Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s analytics tool and comes with many changes compared to Google Universal Analytics (UA). And you don’t want to miss the opportunity to maximize its potential and take advantage of the latest features GA4 offers.
Migrating from UA is a simple process, but it does require you to follow multiple phases. To help make this transition smooth and stress-free, we’ve laid out 4 key steps to help you migrate to Google Analytics 4 successfully.
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What Are Key Changes In GA4 Migration?
If you plan on GA4 migration, you must be aware of the new updates that come with the migration. Here are some critical changes you need to know before migrating.
- Advanced Machine Learning: The new machine learning update gives marketers more insights into potential audiences and their behavior, leading to more accurate predictions.
- Event-Based Tracking: The new update tracks all user interactions (clicks, scrolls, and form submissions) trigger events. GA4 provides a more detailed and granular view of user behavior by adopting an event-based approach.
- New Metrics and Dimensions: GA4 introduces a new engagement metric that measures the time users spend, allowing a better understanding of user behavior and optimizing your marketing campaigns.
- Data Control and Privacy: With GA4, users have more control over their data and can choose what data they want to share with Google. The new encryption methods and data retention controls maintain better data privacy and security.
- Enhanced Cross-Device Tracking: A cross-device tracking capability tracks user behavior across multiple devices. Unlike UA, GA4 can track users even when they switch between different devices.
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4 Phases To Migrate To Google Analytics 4
GA4 transition has many new and improved features like event tracking, cross-device tracking, machine learning, and AI-powered insights. If you want to stay ahead of the competition and take advantage of these benefits, migrate website with these 4 phases:
- Create And Launch Your GA4 Property
- List Your Key Factors
- Migrate Individual Items To GA4
- Check Your Items
Phase 1: Create And Launch Your GA4 Property
Beforehand, you need a Google Analytics Account to start GA4 migration property:
- Go to admin settings in Google Analytics.
- Select “Create Property” in the “Property” column.
- Choose “Google Analytics 4” and fill out the required fields.
- Click “Create” to launch your GA4 Property.
Phase 2: List Your Key Factors
Before migrating, it is essential to list the key factors that must be tracked in your GA4 Property. These can be website pages, events, metrics, or dimensions crucial for your website analysis. It’s necessary to map these to the corresponding events and parameters in GA4. Here are a few examples:
- Website pages: home page, product page, contact page
- Events: button click, form submission, download, video playback
- Metrics: website traffic, engagement, conversion rate, bounce rate
- Dimensions: traffic source, campaign, device, location
Phase 3: Migrate Individual Items To GA4
Now that you have listed your key factors, you can migrate website to your GA4 transition. There are 2 ways to do this:
- Update your website tracking code: If you have implemented the Google Analytics tracking code on your website, you must replace it with the GA4 tracking code or follow the developer documentation provided by Google to do this.
- Use Data Import: If you have data stored in other sources, such as CRM, email marketing, or social media platforms, you can use Data Import to import this data into your GA4 property.
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Phase 4: Check Your Items
Once you have migrated website to GA4, it’s time to check if everything works correctly. Here are some things to check:
- Real-time data: Go to the Real-time report in GA4 and verify if the events are under tracking in real-time.
- Event reports: Go to the Event report in GA4 and verify if your events are under monitoring.
- Conversion reports: If you have set up conversion tracking, go to the Conversion report in GA4 and verify if your conversions are under tracking and displaying.
- User journey reports: Go to the User Explorer or Behavior Flow description in GA4 and verify if the user journey is under analyzing and displaying correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I migrate Google Analytics to Google Analytics 4?
Knowing about the latest updates is essential if you use GA4 transition for your website’s tracking needs. GA4 provides advanced cross-device tracking, predictive analytics, and improved data accuracy. The migration process involves:
- Create a new GA4 transition.
- Add the GA4 tracking code.
- Update your website’s tags to use universal tracking instead.
- Check out Google’s detailed documentation on the process.
Can you migrate your data to GA4?
Yes, GA4 migration is a process that allows you to transfer your website’s tracking information from Google Universal Analytics, the previous version of Google’s analytics platform, to the updated platform that is GA4.
Whether you’re an experienced web developer or a business owner managing their first migrate website, migrating to GA4 is a simple process that can help unlock a wealth of insights and data-driven decision-making capabilities.
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How long does it take to migrate to Google Analytics 4?
This question has no easy answer, as the timeline can vary depending on several factors. However, one thing to remember is that upgrading to Google Analytics 4 allows you to track users across multiple devices and platforms, providing you with a more holistic view of your website audience.
So while migrating website to universal tracking with GA4 may take some time, the value it can provide you is worth the effort in the long run.
In summary, Google Analytics 4 offers more features and benefits than Google Universal Analytics. You’ll gain more significant insights into analytics data, improved attribution features, and a revamped user interface. With its advantages, the GA4 transition could make a massive difference for your business.
Along with the 4 phase approach, our team of experts at ROI Digitally can help ensure your migration is successful. As your digital Michigan SEO service of choice, you can rest assured that we always utilize the latest tech updates so that you have access to highly insightful data and analytics solutions. Take a free consultation session with us now!
Co-Founder & General Manager @ ROI Digitally
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