Google’s Transition to GA4

You may have heard some buzz around Google Analytics and the transition from Universal Analytics (UA) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4). And now, like many of our clients, you’re probably wondering, “Eek, what does this mean for my business,” or “Great, what should I be doing to make this transition as smooth as possible?“

The short answer is, “Don’t worry, we’re here to help!” But here’s a quick summary of what’s happening, what it means and what you can do.

What’s the big deal?

• On July 1st, Google will be sunsetting UA and transitioning to GA4. After July 1, 2023, you’ll be able to access your previously processed data in your UA property for at least six months, however no new data will be processed.

Why Google is doing this:

• UA was created when users primarily accessed the internet via their desktop computer. While UA can measure mobile and app, there isn’t the ability to analyze multiple channels holistically.
• GA4 was designed to help remedy that problem and improve privacy standards in collecting measurements.

Benefits of GA4:

• Measure website and apps within a single view
• Gain optimization insights from machine learning algorithms
• Greater user privacy, as GA4 doesn’t rely on cookies
  • GA4 is GDPR compliant, giving advertisers who do business outside of the US a better understanding of how users are interacting (and converting) on their properties
• No more need to set up complex tracking methods for important metrics! Events (outlined below) will be auto recognized and tagged:
  • Page views
  • Scrolls
  • Outbound clicks
  • In-site searches
  • Video engagement metrics
  • File downloads

What this means for you:

• After July 1st, there won’t be any new data flowing into Google Universal Analytics
• Accounts will need to be migrated to GA4 before July 1st, 2023
  • Note that advertisers using Google 360 will have a few more months to make the shift

What you should do now:

• While data will be available for six months, we encourage you to export any historical reports you may need from the platform, either by way of manual downloading or API connection

If you need help during this transition, are interested in learning more about GA4, or would like to learn more about our media capabilities at KC Truth please reach out to our Director of Business Development, Amber Luebke at aluebke@kctruth.com.