If you are in digital marketing, then for sure you have already heard of Google Analytics 4 (GA4). It is a powerful marketing tool that the search engine giant launched back in 2021 that has made shockwaves in the analytics game.
However, for some of us, it is still a mystery. You could even say that only analytics specialists can make heads or tails of it.
But, worry not, we put together this Google Analytics 4 guide to help demystify the mystery around it and get you started on your journey to leverage it for your business’s growth.
TLDR: What is GA4 and Other Things You Need to Know
- It is the latest generation of Google’s web analytics tools that preceded Universal Analytics.
- It uses a machine-learning algorithm to provide insights and spot trends that you might have missed.
- It is an event-based data model that tracks every user interaction as an event.
- It is designed to be multi-platform to track every user interaction across your website, apps, and other digital channels.
What is the difference between GA4 and UA?
While Universal Analytics is a powerful analytics tool, its capabilities are not up to par with the needs and demands of the modern web. In fact, it was developed before the concept of Web3 was first introduced.
To save you the hassle, we made a simple comparison between GA4 and UA to give you a better idea of Google’s latest power tool.
| Features | GA4 | UA |
| Data Model | Event-based | Session-based |
| Cross-Platform Tracking | Robust | Limited |
| Machine Learning Enabled | YES | NO |
| Web3-Friendly Features | Some | None |
| Privacy | Designed with privacy in mind | NOT designed with privacy in mind |
A Dummy’s Google Analytics 4 Guide to Level up Your Digital Marketing Campaign
Now that you have a better idea, let us get to the finest parts of this article.
The Best of GA4
First off, we wanted to discuss what makes this tool so great.
Deeper Integration with Google Ads
Actually, it is not just Google Ads, the tech giant really listened to the needs of digital marketers and took integration a step further:
- YouTube Ads
- Other Social Media Platforms
Customer-Centric Tracking
Another big change is that performance tracking is no longer fragmented between devices and platforms.
It follows every customer’s action from every touch point (like your website and social channels). And it uses multiple identity spaces to give you a complete view into how each person interacts with your business.
Simplified Reporting
Google expanded the marketing funnel tracking and made sure to keep it pretty simple with the new section, “Life Cycle.”
- Acquisition
- Engagement
- Monetization
- Retention
They also added an “Analysis” section that provides you with an array of reporting templates to give you an in-depth look into your conversion funnel.
New Data Controls
One of the best things about GA4 is that it has a more granular approach to privacy controls for collecting, retaining, analyzing, and the user data. Moreover, they developed it with the intent not to use cookies or identifiers.
Always Remember These GA4 Best Practices
With that said, we also have a checklist of GA4’s best practices that you should definitely do when you set it up. This is to ensure that you consistently get accurate data and great results.
Moreover, Google already has an easy step-by-step guide to set up your Google Analytics 4. So, we wanted to supplement it instead.
GA4 Account Settings
- Check basic settings like your account name and country of business.
- Set up data-sharing preferences to save yourself the hassle later.
- Manage account access already during setup and add involved parties complete with their specific roles and data restrictions.
- Monitor for any account changes.
- Use the rubbish bin cautiously, keep in mind that deleted items can be restored within 35 days only.
GA4 Property Settings
- Double-check property details like name, industry category, reporting time zone, and currency.
- Ensure you have the correct property access management and data restrictions for every user and role.
- Activate Google Signals for cross-device reporting, remarketing, and conversion export to Google Ads.
- Adjust data retention settings to store user-level and event-level data for an appropriate period. We recommend setting it up for 14 months.
- Apply internal traffic filters to exclude irrelevant traffic from reports.
- Link your GA4 property to other tools like Google Ads and other tools like (Search Console, BigQuery, and Merchant Center) to get comprehensive insights.
Unwanted Referrals
- Double-check and exclude unwanted referrals to ensure you get accurate traffic source reports.
- Specify conditions for unwanted referrals, such as excluding payment processors.
Reporting Identity
- Take the time to understand the impact of each method on user identification and data modeling.
- Choose a reporting identity method, such as Blended (user ID, Google Signals, device ID), Observed (user ID, Google Signals), or Device-based (device ID), that works for you and your team.
Attribution Settings
- Take the time to select an attribution model that suits your needs: cross-channel rules-based models, Ads-preferred rules-based models, or data-driven attribution.
- Define the lookback window to determine how far back-in-time touchpoints are. We recommend 30 days for acquisition events and 90 days for other events.
Tips and Tricks to Rock GA4 With Ease
Last, but not least, we also have a couple of advanced GA4 tips and tricks to really maximize its potential and help you master it a lot faster.
Blended Reporting Identity
The first tip is learning how G4A identifies users. Understanding this enables you to better track every user interaction and get better insights to convert them into paying customers.
GA4 has a blended reporting option that uses multiple IDs. To give you a better idea of which one works for best you, here are brief descriptions for each one:
- Google Signals — User information instead of user IDs to track every user activity on your website and across devices and apps.
- Device ID — A unique identifier for each device that visited your website or app.
- Modeling — An alternative ID that Google uses to identify users when Google Signals and Device ID are not available.
Device-Based Reporting Identity
Still, on user IDs, another way that Google Analytics tracks every user is through their device. To be specific, it actually uses first-party cookies.
However, it is important to note that while these are stored and can be a helpful identifier it is not guaranteed to be permanent since users can clear their cookie—effectively deleting their ‘device ID’.
Test with Google Optimize and GA4
The next tip we have involves Google Optimize, a free tool that enables you to do A/B multi-variant tests.
Since these two are integrated, you can conduct tests on the Optimize and see an in-depth analysis on the Analytics. This just makes Google’s suite of tools a lot more convenient for you.
Another Pro tip: If you have a set of parameters for an event, make sure to set ‘custom dimension’ on GA4. If you miss this step, you will not be able to get an accurate analysis or your personalized components on Optimize.
Attribution Scope
Attribution is one of the best features that Google Analytics possesses—a fundamental reason why it is a fan-favorite among marketers.
For GA4, you can now change it from its default model. Here are the three basic components of attribution to keep in mind.
- Attribution at an event level.
- Attribution at session level.
- Attribution at the user level.
Find the Data from Attribution Models
While it is a bit more confusing than the default session-scoped attribution, this you more control over the type of information you are looking for.
With that said, if you are running a marketing campaign and want to know which touchpoints are performing best then opt for data-driven attribution (DDA). While it is not available for your standard GA4 report, you can access it in two ways:
One, go to the ‘Advertising’ section and you will see reports that are set in fractions. Two, you can also go to the ‘Engagement’ section and then to ‘Conversion’ to see event-level attribution reports which are set in decimals.
Conclusion
GA4 is a powerhouse tool that can definitely take your campaigns to the next level with the insight it provides you. While its suite of features is a lot more extensive than its predecessor and somewhat complicated, we hope this article dispelled some of the confusion so you can confidently use it for your business.
Guest article written by: Flexi Digital Marketing is a dynamic and forward-thinking company dedicated to empowering individuals and small businesses through comprehensive digital marketing solutions. Established with a passion for innovation and a commitment to excellence, we have become a trusted partner for those seeking to thrive in the ever-evolving digital realm.