5 Things You Need to Know about Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Understanding your website traffic is essential. With the change from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4, we need to understand how to utilize GA4 to get the most out of our marketing tactics. But, for those marketers who have been using UA for years and years, it can be tricky to learn how to get started and get the most out of its capabilities. Before we jump into the 5 things that you need to know about GA4, let’s go over the differences between UA and GA4.

Universal Analytics vs Google Analytics 4

There’s a good chance that you’ve been using Universal Analytics, or UA, for years now to monitor your website traffic and understand how your marketing efforts are working. Now, we are making the switch to Google Analytics 4, or GA4. While both platforms service the purpose of tracking and analyzing website traffic, there are a number of differences between the two.

Universal Analytics, the older version of the two, relies on cookies to track user interactions and behavior. This can help you gather valuable insights into individual user behavior and conversions. On the other hand, GA4 takes a more advanced approach by using an event-driven model. This allows you to collect information from multiple sources in a more comprehensive manner. GA4 also places a stronger emphasis on privacy. Which is especially important with all of the new and updated privacy laws across the world. While both versions have their pros and cons, GA4 offers a more comprehensive and privacy-conscious approach to website visitor tracking.

Getting Started with GA4

While UA may seem like second nature these days, if you can think back to when you first started learning about UA, it probably seemed like it was in another language. Because GA4 is very different from UA, I recommend taking a learning course online. This can help you fully understand everything GA4 is capable of. The Google Skillshop is always a great place to learn about Google products.

1. Event-Driven Data Model

One of the biggest differences between UA and GA4 is the event-driven data model. Unlike UA, which primarily focuses on page views and sessions for tracking, GA4 embraces event-driven data and insights. Events in GA4 can be user interactions like clicks, form submissions, video views, and more. The event-driven approach provides a deeper understanding of user behavior, allowing marketers to measure specific actions that align with their goals. Plus, customizable event tracking lets marketers measure unique interactions, providing even more information about user engagement. This can help you see if you need to make any adjustments to your website experience and drive more conversions.

2. AI-Powered Insights

One of the best things about GA4 is the AI-powered insights. GA4 leverages Google’s powerful machine-learning capabilities to deliver valuable insights into your website visitors. Identify trends, patterns, and anomalies within your data. Marketers can use these actionable insights to improve marketing strategies and website performance. By taking advantage of these AI-powered insights, your business can stay ahead of the competition and enhance their decision-making process.

3. Conversion Tracking and Funnels

Tracking your website conversions can help you see what aspects of your marketing are leading to the highest quality website visitors. As a result, conversion tracking in GA4 is essential. In GA4, conversions are now called “Goals”, and they can be set up to track specific user interactions, such as completing a purchase or filling out a contact form. In addition, GA4 has introduced “Funnels”, which allows businesses to visualize the steps users take before completing conversions/goals. Funnel analysis can provide insights into user drop-offs at each stage, which can help you see if there are any issues in your marketing that you can improve on.

4. Data Controls and Privacy Features

As I briefly touched on before, privacy laws have become a huge concern for companies. GA4 aligns with Google’s commitment to user privacy by providing data controls and new privacy features. Companies can now implement data retention controls, ensuring that data is stored for a specific period of time instead of indefinitely. Plus, GA4 offers options for users to opt out of tracking. By adhering to privacy best practices, companies can build trust with their website visitors, while still gaining the valuable insights we need from Google Analytics.

5. Connecting to Other Google Platforms

While UA connected to other Google platforms, GA4 takes it to the next level. You are able to connect your Google Ads, Google Search Console, YouTube, and other Google platforms to your Google Analytics account. These integrations allow you to get even more insight into your website visitors, including the keywords they used to get to your website. Plus, with the new funnels feature, you can see how your Google Ad visitors engage with your website.

Can You Identify Website Visitors?

With Google Analytics, no. With Visitor Queue, yes! Similar to Google Analytics, by adding a tracking script to your website, you can see what companies are visiting your website, what pages they view, how long they spend on each page, and how they got to your site in the first place. We take it even further by also providing employee contact information for each of the companies, including email address, phone number, and a link to their LinkedIn profile. By knowing what companies are on your website, and exactly what they are interested in on your website, you can personalize your outreach and convert these leads into paying customers. Start your 14-day free trial today and identify your website visitors.

Closing Statements

While learning GA4 may come with a learning curve, if you use it correctly and to its full potential, you can gain a lot of valuable insights into your website visitors. GA4 is a very valuable tool for companies looking to understand their website visitors, and use this information to make data-driven decisions to stay competitive. By embracing GA4, companies are able to take their website to the next level. As always, if you have any questions about Visitor Queue for website analytics and visitor identification, don’t hesitate to reach out.