Google Analytics 4: What it means to marketers
Once you understand how it works, GA4 can give you a digital marketing edge.
Google Analytics has long been a go-to for marketers seeking the biggest returns on their investments. And the new Google Analytics 4 (GA4) offers even more advanced tracking, designed for 2021 and beyond.
The software provides key insights into user interaction and preferences across websites and mobile apps. And it can help you gain a digital marketing edge—if you understand how it works.
What is GA4?
Launched in October 2020, GA4 is the latest version of Google Analytics. It gives marketers a detailed view of the customer lifecycle across multiple platforms and devices. And it’s powerful. GA4 works more like an analysis engine that measures conversions, rather than a basic reporting tool.
The software is designed with the future in mind. GA4 uses artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver valuable insights even in the face of changing privacy features.
How GA4 can help focus on higher-value audiences
GA4 offers integrated insights across all platforms and devices, including websites and mobile apps. That gives you a better understanding of how users are interacting with your business from start to finish. As a result, you get a fuller picture of how your marketing efforts are performing. And you can hone in on what’s successful.
That’s not all. The software uses predictive AI tools to share revenue opportunities from different customer groups. You can use that knowledge to prioritize higher-value audiences and get more bang for your marketing buck.
More accurate predictions
More than ever, marketers must be able to pivot quickly to meet customers’ changing needs. GA4 offers automatic alerts on important data trends. These alerts allow you to spot growing demand for a service or product in real-time and move fluidly with the consumer current.
Predictive AI features help you prepare for the future too. The software calculates churn probability, giving you the chance to hold on to more customers who might otherwise slip away.
More privacy controls
Marketers will run into more insight gaps as third-party cookies and identifiers are phased out. GA4 solves that problem with a privacy-centric design that uses AI to adapt to changing practices. Advanced modeling technology allows the software to fill holes in your data caused by cookie consent rules or blocked Javascript, giving you a more complete picture of your users.
Better integration with Google ads
Highly granular controls over Google ads means you can fine-tune your targeting efforts across every platform. That translates to a better user experience: Customers are less likely to get hit with annoying ads that are no longer relevant to them. And your ad dollars won’t go wasted on the wrong audience.
Getting started
You can create a parallel GA4 property alongside your existing Universal Analytics. You can’t pull data retroactively, unfortunately. But the two properties will work in tandem to deprecate the Universal Analytics property over time.
Keep in mind that GA4’s user interface is different than what you might be used to. The data tiers, definitions and element names aren’t the same as Universal Analytics. This video can walk you through the basics and help you get your footing.
We’d be happy to talk about how our team can help you use GA4 for your website. Give us a call at 888.805.9101 or email us. For a helpful guide to GA4, please download our infographic.
