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Google Introduces Google Analytics 4: Here’s What You Need to Know


Let’s face it: many of us wouldn’t be able to do business on Google without Google Analytics. Businesses online rely on Google Analytics to understand customer preferences, create great online experiences, and better serve user needs. But as consumer behaviour evolves, so should our analytical software, which is why Google created a new and more intelligent Google Analytics to help businesses obtain better ROI from their long-term marketing.

Google recently announced the launch of Google Analytics 4. GA4 is a new property type that allows for expanded predictive insights, deeper integration with Google Ads, and more granular data controls, making it possible to get a complete view of the customer and derive insight from their data.

The new Google Analytics is a more intelligent GA that builds on the App + Web property that Google introduced in beta last year. With a privacy-centric design, you can rely on Analytics even as the industry changes. Advertisers no longer need to worry about restrictions on cookies and identifiers that create gaps in their data.

Excited? So are we! We break down what to expect from the new and improved GA4 below.

What to expect from Google Analytics 4

New reports available on Google Analytics

Improved insights and predictions

Google Analytics 4 has the capability to automatically notify marketers to data trends, such as providing alerts on a product that shows the most demand. The technology also has new predictive metrics that can predict churn rates and potential revenue one could earn from a specific group of customers. Through this, advertisers can create audiences to reach higher-value customers; understand why they’re likely to spend more than others, and take action to improve one’s results.

A deeper understanding of customer interaction

Google Analytics 4 has deeper integration with Google Ads, allowing advertisers to create audiences that can reach their target customers with more relevant and helpful experiences. For example, when one user in an audience list makes an action on your website and completes a purchase within the app, he/she will be removed from the audience list so that they’re no longer retargeted with ads.

Additionally, Google Analytics 4 will display conversions from YouTube engaged views that occur on the web or in-app in reports. Businesses are now able to quickly measure and understand customer responses and enable advertisers to optimise actions that matter most with customers.

Customer lifecycle-framed reporting

Marketers will gain a deeper understanding of customers across the entire lifecycle, from acquisition to conversion and retention. Google has simplified reporting so marketers can find insights based on the part of the customer journey one wants to review.

For example, marketers can see what channels are driving new customers in the user acquisition report, then look at the engagement and retention reports to identify and study the actions these customers take, and whether or not they stick around after converting.

Track & measure without code

Marketers can now track and measure on-site and in-app in real-time without the need to add code. Unlike in Universal Analytics, event tracking will require additional processing and the data is typically not available until the following day.

More granular controls

Google Analytics 4 offers granular controls for ads personalisation. It lets advertisers choose when to use the data to optimise ads and when to limit data use to measure. Data deletion capabilities are also improved, allowing businesses to comply with deletion requests from users without the need to remove more data than necessary.

Cookie-less Analytics

As the technology landscape evolves, Google’s new Analytics can adapt to a future with or without cookies or identifiers. It uses a flexible approach to measurement, and in the future will include modelling to fill in the gaps wherever data may be incomplete.

Google Analytics New icon

Why it matters to know about the newest GA

Smarter analytics equip businesses and digital marketers to become ready for what comes next. Google Analytics 4 provides predictive features for a more in-depth view of the customer lifecycle. It helps businesses respond to changing customer expectations, comply with regulatory developments, and adapt to changing technology standards for user privacy.

Soon enough, Google Analytics 4 will be the default option when setting up a new property, and Google is furthering its investment to create future improvements. Though Universal Analytics will continue to remain available, Google recommends site owners to set up both property types and run them alongside each other so marketers can benefit from the latest developments and retain their current implementation at the same time.

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Marionne Banaga

Marionne is a walking Cancer stereotype. An emotional water sign, she is sensitive, intuitive, and protective to everyone and everything close to her heart. A self-professed empath, she absorbs everything and cries to every This Is Us episode, unashamed.

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