Google Analytics 4 has been out since October 2021, with plenty of time for the platform to prove its staying power.
While the original Analytics is still in use, Google Analytics 4 is the new default and self-styled “next generation” version of the platform. Don’t worry: You’re not the last company to get with the program. In fact, there’s no better time than now to get to know everything this new version of Google Analytics has to offer.
What is Google Analytics?
First, let’s cover the basics of Google Analytics.
Google’s Analytics service has been around for almost two decades, since 2005. In that time, it’s risen to become the most widely used web analytics tool in the world.
But what is web analytics? It’s no secret by now that every time you visit a website, click through an email link, or interact with an app, you create user data. This information is incredibly precious to a company. For example, it can illuminate which pain points are hitting the hardest or which campaigns are converting the most clients.
By utilizing this information, a business can take the guesswork out of its marketing strategy. With this data, the company can reach its ideal customer and understand every step of that customer’s journey. And at Full Circle SEM, we know that more data means a better understanding of the customer and business.
How is Google Analytics 4 Different?
Data analytics have come a long way since the days of 2005. Google Analytics 4 reflects these changes with an entirely revamped structure and collection scheme.
There are a lot of new designs included with a property in Google Analytics 4. Here are some of the largest—and most consequential—changes that Google has made with this restructuring.
- Events In, Sessions Out: It used to be that a user’s session would be the primary data point in an analytics scheme, tracking multiple steps and clicks through the webpage. With Google Analytics 4, that’s no longer the case. By more closely tracking single user interactions, you can access an even deeper understanding of your customer base.
- Cross-Platform Analysis: This is another benefit that comes along with events-based data collection. With users interacting with companies from web browsers, mobile phones, and native apps, it’s more important than ever that you have a sense of how people are reaching you. With cross-platform analysis enabled, that’s now something you can do.
- AI-Powered Flexibility and Prediction Capabilities: Perhaps one of the most consequential changes of Google Analytics 4 is how the property empowers AI. With smart automation and insights powered by machine learning, you’ll spend less time than ever learning more than ever about how your business operates.
Is the Switch to Google Analytics 4 Worth It?
Setting up a Google Analytics property might seem at first like a big commitment of your business’s time and resources. And you’re not wrong. It’s worth it to ask if this “next generation” tech is a value-adding solution or a newfangled complication to your business process.
So we’ll level with you: Yes, Google Analytics 4 is absolutely worth the time investment.
Can’t bear to let go of your current solution? Don’t worry. Setting up Google Analytics 4 doesn’t have to happen overnight or abandon what’s currently working for you. But you must plan for the future, and Google has clearly signaled that Google Analytics 4 is the future.
More importantly, setting up the property means you can start taking advantage of its data collection and machine learning features. And as we at Full Circle SEM know all too well, some additional data going into your marketing strategy and customer outreach never hurts. (We are, of course, a data-driven marketing company.)
Get a Complete Picture with Full Circle SEM, a Fort Lauderdale SEM Agency
Your website is collecting an entire world of information about your customers and prospects, whether or not you’re making the most of it. Full Circle SEM is a Fort Lauderdale SEM agency that can help you leverage this data with Google Analytics 4 implementation or any of our web analytics services. Fueled by a powerhouse team of data-driven geeks and creative rocketeers, Full Circle SEM can help your business execute a solid and comprehensive online marketing strategy.
Ready to see the full picture for your brand? Call us or contact us online to get started.
