Google is sunsetting Universal Analytics in the coming year and will begin focusing on their next-generation analytics experience called GA4. Now, GA4 isn’t anything new, however, it’s dramatically more powerful and flexible than its predecessor. It only makes sense as the company that tracks the data also continues to refine the tool to measure the data.
Key Highlights of GA4
- GA4 combines all the individual tracking features, such as Firebase for app tracking, Google Tag Manager, Analytics, and more into one richly featured product.
- Google Analytics version 4 is a replacement, not an update. Your historical GA Universal data will still be available to you for you to gain insights. For at least 6mo.
- A new GA4 tracking code will need to be installed on your site. However, you can connect your existing traffic tracking code to your new GA4 property (done automatically when you set it up through Google) so you can use both systems until the sunset of July 1, 2023, at which point the new tracking code will be required.
- Custom events, traffic funnels, and other customizations must be re-added to your GA4 vproperty. This will let you transition and set up your GA4 property exactly as you need it to be, using live data, while still maintaining your data gathering using your GA-U tracking code.
Evergreen Analytics Module and GA4
- Tracking in EG is just the same as for GA-U; a tracking code installed on the site will send data to Google to be analyzed.
- The EG Analytics Module will be updated to use the new tracking code of the GA4 property in the API connection that gathers your report data.
- Depending on changes in your GA4 reporting, custom events, and other customizations, some updates to your reports may be required.
- If you’re using standard reports without customized data, the reports, graphs, and charts you see in your EG GA Dashboard will remain the same.
- Converting your standard Analytics to GA4 is a quick process with only minor changes required to your website.
Schedule your analytics audit today! Please contact Simon for more details!
