A Change to GA4: The Time is Now

You've likely heard the hullabaloo regarding Google's transition from Universal Analytics (UA) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4). This marks the search giant's fourth evolution in data analysis, as it refines advertisers' ability to measure user behaviors and engagements. That means some distinct changes from the current Universal Analytics.

This marks the search giant's fourth evolution in data analysis, as it refines advertisers' ability to measure user behaviors and engagements.

The When and Why of GA4

While Google has set a sunset date of July 1st, 2023, for Universal Analytics, it's important that you make the switch to GA4 now to begin collecting historical data. Consider July 1st a digital marketers' event horizon: the point of no return when your goals will no longer function and you'll no longer be able to access data from prior years.

Side Note: You are likely using Universal Analytics if you created your Google Analytics property before October 14th, 2020; however, if you set it up after October 14th, 2020, you may already be using GA4. Please check with your internal team or agency partner to be certain.

Why has Google made this change?

Russell Ketchum, Google's Director of Product Management, has said, "In today's measurement landscape, businesses need to navigate new challenges to understand the complex, multi-platform journeys of their customers — all while prioritizing user privacy."

GA4 will allow "businesses to see unified user journeys across their websites and apps, use Google's machine learning technology to surface and predict new insights, and most importantly, it's built to keep up with a changing ecosystem."

Customer journeys are no longer linear, singular, or simple; instead, they are nuanced and complex with varied paths to purchase. Changes to GA4 will help marketers with attribution and give them a clearer picture of multiple customer touchpoints so they can replicate digital marketing success.

We're Here to Help

If you need more context around GA4, please reach out to our team at hello@silverbackadvertising.com

Next week, we will continue our dive into GA4 with a 10,000-foot view of significant changes to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that GA4 will herald.