{"id":6319,"date":"2022-10-11T11:47:34","date_gmt":"2022-10-11T11:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/11\/a-guide-to-google-analytics-4-for-marketing-agencies\/"},"modified":"2022-10-11T11:47:34","modified_gmt":"2022-10-11T11:47:34","slug":"a-guide-to-google-analytics-4-for-marketing-agencies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/11\/a-guide-to-google-analytics-4-for-marketing-agencies\/","title":{"rendered":"A guide to Google Analytics 4 for marketing agencies"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/10\/CallRail-GA4-1920x1080-1-800x450.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" class=\"wp-image-388506\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>On July 1, 2023, Google will move everyone to its latest version, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), and retire Google Analytics 3 (also known as Universal Analytics or UA). While these changes will benefit the average user without any noticeable difference in how they search and browse online, the switch will require significant changes for marketers and businesses.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s everything you need to know about Google Analytics 4, including what it will mean for how you measure marketing activity and conversions, how to get started using GA4 and how to prep your clients for the change.<\/p>\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\/10\/11\/a-guide-to-google-analytics-4-for-marketing-agencies\/#What_is_Google_Analytics_4\" >What is Google Analytics 4?<\/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\/10\/11\/a-guide-to-google-analytics-4-for-marketing-agencies\/#Does_GA4_use_cookies\" >Does GA4 use cookies?<\/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\/10\/11\/a-guide-to-google-analytics-4-for-marketing-agencies\/#GA4_vs_Universal_Analytics\" >GA4 vs. Universal Analytics<\/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\/10\/11\/a-guide-to-google-analytics-4-for-marketing-agencies\/#What_do_I_gain_and_lose_by_upgrading\" >What do I gain and lose by upgrading?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Google_Analytics_4\"><\/span>What is Google Analytics 4?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google Analytics is a staple tool for marketers to track online activity. If you\u2019ve used Google Analytics in the past, GA4 will look familiar.<\/p>\n<p>So what\u2019s the big difference?<\/p>\n<p>GA4 changes how data is collected and reorients the metrics from sessions to events. This combines users\u2019 web and mobile app data to more seamlessly measure their journey across platforms. GA4\u2019s data collection also takes into account the increasing concerns consumers have around privacy and, in particular, cookie tracking.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>GA4 is currently available (and the default if you set up a new property), but many marketers still rely on Universal Analytics. Additionally, since GA4 is still being updated, everyone is in the same boat, learning how to use the new metrics. Companies that integrate with Google Analytics must update their integrations before the July 2023 deadline, and this includes CallRail. We are currently revamping our Google Analytics integration, so you can continue to report on and analyze call data in Google Analytics and provide more insight into visitor interactions than ever before.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_GA4_use_cookies\"><\/span>Does GA4 use cookies?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Yes and no.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve worked in marketing during the past few decades, you know the importance of cookies in helping you measure your goals and advertise your brand. So it might seem jarring to think GA4 is messing with cookies at all.<\/p>\n<p>The short version is that Google Analytics 4 relies on first-party cookies while restricting third-party cookies. GA4 also adds signals to the mix, which is session data from sites and apps that Google associates with users who have signed into their Google accounts and turned on Ads Personalization.<\/p>\n<p>Why is that? Let\u2019s recap what a cookie is first.<\/p>\n<p>Cookies are a way for your computer to remember where you\u2019ve been and what you\u2019ve done on a site and to communicate that back to the site. This makes for a more personalized experience and allows marketers to track engagement.<\/p>\n<p>Third-party cookies are unique because they allow the sites to track users beyond the property. Whole industries grew out of advertising using third-party cookies, but the practice has come under scrutiny from regulators and privacy-conscious consumers. When the European Union\u2019s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) took effect in 2018, it kicked off a shift in the way third-party cookies are treated.<\/p>\n<p>By removing support for third-party cookies, GA4 actually beats Google\u2019s browser, Chrome, to the punch. Chrome, the world\u2019s most popular browser, will end third-party cookie support at the end of 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Privacy isn\u2019t the only reason that GA4 is moving away from third-party cookies. As more people use mobile devices to access the internet, more users are foregoing the web in lieu of apps. In fact, in 2021, 90% of mobile time was spent using apps, not the web. That\u2019s a huge shift, and when paired with the death of third-party cookies, it became clear to Google that Universal Analytics wasn\u2019t built for that reality.