What is Google Analytics 4 and why you should use it
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 8:52 am
Google Analytics 4 is the latest version of Google Analytics. It's a completely new generation of web analytics that allows marketers to effectively analyze important metrics, not just track traffic.
Google Analytics 4 tracks the entire customer journey across multiple platforms and uses AI and machine learning to provide more detailed insight into how users interact with your website or app.
Google Analytics lets you measure data from mobile apps and websites in one place. Even if you don’t have a mobile app, Google recommends that you create and use a Google Analytics 4 property and run it alongside your Universal Analytics property.
The GA4 view UI looks similar to the Google Analytics for Firebase UI (since GA4 is built on top of that tool).
At first glance, the Google Analytics 4 view may look a bit strange because many of the reports and data you are familiar with from GA3 are gone. They have been removed or replaced. You won’t see many of the reports in GA4 that you are familiar with from the previous version.
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What are the differences between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics?
The biggest difference between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics is that GA4 allows you to report on activity across both websites and apps. There are a number of other differences, including:
Different account structure in GA4
In GA3, an account consisted of properties and views, whereas in the new skype database version of GA, an account consists of properties and streams. A single Google Analytics 4 account can have multiple properties, while a given property can have multiple streams. A stream can be a website or a mobile app. An app data stream can be further divided into IOS and Android app data streams.
account structure in GA4 and GA3
account structure in GA4 and GA3
Google Analytics 4 has a new panel
The first change you’ll notice is the completely new look of the dashboard. It’s more streamlined, and many of the reports you’re used to are gone or moved. The left-hand navigation bar has buttons that take you to the home page, reports, exploration, ads, configuration, and library.
Google Analytics Dashboard 4
Google Analytics Dashboard 4
GA4 measurement is event-based
In Universal Analytics, measurement was mainly based on views, while in Google Analytics 4 it is based on events. In Universal Analytics, an event was something different than in GA4, it was an action on the page that the user could perform. In GA4, everything is an event by default, e.g. page_view, which has different parameters.
Google Analytics 4 tracks the entire customer journey across multiple platforms and uses AI and machine learning to provide more detailed insight into how users interact with your website or app.
Google Analytics lets you measure data from mobile apps and websites in one place. Even if you don’t have a mobile app, Google recommends that you create and use a Google Analytics 4 property and run it alongside your Universal Analytics property.
The GA4 view UI looks similar to the Google Analytics for Firebase UI (since GA4 is built on top of that tool).
At first glance, the Google Analytics 4 view may look a bit strange because many of the reports and data you are familiar with from GA3 are gone. They have been removed or replaced. You won’t see many of the reports in GA4 that you are familiar with from the previous version.
Let's talk about advertising your business on the Internet
Contact us!
What are the differences between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics?
The biggest difference between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics is that GA4 allows you to report on activity across both websites and apps. There are a number of other differences, including:
Different account structure in GA4
In GA3, an account consisted of properties and views, whereas in the new skype database version of GA, an account consists of properties and streams. A single Google Analytics 4 account can have multiple properties, while a given property can have multiple streams. A stream can be a website or a mobile app. An app data stream can be further divided into IOS and Android app data streams.
account structure in GA4 and GA3
account structure in GA4 and GA3
Google Analytics 4 has a new panel
The first change you’ll notice is the completely new look of the dashboard. It’s more streamlined, and many of the reports you’re used to are gone or moved. The left-hand navigation bar has buttons that take you to the home page, reports, exploration, ads, configuration, and library.
Google Analytics Dashboard 4
Google Analytics Dashboard 4
GA4 measurement is event-based
In Universal Analytics, measurement was mainly based on views, while in Google Analytics 4 it is based on events. In Universal Analytics, an event was something different than in GA4, it was an action on the page that the user could perform. In GA4, everything is an event by default, e.g. page_view, which has different parameters.