Google Analytics 4
GA4 The Right Way
We’re here to help you set up and configure all the basics to get your GA4 running and tracking the right things for YOUR website.
Why Choose Us?
Proven Expertise: Our team of GA4 experts has a track record of successful implementations and optimizations across various industries.
Customized Solutions: We understand that every business is unique. Our services are tailored to your specific goals and requirements.
Timely Results: Experience a seamless setup process.
Ongoing Growth: We’re not just here for the setup. We’re your long-term partners in success, providing continuous support and optimization strategies.
What is Google Analytics 4?
GA4 is the latest evolution of Google’s analytics platform, offering cutting-edge features and insights to supercharge your online strategies. It provides a more holistic view of user interactions, advanced event tracking, enhanced cross-device reporting, and machine learning-powered insights.
Next Steps
FAQ's
What’s the short version of how GA4 works?
GA4 uses an event model. Everything is now an ‘event’.
You click something, it is an event: view a page = event, scroll down = event etc.
And each event has a number of properties called parameters (eg the text of the link you clicked on, the URL of the page you viewed, the amount you scrolled etc).
Why is it so different?
Because the web has changed a lot since the first version of Analytics (called Urchin). Google needed to build something that was future proof, respected user consent, adhered to new regulations and, looking forward, will work once third party cookies go away for good. This new method works equally well for apps as well as sites & stores, and is more efficient in terms of data storage.
Do we need to change?
Yes, assuming you want to continue to track user behaviour.
Of course GA4 isn’t the only option out there – there are non-Google options. But GA4 plays well with Google Ads & Looker Studio, so if you’re investing in performance marketing it makes sense to at least test GA4.
Should we replace UA completely?
No! At least not yet.
We recommend that you use BOTH Universal Analytics and GA4 while you can. That way you’ll still have your familiar reports as a backup while you get comfortable with the new interface.
Where are the old reports I’m used to?
Yeah that’s the bad news. They don’t exist. The new UI has a learning curve & requires a different way of thinking about the events that each user took. The good news, there are plenty of free resources: in addition to those listed above check out MeasureSchool’s Youtube channel for some great options.
What does ‘modeled’ data really mean?
If you’re feeling cynical, then you might choose to interpret this as ‘made up data’.
That’s Machine Learning for you… the data you see in GA4 isn’t perfect ‘observable data’ as it was in UA. Instead whenever Google can’t tell exactly what happened (for all the reasons listed above) it uses the power of its Machine Learning (which is among the very best in the world given the talent, data & computing power Google has!) to ‘fill in the gaps’.
This gives them a huge advantage over smaller players & of course ensures that the revenue attributed to your Google Ads investment probably stays healthy!
The downside: this means Google is marking their own homework – and GA4 becomes an algorithmic black box that may have bias built in (we won’t know).
Make it easy for me – What should I do now?
Keep using UA for now.
But prioritise getting a GA4 ‘property’ setup asap for your site.
Start learning how to use the new reports, so that when this is the only version of GA available, you can still answer all the questions you need to, about your marketing investment. As always, please let us know if we can help with the transition for your site.
