{"id":5655,"date":"2022-08-22T10:45:46","date_gmt":"2022-08-22T10:45:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/22\/how-ga4-data-modeling-and-google-ads-work-together\/"},"modified":"2022-08-22T10:45:46","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T10:45:46","slug":"how-ga4-data-modeling-and-google-ads-work-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/22\/how-ga4-data-modeling-and-google-ads-work-together\/","title":{"rendered":"How GA4, data modeling and Google Ads work together"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s a lot going on in the world of Google Analytics 4 right now, as <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-deprecate-universal-analytics-on-july-1-2023-382648\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">July 1<\/a> continues to get closer.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-global-site-tag-386869\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google introduced a new, more flexible tag<\/a> built to work seamlessly with GA4 and Google\u2019s suite of ad platforms, including Google Ads.<\/p>\n<p>Google might have indirectly acknowledged that advertisers have a lot to process when it recently announced that <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-cookies-will-remain-active-on-chrome-until-2024-386766\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cookies will have a longer shelf life on Chrome<\/a> than previously reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This article will break down how paid search marketers need to approach the analytics shift: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The philosophy.<\/li>\n<li>The differences and how to adjust.<\/li>\n<li>The timing for migrating.<\/li>\n<li>And a reporting workaround to replace some insights you\u2019d otherwise lose in moving from UA to GA4.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/22\/how-ga4-data-modeling-and-google-ads-work-together\/#A_new_age_of_marketing_analytics\" >A new age of marketing analytics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/22\/how-ga4-data-modeling-and-google-ads-work-together\/#One_big_data_difference_Events_vs_Goals\" >One big data difference: Events vs. Goals<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/22\/how-ga4-data-modeling-and-google-ads-work-together\/#Other_differences_in_data\" >Other differences in data<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/22\/how-ga4-data-modeling-and-google-ads-work-together\/#Next_steps_3_things_paid_search_marketers_can_do_now\" >Next steps: 3 things paid search marketers can do now<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/22\/how-ga4-data-modeling-and-google-ads-work-together\/#1_Decide_on_a_full_data_picture\" >1. Decide on a full data picture<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/22\/how-ga4-data-modeling-and-google-ads-work-together\/#2_Get_your_migration_on\" >2. Get your migration on\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/22\/how-ga4-data-modeling-and-google-ads-work-together\/#3_Set_up_new_reporting\" >3. Set up new reporting<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/22\/how-ga4-data-modeling-and-google-ads-work-together\/#The_saga_continues%E2%80%A6\" >The saga continues\u2026<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_new_age_of_marketing_analytics\"><\/span>A new age of marketing analytics<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>iOS14, CCPA, GDPR \u2013 all of these acronyms have put fear in the hearts of marketers over the past few years. <\/p>\n<p>Collectively, they\u2019ve moved the marketing world into an age of user privacy by severely reducing things like automatic cookie tracking and in-app activity tracking in marketers\u2019 data portfolios.<\/p>\n<p>To make up for losing reliable data collection mechanics and tying actions back to specific users, Google is moving quickly to a future of <strong>data modeling<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Essentially, the search engine uses AI to fill in data gaps left by privacy regulations, browser limitations and obscured cross-device behavior.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Data modeling in GA4 doesn\u2019t include any offsite data unless you take the effort to implement it (more on that in a bit), but it does include all sources of traffic and engagement, not just Google sources.<\/p>\n<p>One attribute of Google\u2019s analytics shift is that it\u2019s designed to be flexible and should be relatively easy to adapt depending on how the landscape shifts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>GA4 relies heavily on first-party data, which is something you own and will always be able to access. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a more flexible, customizable reporting setup than UA (which is both good and bad in that you need more resources to set it up, but it\u2019s got a lot more potential for rich insights). <\/p>\n<p>Combine that with the new tag, which doesn\u2019t require nearly as much code or customization, and you can see that Google is setting up a future where marketers will be able to self-serve to get all kinds of data that can help them optimize their campaigns.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"One_big_data_difference_Events_vs_Goals\"><\/span>One big data difference: Events vs. Goals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re making Google Ads decisions based on data like sessions and pageviews, it\u2019s time to shift your strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>GA4 is replacing those with Events, which means secondary metrics like bounce rate (as we know it), time on site, and pages per session won\u2019t be available to you for much longer.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, GA4 is introducing new metrics including \u201cEngaged sessions\u201d, which at this point can mean anything from a session longer than 10 seconds to a session that ended in a conversion to a session where the user bounced back and forth between screens.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As I see it, that can be directionally useful in determining whether a channel has a relatively high or low proportion of engaged users.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Another new metric, which I consider about as significant, is \u201cUser engagement,\u201d which <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/analytics\/answer\/10999789?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google describes<\/a> as \u201cthe average length of time that the app was in the foreground or the website focused on the browser.