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Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4: A Seamless Transition Guide for Enhanced Data Insights

When Google introduced its Universal Analytics system in 2012, it was meant to set a standard for collecting and organizing websites’ user and traffic data. It did so very successfully – today, it is by far the most popular analytics tool on the market, due in no small part to the fact that it is both free and fairly easy to set up and use. However, the fan-favorite tool is going away and will soon be replaced by Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

On July 1, 2023, Universal Analytics will sunset, so it’s important to make the transition to GA4 before that date to prevent loss of data and get accustomed to the new system. Since so many sites have relied on Universal Analytics for several years, there has been some concern from site owners regarding this transition. Fortunately, Google is doing its best to make the switch very easy for users.

Below, we outline the features and benefits of Google Analytics 4 and explain how you can plan for and execute the transition.

Understanding Google Analytics 4

Overview of the features and benefits of Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 is designed to track user behavior in the modern web environment. While Universal Analytics was primarily oriented toward the landscape of desktop website users, Google Analytics 4 sets out to help website owners understand user behavior across platforms and touchpoints and improve ROI with data-driven attribution while steering clear of privacy violations and staying in compliance with newer legislation like the GDPR.

While some of the familiar data points of the old model are going away, GA4 introduces some new features and a more user-friendly reporting dashboard. One of these new features that marketers are enjoying access to is the better integration of the analytics tool with other Google tools and with machine learning to generate predictive insights and expand the use of other Google products like Google ads.

Explanation of the new data model in Google Analytics 4

Whereas the old version of Analytics focused on individual session data, GA4 attempts to build user profiles and help site owners track data “streams” over time as opposed to individual hits. Most of the changes to the way metrics are collected and displayed are in line with this change. Universal Analytics’ bounce rate data has been replaced with updated engagement metrics such as engaged time and engaged sessions. Also, goals are making an exit in favor of conversions and events that site owners must set up, but they have a broader default reach than the old goals. 

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Planning for the Transition from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4

Importance of planning and preparing for the transition

While Google is striving to make the transition as painless as possible for site owners, anyone who uses Google Analytics extensively will want to prepare for the switch and take steps to make sure their data is organized and maintained. Google has already begun the process of automatically creating corresponding GA4 properties for sites that have a UA property set up, and existing tracking codes will carry over. If you are concerned about loss of data in the transition process, the two main things to consider are historical data and goals/events. GA4 will not contain any of the historical data that’s been accumulated in your Universal Analytics property. While you will still be able to go back and look at data inside of UA for the time being, it will stop collecting new data in July. Eventually, the ability to look at previous data using the Universal Analytics dashboard will go away, so it is a good idea to export your data now to guarantee ongoing access.

To establish more historical data and baselines for behavior and traffic, it’s important to set up a GA4 property as soon as possible. This way, you will have data dating back to May in your new property instead of beginning data collection in July. Also, since goals and events are transitioning into conversion events, you will have an opportunity to set these up and troubleshoot them early in the process instead of waiting until it’s not possible to compare these metrics side-by-side with your older property.

Steps to Prepare for the Transition

For most site owners, the actual act of transitioning to the new system will be straightforward. Although there may be a learning curve once you have set up GA4 and are familiarizing yourself with the new metrics and reports, the process of setting up the account itself will be easy.

Creating a new Google Analytics 4 property

To set up a GA4 property, all you will need to do is navigate to the Admin tab of your Universal Analytics account, then select the GA4 setup assistant from the Property column. From there, Google will walk you through the simple setup process. It will only take a few minutes. Most users will choose to reuse their existing site tags to avoid replacing them. If you do this, you won’t even need to access your website’s admin to set up the new tracking system. By using Google’s dual-tagging system, you can continue to track events and traffic in both Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 while you get up to speed.

Reviewing and updating data collection settings

One great reason to be proactive about setting up your GA4 account, or accessing the one Google automatically sets up for you, is to compare data across the two systems. This carries the dual benefit of allowing you to see what is the same and different about GA4, and also enabling you to troubleshoot and find any issues with conversion events. If things are not appearing as you expected or are not matching up with your older property, you can make changes accordingly and then double-check that they worked. This is a great time to review and update your data collection settings and make sure you are getting the maximum utility out of this powerful tool.

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Best Practices for Using Google Analytics 4

While the newest version of Google Analytics has much in common with previous versions, it focuses more on user journey and behavior across platforms and sessions. Because of this, it introduces some new tools while getting rid of old ones. A great best practice for the tool is to adopt it early so you can learn how best to deploy it before it comes your only option. Another fundamental best practice after making the transition is to increase your data retention to 14 months in your Property Settings. The default setting is to retain raw data for only 2 months. However, you should always double check that you are in compliance with your privacy policy and all relevant legislation before deciding to hang on to customer data.

Setting up Conversion Tracking

The events in GA4 that are included by default include user engagement, scroll, page view, and first visit, among others. You can also create custom events that have special relevance to your business or website. If there’s a site event that generates business value, you may want to designate it as a conversion event. This may include something like submitting a form or subscribing to a newsletter. Google has many helpful guides on setting up conversion events, like this one on designating a user’s arrival at a certain url as a conversion.

Utilizing the new machine learning capabilities

In addition to the other changes, GA4 highlights the machine learning advances that have occurred since Universal Analytics was rolled out. For sites with a large number of users, Google has introduced predictive metrics, which project the probability that users will “purchase” (log a specific conversion event) or “churn” (not return to the site for an extended period of time). Because of the nature of machine learning, Google requires certain criteria to be met for this predictive technology to be used at this time. In addition to having at least 1,000 users who churn and 1,000 users who purchase within a seven-day period, sites must sustain model quality. These factors mean that predictive metrics are available to a relatively small number of site owners at the moment, but hopefully they will be rolled out to a broader sector of the public in the future. 

What Transitioning from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 Means for You

Ultimately, much of this transition will essentially take place quietly in the background. If you have an Analytics property set up but rarely use it, GA4 will be set up automatically, though it likely will not carry over any customizations you’ve made.

If you are a frequent analytics user, you will want to make the transition early to customize your analytics space, conduct setup in GA4, and establish historical data. If you need help ensuring that your new Analytics property runs properly and gives your business a boost, please contact WebArc.

With its use of machine learning and focus on the user journey as a whole, Google Analytics is the way of the future when it comes to business analytics and understanding customer behavior in the online space. It will be exciting to see what further features might be added to GA4 or introduced as new tools.

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