Did you forget to complete the Google Analytics 4 (GA4) setup of your properties prior to the July 1st Universal Analytics (UA) retirement?
Today we begin the Universal Analytics shutdown and welcome to Google Analytics 4. This won’t happen overnight, so some Universal Analytics properties may continue to process data. However, all properties have now been added to the queue, and those that haven’t yet…
– Google Analytics (@googleanalytics) July 1, 2023
If so, Google Analytics may have created a new GA4 property for you based on your UA Properties settings when the countdown timer hit zero at midnight.
Screenshot from Google Analytics, July 2023Alternatively, you may see a message at the top of your Google Analytics dashboard prompting you to complete the GA4 setup:
Screenshot from Google Analytics, July 2023No matter what state you found your Google Analytics in today, there is no need to panic. We are here for you!
Google Analytics 4 guides
The following GA4 resources are intended to help ease the forced migration from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4.
How to set up, read and use Google Analytics 4 correctly
In this upcoming webinar on July 12, Drew Blumenthal, Founder and CEO of Digital Drew SEM, will show you how to:
- Set up GA4 right so you don’t miss out on key benefits.
- Read and understand the new standard GA4 reports.
- Apply this information to improve your strategy going forward.
You’ll also get a detailed explanation of the new metrics that matter most to your business.
Automatically created Google Analytics 4 properties
This article informs Google Analytics users that they should switch before July 1, 2023 due to the replacement of UA with GA4.
Should users decide against the switch, Google offers to support the user by automatically creating a GA4 property and copying the settings from Universal Analytics, unless the user rejects the switch.
However, it is recommended to manually migrate the settings for more accurate configuration.
The page also provides detailed instructions on disabling automatic settings creation and management if you have already created a GA4 property. It is emphasized that the GA4 automated properties have only basic functions, which encourages users to explore and set up additional functions according to their needs.
Switch to Google Analytics 4
This page contains tips and tools specific to GA4 migration, including the GA4 setup wizard and migration tool for targets, users, and Google Ads links.
It also covers advanced setup requirements, which include mapping custom events, migrating ecommerce measurements, importing data, linking to BigQuery, using user IDs for cross-platform reports, using the measurement log, and referencing a Guides for matching Universal Analytics features to GA4 features include .
7 Common Google Analytics 4 Configuration Mistakes to Avoid
This article examines common GA4 configuration errors that can cause you to lose historical data, impact data reliability, and skew your conversion tracking.
Now that you understand the potential pitfalls, you can ensure your website analytics are collecting accurate data you can trust for business intelligence.
Introducing the next generation of analytics
Here Google presents GA4 as a further development of analytics. Unlike the session-based data used by the now-deprecated UA, GA4 focuses on events and integrates privacy features, including cookie-less tracking and behavioral modeling.
Additionally, GA4 has predictive analytics without the need for complicated models and integrates directly with media platforms to enable targeted actions on your website or app.
First, find the best steps to get started with Google Analytics 4. Then, read guides on GA4 events, conversions, lead generation, reporting, ecommerce, and more.
Google Analytics 4 event tracking: How to set it up
While GA4 automatically collects information about basic events like clicks, downloads, and page views, custom event tracking can be customized to collect broader data about visitor activity on your website.
This guide tells you what you need to know to set up custom event tracking in GA4 manually.
A step-by-step guide to creating segments and audiences in GA4 with examples
The article provides a step-by-step guide to creating segments and audiences in Google Analytics 4, highlighting the improved audience building capabilities and the ability to analyze user behavior across multiple devices.
It also explains the differences between segments and audiences and provides examples of user, session, and event segments.
GA4: The good, the bad, and the alternatives
This analysis examines the pros and cons of using GA4, as well as alternatives to Google, which can help you track your website visitors to support your marketing and advertising strategies.
The latest news on Google Analytics
In addition to the above guides, below we’ll cover the latest Google Analytics 4 developments that might help you decide whether to move to GA4 or explore alternatives.
According to BuiltWith, 50% or more of the top websites use Google Analytics. Recent data from the technology search service showed that a total of nearly 38 million live websites use Google Analytics, but only 11 million live websites use Google Analytics 4.
Keep calm, stay tuned
The transition from UA to GA4 might seem challenging, but there’s no reason it should bring drama into your life. Unless you find drama entertaining.
But seriously, GA4 could bring numerous benefits and advanced features for marketers and analysts, with a more flexible audience builder, combined data from web and app views, and the ability to create rich user profiles across devices to generate valuable insights to deliver.
Despite the initial learning curve, the adoption of GA4 allows organizations to gain a deeper understanding of user behavior, optimize marketing strategies, and make data-driven decisions for better long-term results.
We hope these resources will make the transition to the new version of Google Analytics easier!
Featured image: sdx15/Shutterstock
