Ready for GA4? We Are!

One of the larger data tools we use here at TopSpot is Google Analytics. We are a Google Premier Partner and have been working closely with Google since 2003. Last week, Google announced its timeline for shifting to GA4 from Universal Analytics. When we wrote about this last year, we were already in the process of installing GA4, doing testing, and working with Google to figure out the best way to implement the new platform for our Clients.

Courtney Clark, Analytics Department Manager, is here to update you on the latest information on GA4 and what it means for you.

Google Gives a Date for Transitioning to GA4

Google has now provided a timeline for when Universal Analytics will be deprecated in favor of the newer Google Analytics 4. For most users, that date is July 1, 2023 – roughly 15 months from now. In addition, they have stated that data will remain available for at least six months after deprecation.

As we covered in our earlier blog post, GA4 was released in October 2020 with many exciting plans but numerous missing features that have been integral in analyzing data. Over the last year and a half, Google has released several notable changes to the tool. These include large feature upgrades as well as more minor navigation/interface improvements. Most of the major changes we have been waiting for were rolled out in the last 3 months.

Updates We Are Excited About:

January 26, 2022: Data-Driven Attribution model now available to all GA4 properties (previously only for 360 paid customers) and without a minimum threshold. As of January 26, 2022, all existing GA4 properties were migrated to this model. It has been reported that Data-Driven will soon be the default attribution model for Google Ads conversions as well.

Data-Driven Attribution assigns credit to multiple touchpoints throughout the entire customer journey, providing a more complete view of which channels drive performance and learns more over time.

December 10, 2021: Google Search Console linking with two new reports: Queries and Google organic search traffic (available in the Reports “Library”). The integration allows users to easily view data within GA4 versus opening Search Console.

February 2, 2022: Google Optimize connection with GA4 was released in Beta with a Google Tag Manager implementation option shortly after.

November 20, 2020: Simplified cross-domain measurement; this is fully managed within the GA4 settings versus having to edit code on the website.

Continued upgrades to the interface and more simplified approach to reports. Google has adjusted the navigation over the last year and released a new Homepage in March 2022.

Updates We Are Waiting For:

• Reporting API to stabilize. The API for GA4 is currently in beta, with the latest update February 2022 with new dimensions added.
• More enhanced reports and filtering options for spam. GA4 does not have separate views like Universal; we are still hoping Google addresses this but for now, the custom Explorations are the only available option within GA4.
• Annotations to add useful dated notes to identify key occurrences to the data such as a site outage, website launch, or update to analytics.
• Content Grouping was released late last year but the feature requires a code edit. Ideally this would be an option in the admin of GA4.

We expect there to continue to be changes to the interface as the tool progresses especially with more emphasis on machine learning.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Google Analytics Universal & GA4:

• When will Universal Analytics be deprecated? Google has announced that the deprecation date for the free version will be July 1, 2023 whereas paid GA360 users will have until October 1, 2023.

• What will happen to my historical data? Google has committed to retaining data for at minimum 6 months after deprecation. All data can be downloaded prior to this date.

• Will GA4 data match when comparing to Universal? Data should be comparable but not exact. This is due to many factors with a major one being that there are less options in GA4 currently to combat spam. Additionally, some metrics are not carried over to GA4 such as bounce rate, where engagement rate is favored in GA4.

• How will this affect other Analytics tools? If you are using tools that connect with Universal Analytics, they will need to be switched to GA4 prior to depreciation. The tools include but are not limited to:
  • Google Optimize linking
  • Google Data Studio reports
  • Google Search Console linking
  • Google Ads linking as well as remarketing or conversions (if using Google Analytics imported lists/goals)
  • Tools that send data to GA such as CallRail
  • No change to proprietary tools such as Loop Analytics

As we move closer to the deprecation date, we will continue to update you on the latest news and developments. We are looking forward to the exciting new possibilities with GA4!

Want to be kept informed about GA4 and other updates?