• It includes privacy controls such as cookieless measurement, as well as behavioural modelling.
  

Focusing on Events in GA4

Learning how to properly create and monitor “events” is important to fully utilizing your GA4 account. An event allows you to measure a specific, defined interaction or occurrence on your website or app. You can use an event to measure when someone loads a page, clicks a new link, or checks out on a purchase. Events can also be used to measure things like when an app crashes or content receives an impression. 

There are many different types of events such as automatically collected events, enhanced measurement events, recommended events, and custom events.

Events

Automatically Collected Events: collected by default when Google Analytics is set up on your website or app.

Enhanced Events: collected when enhanced measurement is enabled.

Recommended Events: these have to be implemented, but that have predefined names and parameters. These events unlock other reporting capabilities.

Custom Events: these are events that you define, and should only be used when no other type of event works for your purpose. These events don’t show up in most standard reports and must be reviewed in a custom report. 

Events will then become conversions by tracking any interaction that could provide value to your business. Common conversions include: a user completing a purchase from your e-commerce store or subscribing to your newsletter. If you want to record conversions, you would mark an event that measures the interaction as a conversion.

Data Retention in GA4

A significant difference between GA4 and UA is the length of data retention. The default setting in GA4 for user data is two months. This means customer data only gets retained for two months and is reset after that timeframe. This setting can be changed and set to 14 months, which allows for a much larger set of data. 

It is possible to view data beyond the 14 month limitation, but this will be basic information. For any type of complex reporting on user behaviour and demographics, it’s best to contain it within the 14 month period for best results. 

Privacy in GA4

Google Analytics 4 also provides additional layers of privacy compared to previous analytics programs. It aims at providing a better experience for businesses and their customers. Because the controls are more detailed, there is better control for data collection and usage. Google Analytics 4 also doesn’t store IP addresses which is important when dealing with the shifts in online data privacy where users expect more control of how their information is tracked and used. 

We're Here to Support You

It’s true that utilizing GA4 can be slightly more complicated than Universal Analytics, however, the upside is that it gives you more flexibility and customization for tracking and reporting on specific customer behaviours as online usage shifts away from a desktop model and more toward mobile devices.

If you’re looking for support with understanding Google Analytics 4, reach out to us at hello@thesmallsocial.com. Our team of SEO experts are ready to answer any questions you may have so you can take advantage of the new processes and support your business growth online.