In case you haven’t heard already, the planned sunset of Universal Analytics (UA) is quickly approaching. In July 2023, Google will officially stop processing data through your Universal Analytics property, replacing it with Google Analytics 4 (GA4). So, if you haven’t already added your GA4 container to your website yet, then that’s definitely something you should plan on doing soon. Give yourself some buffer time to fully set GA4 up and get used to the platform. Keep in mind that Google will likely start your transition if you wait too long to set it up.
There is some confusion about the Google Analytics notices letting users know that if you haven't already set up a GA4 property, we’ll help jumpstart the process for you.
Here’s what is happening & the options available:
— AdsLiaison (@adsliaison) February 6, 2023
Google isn’t averse to change. In 2022, they got rid of Expanded Text Ads altogether and replaced them with Responsive Search Ads. But, they also gave marketers a long time to get used to the new ad format before they made the change. And, as you could have probably guessed, the change wasn’t as bad as us advertisers (me) thought it was going to be.
It’s the same idea with Google Analytics 4. No one likes change, especially when it impacts our precious brands. It’s also a time-consuming change to make, and Universal Analytics works well enough for us not to really crave an upgrade. In fact, there are a lot of exciting changes coming to Google Analytics 4. This quick blog will cover 4 key differences between GA4 and UA, and why they might actually be a good thing.
New email from Google: GA4 is going to come to your house soon and make you eat your brussel sprouts.
— Dr. Pete Meyers (@dr_pete) February 3, 2023
Universal Analytics vs Google Analytics 4
1. Event-Based Tracking
Probably the biggest difference between Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 is the data model. Universal Analytics is a session-based model, where multiple hits are recorded during a timeframe. There are different hit types, including pageviews and user timing.
On the other hand, GA4 is an event-based model. All user interactions are recorded as events, so things like page views or user timing are recorded as events. This allows you to gather more detail on the interaction that took place. Under each event, you can add event parameters, which are extra pieces of information you would like to collect about the event. For example, if your event is page_view, you can add the parameter page_referrer to collect that information.
The events can be broken down into the following 4 event types:
- Automatically Collected Events: these are the events that are created by default once you create your GA4 property (ex: session_start)
- Enhanced Measurement Events: these are events that are automatically created as well, but you have to enable them to start recording. No code changes are required (ex: page_view)
- Recommended Events: these are events that Google recommends you set up to better measure your audience (eCommerce events, ex: purchase).
- Custom Events: these are any other events that you want to measure that aren’t already given to you or recommended to you if you want to collect a certain kind of user data.
The Positive:
GA4 gives you more flexibility with creating and tracking events. Any interaction can be made into an event, so you get greater control over your data, and it helps you focus on the user journey. You can also still access session data in GA4. And, for all those URL destination-goal lovers, it’s quite straightforward to create a page_view event with a URL destination event parameter.
2. Data Streams
Google Analytics 4 makes it incredibly easy to collect data and measure activity across different data streams. This would be your website, your iOS app, and your Android app. Under Universal Analytics, app and website data had to be separated into different views.
The Positive:
The data collection is done by combining both website and app visits, Google Analytics 4 provides a more comprehensive measurement of your users.
3. Report Customization
The reporting interface in GA4 is completely different from that of UA. For one, Google Analytics 4 is limited on reports. But, they make it extremely easy to create your own. This allows you to focus on the metrics that actually matter to your business (hello, custom dimensions), rather than sifting through a bunch of pre-made reports that don’t mean much to you.
It also integrates with Firebase and Google Ads. Oh, and did I mention that exporting data to Big Query is free? Plus, under the Exploration tab, you can see pre-made custom reports called Funnel Exploration and Path Exploration. Those are really fun to play around with.
On the other hand, Universal Analytics is mostly based on a bunch of pre-defined reports. Creating your own custom reports isn’t easy, and let’s face it, we only used a few of the predefined reports they equipped us with.
The Positive:
Google essentially kept the most popular reports, improved the data it shows, and scrapped the rest. They also made it extremely easy to create your own custom reports. Build out the reports and dashboards that matter to you, and don’t worry about the rest. That’s a win in my books.
4. Reporting Metrics
Bounce Rate vs. Engagement Rate
Instead of focusing on the people who left your website, Google Analytics 4 focuses on the people who engaged. It’s a nicer spin on data that ultimately describes the same thing. Universal Analytics had Bounce Rate, the percentage of sessions that were single-page sessions.
In contrast, one of the new metrics that GA4 released is Engagement Rate, which is “the percent of sessions that last longer than 10 seconds, has a conversion event, or has at least 2 pageviews or screenviews.”
You can find the engagement metrics under Life Cycle > Acquisition > User Acquisition.
The Positive:
I wouldn’t say this is an overly positive feature that GA4 offers, but it certainly isn’t a bad one. GA4 wants us to focus on the users who engaged, rather than focusing on the ones that didn’t. It’s a great way to look at the data. Plus, GA4 recently added the Bounce Rate metric as a measurement, so you can add it to your custom reports if that’s what you’re looking for.
Which one is better: Universal Analytics or Google Analytics 4?
GA4 is not a perfect (or complete) product. But, it’s getting there. It also comes with a lot of really nice perks too, such as being able to tailor the platform’s reporting to your liking, and its user-friendly and intuitive interface (old UA users will disagree with me on this).
The worst part of GA4? having to build it from the ground up. We don’t get to transfer the years of data we saved with UA. That’s why it’s so important to save yourself the stress and start setting up your container now before they get rid of the old Google Analytics Property.
Does Google Analytics 4 Replace Universal Analytics?
Google Analytics 4 was released in October 2020 as the newest version of Google’s analytics platform. Both analytics platforms ran side-by-side for a while. Last March, however, it announced that it will officially replace Universal Analytics. With its advanced machine learning functionality, enhanced user-centric reporting, and improved data collection methods, it’s not all bad. However, Universal Analytics is still the default choice for most businesses and organizations that use Google Analytics, so here’s the third reminder to get it set up!
