The main advantages compared to the previous version were:
- more control over the Google Analytics settings,
- timeouts for each session and campaign,
- the ability to exclude referrals or search terms, and
- custom dimensions and metrics.
But technology is advancing fast, including Google Analytics. The new version is known as Google Analytics 4 (or Google Analytics App+Web). However, itâs important to note that Google Analytics 4 is not entirely replacing Universal Analytics. Collecting the data from both analytical tools will give a more comprehensive picture of interactions with your website and your app.
Now letâs zoom in to this latest Google Analytics version and find out how capable it is to provide marketing insights and whether itâs still worth keeping the previous version.
Meet Google Analytics 4: Whatâs New?
Comparing to Universal Analytics, there are some major enhancements:
- More machine learning. With no more third-party cookies, analytics tools will need to rely more and more on machine learning modeling to cover the data gaps and attribute the data correctly. Thankfully, the ML-based insights were launched a while ago, so weâve had a considerable learning period to hope for a smooth and accurate enough performance of automated insights, predictions, and smart attribution.
- With new event measurement, you will see more details of the user journey on your website. The data is event-driven. And the data streaming service lets the same metrics and dimensions show both the web and the app data. So you track the path of your visitor more accurately.
- No code. Yay! The no code trend has come to Google Analytics 4 as well. No more adding pieces of code or additions setups in GTM before you can start tracking on-site and in-app actions.
- The new âLifecycleâ section enables attention to new engagements. And retention overview helps analyze the websiteâs or appâs ability to retain visitors. âLifecycleâ section divides the analysis and enables creating reports on Acquisition, Engagement, Monetization, and Retention. You also get access to predictive metrics.
- Enhanced ad campaigns. With Google Analytics 4 audience builder, you will be able to set the campaign audiencesâ parameters more precisely. As a result, the ad becomes more efficient, and the purchase conversion impressively grows. For example, the repetition of advertisements after purchasing the product is one of the typical ad issues. When you use the new Google analytics features correctly, youâll avoid it and other targeting mistakes. As a result, the marketing campaigns will work for both the income and the brand reputation.
- And while weâre on the topic of Audiences: theyâre getting better integrated with Google Ads. As a result, weâre getting enhanced cross-channel synchronization, with the audience lists updates based on user actions across both web & app.
- User privacy and data controls with more intelligent tracking tools. The opportunity to exclude specific properties from ad personalization makes data collection a more transparent process for both users and programmers. The users are more likely to stay on the website they trust. A more intuitive system of control over the data collected makes your online resources more reliable for all types of users. With fewer cookies, the visitorâs concerns will decrease, leaving more space for interactions with your brand. And the last but not least: thatâs a great option facilitating compliance with GDPR and other related private data protection regulations.
- Future updates. The new analytics updates and features will be focused on Google Analytics 4, so this is the version where youâll get all the improvements, new tools, and first access to new releases.
It also becomes easier to track and optimize ROI with advanced analytical tools.
