Google Analytics 4, or GA4 for short, is the official website analytics tool from Google. It’s Google’s replacement for Universal Analytics (UA), which the search giant sunsetted in July of 2023, and Google Analytics 360, which will stop processing new data as of July 2024.
With GA4, you can not only track traffic and conversions from your website, but you can track the same data from your iOS and Android apps, too. And, you can track key events and user behavior across the entire customer journey. Plus, GA4 boasts increased privacy and advanced, predictive analytics powered by Google’s powerful machine learning model.
If part of your 2024 SEO checklist includes making the move from UA to GA4, read on. We share some of the key changes coming to the platform and direct you toward the best GA4 tutorials.
Sections
Key changes coming to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
As with any change in life, there’s good news and bad news when it comes to GA4. The good news is all of the exciting updates we mentioned in the introduction, from a more holistic view of your customer journey to increased privacy and control over your data.
The bad news is that everything you used to do in Google Analytics now has a new home. Google seemed to give everything a new name and a new place. Rest assured: many of the reports you loved are still there. But, since GA4 collects data differently than Universal Analytics did, you’ll need to do a bit of hunting to find them in the new platform.
Here’s a quick overview of the major name and location changes in Google Analytics 4. In GA4, reports are grouped into two main sections: Life cycle and User.
- The Audience report in UA is now available under User > Demographics.
- The Acquisition report in UA is now available under Life cycle > Acquisition.
- The Behavior report in UA is now available under Life cycle > Engagement.
- The Conversions report in UA is now available under Life cycle > Monetization.
In addition to moving some reports around, Google also changed up the names of several metrics in the move to GA4. Here is a list of some of the most-watched metrics in UA and their new equivalent in GA4. You’ll note the increased focus on user engagement in these new GA4 metrics.
- UA’s Bounce Rate is now Engagement Rate in GA4 (this one is actually the inverse of bounce rate)
- UA’s Avg. Session Duration is now Average Engagement Time per Session in GA4
- UA’s Pages per Visit is now Events per Session or Engaged Sessions per User in GA4
- UA’s Pageviews is now Views (Pageviews + Screenviews) in GA4
- UA’s Pages per Session is now Views per User in GA4
The first two metrics can be found in the Acquisition report, while the last three can be found in the Engagement report.
More GA4 tutorials and Google Analytics resources
If you want to dive in deeper on GA4, Google’s got you. The company offers free training courses and videos to help you get fully up to speed on Google Analytics 4. From their training page, you can find GA4 tutorials like:
- Google Developers for Analytics, which includes GA4 documentation, demos, and tools geared towards developers
- Analytics Demo Account, a fully functional GA4 account you can explore to get used to the platform without risking any of your own data
- Skillshop, which offers free online courses on GA4 so you can learn on your own pace
- Training videos, including a YouTube series which offers step-by-step tutorials on how to complete specific tasks in GA4
Pro Tip: You can even use the Search bar within Google Analytics 4 to look up support articles on a particular topic! Just click the magnifying glass at the top of the page.
Your business and Google Analytics 4
GA4 marks a major step forward in digital marketing analytics and reporting. To get the most out of your data, contact the reporting exports at Your Marketing People. From GA4 setup and training to custom reporting and alerts, we’re here to help you see what you want to see — and take action to grow your business.
