UA vs. GA4: It's Time To Make The Switch

Why is Google Analytics important?

Google Analytics tracks all activity on your website and collects insightful information about user behaviour. It provides insights on the number of website visitors, the number of page views, your most viewed pages, time spent on site, website conversions and much more.

It also lets you analyse how people found your website in the first place, for example, through Google Ads, organic search or social media. Google Analytics is connected to your Google Ads account and plays an essential role in measuring in evaluating the performance of your paid campaigns.

What is the difference between Universal Analytics & Google Analytics 4?

Universal Analytics (UA) is the original version of Google Analytics that has been around for many years. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has been in beta testing for the last couple of years (temporarily called “Web & App property”) and will replace UA from 1st July 2023.

GA4 is Google’s next-generation measurement solution and allows for more advanced tracking including cross-device tracking. A key feature is that you can now track web and mobile app traffic in the same property to collect and analyse this data in the same place. User behaviour rarely is linear and people often switch devices such as mobile phones, laptops or tablets.

GA4 uses enhanced measurement methods to cater for these changes, introduces new reporting metrics and an updated Google Analytics interface. Additionally, data protection and privacy have become increasingly important and GA4 is Google’s response to stricter privacy laws worldwide such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for people in European countries.

How can I transition to the new GA4?

I you haven’t set up your GA4 yet, now is the time to do it. If you already use Google Analytics, you can simply create a new GA4 property within your existing account by going to the Admin section and click “Create Property”. If you have an existing UA property but haven’t set up GA4 yet, Google will automatically create it for you but it still requires some steps on your end to make everything work.

Once the new GA4 property is created you have to add your new Measurement ID to your website. Head to the Admin section and click on your Data Stream to find your Measurement ID.

Most CMS already have an integration for GA4 that allows you to copy and paste the ID without any coding required. Don’t forget to acknowledge the User Data Collection Acknowledgement (Admin/Data Settings/Data Collection) if you haven’t done so in the GA4 creating process and active Google Signals for more accurate data.

It can take up to 48 hours for data to start flowing so make sure to check GA4 again in a day or two. Once you see user data coming through, you can start exploring your new GA4 property, evaluate data and set up conversion tracking if required. Happy analysing!

If you need help getting your GA4 up and running, get in touch with our team and we’re happy to help.