What is the difference between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics?

Posted on by Cathy Edison

How to switch from UA to GA4:

If you still need to upgrade your analytics platform from Google Universal Analytics (UA) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), here are the steps you should follow:

  1. Download the last six months of data from your Universal Analytics account to save your history and have a baseline to compare to.
  2. Create a new GA4 property in your Google Analytics account.
  3. Install the GA4 global site tag on all your website pages.
  4. Set up your data streams in GA4.
  5. Configure your events and conversions in GA4.

Now, let’s look at the differences between GA4 and Universal Analytics.

The main differences between GA4 and UA are:

  1. GA4 uses an event-based tracking system, while UA uses a session-based one.
  2. GA4 introduces metrics like engagement rate, sessions, and scroll depth.
  3. The user interface of GA4 is more user-friendly and easier to navigate than UA.
  4. GA4 provides more in-depth insights into user behavior with its cross-device tracking, machine learning, and real-time reporting features.
  5. GA4 offers customization options and allows you to create custom dimensions and metrics without additional coding.
Universal Analytics vs Google Analytics 4 Hot dog Marketing

Now, let’s discuss why GA4 will be an improvement over UA.

GA4 provides a more comprehensive understanding of user behavior by tracking user interactions more granularly. With GA4’s event-based tracking system, you can track every user interaction, including button clicks, form submissions, and video views. This level of granularity allows you to gain deeper insights into user behavior and optimize your website accordingly.

Additionally, GA4’s machine-learning capabilities provide more accurate and actionable insights into user behavior. The machine learning models use predictive analytics to identify patterns and trends in user behavior and share recommendations for optimizing your website to improve user engagement and conversions.

In conclusion, upgrading to GA4 from Universal Analytics is necessary for any digital marketing manager who wants to gain deeper insights into user behavior and optimize their website accordingly. With its event-based tracking system, machine learning capabilities, and real-time reporting features, GA4 provides a more comprehensive understanding of user behavior. It allows you to make data-driven decisions to improve your website’s performance.

If you are interested in getting analysis on your website to see if it’s time to look at updating or if you just need help determining if your GA4 data has been connected or not, reach out below.

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