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4 Tips to migrate to Google Analytics 4

Home Blog workflow 4 Tips to migrate to Google Analytics 4
Do you already have July 1, 2023, crossed off on your calendar? According to Google’s notification, no additional data will be handled on the Universal Analytics Properties after this day. What does this mean for all of us who support strategic, data-driven marketing, including you? It has become serious.  You need to get ready for a different way to see, analyse, and utilise data produced by event-based measurement even while switching to the new Google Analytics does not necessarily entail abandoning your present data gathering and reporting capabilities.   

  1. Make early preparations for the change to Google Analytics 4

It is true that if you are reading this article, it will be challenging for you to migrate to Google Analytics 4 and continue collecting data in it for a full year before it is turned off. However, we suggest you to start the Google Analytics switch as soon as you can. Each month matters.  Because you can compare data more thoroughly the longer you gather it via Google Analytics 4 and Universal Properties. You also have more time to learn Google’s new data model, of course. Contrary to what the name might imply, GA4 is a significantly different product from Universal and is not an upgrade.  The fundamental characteristics of Universal are still present, however certain features have been entirely replaced. Tracking events is a keyword. Google Analytics 4 hides sessions and page views and instead focuses on events, among other things. This implies that the data you obtain from GA4 will differ significantly from data obtained from any Universal property. 

  1. Learn about opportunities and difficulties

It’s crucial to take a minute to gather your thoughts before launching a hasty attack on the facility. To make the necessary preparations for a well-founded change, there is still enough buffer. You must be aware of the changes that moving to GA4 will offer, both in terms of measurement and handling, in order to accomplish this.   An example: Google Analytics, for instance, does not by default include any filter functions. However, the Tag Manager allows for the addition of these. Half the battle is won with this awareness. 

  1. Examine the current situation: What do you want to track?

You should review your present tracking and data analysis in the following step: 
  • Are you happy with the tracking you’re doing right now? 
  • Which statistics and important data are currently vital to you (for example, as a foundation for more evaluations)? 
  • Is the data base adequate? 
  • Exist any filters that are particularly pertinent to you? 
Now combine the results: What does Google Analytics Universal now show effectively, and are there any existing matching automatic events from GA4? What is missing, exactly? Sometimes, the conception process requires a lot of time.   We strongly suggest you to invite all interested parties to the table. The conversion to Google Analytics 4 shouldn’t take place in a silos or be implemented by a small project team as a stand-alone fix. All stakeholders must be involved in the notion, particularly in businesses where tracking measurements serve as a crucial foundation for decision-making.  In the end, it comes down to copying or transferring from Universal to GA4 important objectives, target audiences, events, and special settings. You have a purpose to clean out as one of the benefits of the transfer.  Consider your clearly stated goals as one example. Which ones didn’t produce any conversions over the previous 14 days? It’s important to look more closely at this. Are the settings set up properly? Yes, the objectives may then no longer apply to your business or project. 

  1. Keep data protection in mind

Data protection against in-depth data analysis appears to be a fundamental dichotomy. Recent developments with the Turbo GDPR have demonstrated the growing significance of user data protection. Although beneficial and significant, this has benefits beyond tracking. In the end, it’s crucial that you configure Google Analytics 4 in a way that respects privacy. Define key procedures and roles in this regard, including the data protection officer.   Whether the GA4 Consent Mode is logical? Most specialists strongly discourage it. Because it is extremely difficult to remove user-specific data on demand due to the production of random client IDs.  It sometimes makes sense to consider smart alternatives. After all, you get less useful analytics the fewer users that choose to contribute their data. Nowadays, a lot of businesses choose hybrid tracking, which combines server-side and cookie tracking. Perhaps the decision to upgrade to Google Analytics 4 is a prompt to consider it?  

Conclusion 

You should proceed as planned if you wish to set up Google Analytics 4. It’s crucial to outline the processes once to ensure that nothing gets overlooked. We advise you to adopt target audiences, objectives, and events first. Learn about the custom dimensions and metrics and consider what you can incorporate into GA4. If you need an expert to help or guide you, check with an SEO consultant or a managed SEO provider who can help you with this and pull your SEO game to the desired level.   Here is hoping that we made this article simple to understand for you. If you have any feedback for us with respect to this article, please share it in the comments section below.   
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