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_differences_in_data\"><\/span>Other differences in data<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When you\u2019re preparing to migrate your audiences from UA to GA4, know that not all dimensions will translate.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For instance, \u201csession\u201d-related dimensions like next page path won\u2019t port over because GA4 is measuring sessions differently.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That said, GA4 is built to let you customize the dimensions you find important, so you\u2019ll be able to recreate those insights on your own.<\/p>\n<p>One more change to note, while we\u2019re on the topic of audiences, is that GA4 is limiting each property to 100 audiences, a huge reduction from UA\u2019s cap of 2,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve personally never pulled more than 200 audiences per property, but if you have, say, a ton of remarketing audiences built around GA metrics, you may have to consider paying for GA360. (If I had to guess, I\u2019d say this won\u2019t be a widespread issue, or Google wouldn\u2019t have been so aggressive about curtailing the limit.)<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Next_steps_3_things_paid_search_marketers_can_do_now\"><\/span>Next steps: 3 things paid search marketers can do now<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Decide_on_a_full_data_picture\"><\/span>1. Decide on a full data picture<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Overall, marketers should be orienting their analytics around business outcomes, not just a conversion firing on a page.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s smart to start measuring in terms of things like revenue and how much you can attribute to advertising. <\/p>\n<p>For that, no matter how good your setup in either GA4 or Google Ads, you need to integrate offline conversion data and make sure your CRM data is part of the puzzle.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m currently setting up testing how effective it is to import offline conversion data into GA4 via device ID or user ID. <\/p>\n<p>My suspicion is that it won\u2019t be perfect yet, and there will be data gaps, but the exercise of setting up the different data sources will pay off over time as the data modeling improves.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Get_your_migration_on\"><\/span>2. Get your migration on\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Marketers don\u2019t like change any more than the average bear, but there\u2019s no sense in putting off the inevitable. <\/p>\n<p>The sooner you set up GA4, the sooner you\u2019ll be able to get a relatively clean year-over-year comparison in 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The issue won\u2019t rear its head immediately. You want to set it up now so you won\u2019t have a data gap for Q4 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You could still compare GA4 to UA data next year if you really found yourself in a pickle, but you\u2019d have to do a lot of work in Data Studio, and it wouldn\u2019t be apples to apples. <\/p>\n<p>So set it up now to get all the Q4 data for YoY\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Set_up_new_reporting\"><\/span>3. Set up new reporting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One benefit of digging into GA4 now is that you\u2019ll be able to scope out the reports you need to re-build.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I noticed pretty quickly, for instance, that you can\u2019t create rules in GA4 to remove non-Google UTM tracking (like HubSpot parameters), so you need to get Data Studio involved to clean up a landing page report so you\u2019re not muddling through thousands of rows (each unique parameter breaks out a page).<\/p>\n<p>GA4 won\u2019t let you strip tracking info from URLs and then calculate CVR, whether based on users or views. But doing this cleanup allows you to see top-converting LPs, for paid traffic or all traffic.<\/p>\n<p>So instead of this legacy view:<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/legacy-data-800x360.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of legacy data in GA4.\" class=\"wp-image-387294\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2026you get something a lot more useful:<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"323\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/cleaned-up-data-800x323.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of cleaned-up data in GA4.\" class=\"wp-image-387295\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>To create the clean landing page view:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Select Add <em>Dimension<\/em> &gt; <em>Create Field<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>RegEx and enter <strong><code>REGEXP_REPLACE(Page path + query string,'\\?.+', '')<\/code><\/strong> in the formula field.<\/li>\n<li>Pull in <em>Views<\/em> and <em>Conversions<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>Create a calculated field for your conversion rate. I used <em>Views<\/em> and <em>Conversions<\/em> (Conversions\/Views).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>I guarantee that\u2019s the tip of the iceberg\u2026 the more we play around, the more we\u2019ll realize we\u2019re either missing or have the opportunity to improve in GA4.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_saga_continues%E2%80%A6\"><\/span>The saga continues\u2026<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As you can tell, we\u2019re still learning about the full capability of GA4 and how to reflect it in Google Ads campaigns.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Over the coming months, as the July 1, 2023 deadline approaches and more marketers muster up the courage to start the transition to GA4, I expect more best practices to circulate.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/ga4-data-modeling-google-ads-work-together-387292\" target=\"_blank\">How GA4, data modeling and Google Ads work together<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s a lot going on in the world of Google Analytics 4 right now, as July 1 continues to get closer. Earlier this month, Google introduced a new, more flexible tag built to work seamlessly with GA4 and Google\u2019s suite of ad platforms, including Google Ads. Google might have indirectly acknowledged that advertisers have a lot to process when it recently announced that cookies will have a longer shelf life on Chrome than previously reported.\u00a0 This article will break down how paid search marketers need to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5655\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}