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"GA4_vs_Universal_Analytics\"><\/span>GA4 vs. Universal Analytics<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Should I use Universal Analytics or GA4?<\/p>\n<p>For now, you have a choice between GA4 and UA. If you\u2019re setting up a new Google Analytics property, it will default to GA4, but you can choose to only use UA through some advanced options during setup.<\/p>\n<p>We recommend using both for now, for several reasons.<\/p>\n<p>Despite being out of its beta, GA4 is still constantly being improved with added features. Moving over now may provide a false sense of what life with just GA4 will really be like.<\/p>\n<p>UA metrics won\u2019t align 1:1 with GA4 metrics. By having both, you can see how your key measurements will be affected by the change and alter your reporting accordingly. For example, if you rely on Bounce Rate to track whether a page is performing well, you\u2019ll lose that in GA4. Instead, you\u2019ll have an Engagement Rate, which cannot be considered the inverse of Bounce Rate because it has a time threshold associated with it.<\/p>\n<p>By waiting to move away from UA, you\u2019ll retain your key integrations with Google Analytics, such as CallRail\u2019s Google Analytics integration.<\/p>\n<p>By leveraging elements of both Universal Analytics and Goole Analytics 4 into your client reporting now, clients will get used to the new system and have time to adjust before transitioning completely to GA4 in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, of course, you\u2019ll be using GA4. But until then, use this time as an opportunity to learn about GA4 without sacrificing your current reports or third-party GA integrations.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_do_I_gain_and_lose_by_upgrading\"><\/span>What do I gain and lose by upgrading?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>With a big change like Google Analytics 4, there are going to be some things that feel like improvements and some things that feel like downgrades. Time will tell what the changes will mean for your business and your clients, but we know the effects of some already.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you\u2019ll gain with Google Analytics 4:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Event-based tracking: This one could easily go in the \u201close\u201d column depending on how you feel about UA\u2019s measurement model of sessions and pageviews. But event-based tracking brings together web and app engagement for a more holistic view of the user, with the potential for richer journey insights.<\/li>\n<li>Better reporting and analysis: GA4 borrows from Google Data Studio to provide simple-to-use templates for custom reporting.<\/li>\n<li>Automated insights: Artificial intelligence and machine learning are going to highlight new insights for you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you\u2019ll lose when you switch:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Historical data: Your historical data in UA (as well as your tags) won\u2019t migrate over to GA4. Since GA4 requires a new property, you\u2019ll essentially be starting from scratch.<\/li>\n<li>Your conversions: Since the underlying measurements are changed, your conversions will be different now too.<\/li>\n<li>Views: As of now, GA4 doesn\u2019t provide views, which UA users could deploy to configure tests or filter internal traffic from the data.<\/li>\n<li>Limits on filters and customer dimensions: IP and hostname filtering have been limited or deprecated and custom dimensions are limited to 50.<\/li>\n<li>Third-party integrations: Third-party integrations into GA for everything from your CRMs, to your e-commerce, to your CMS\u2019 that were built on UA\u2019s measurements will no longer work until they\u2019re updated to GA4.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For a full breakdown of everything you need to know before switching to GA4, including what it will mean for the way you measure marketing activity and conversions, how to get started using GA4 and how to prep your clients for the change, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.callrail.com\/learn\/guide-to-google-analytics-4-for-marketing-agencies\/?utm_medium=paid_native&amp;utm_source=searchengineland&amp;utm_campaign=ga4_agency_guide&amp;utm_content=native_article\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow\">download our full guide now.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>See what CallRail\u2019s call tracking can do to enrich your understanding of the customer journey when combined with your web visitor data in Google Analytics. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.callrail.com\/call-tracking\/?utm_medium=paid_native&amp;utm_source=searchengineland&amp;utm_campaign=ga4_agency_guide&amp;utm_content=native_article\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow\">Get started with a free trial today.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/a-guide-to-google-analytics-4-for-marketing-agencies-388505\" target=\"_blank\">A guide to Google Analytics 4 for marketing agencies<\/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>On July 1, 2023, Google will move everyone to its latest version, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), and retire Google Analytics 3 (also known as Universal Analytics or UA). While these changes will benefit the average user without any noticeable difference in how they search and browse online, the switch will require significant changes for marketers and businesses. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about Google Analytics 4, including what it will mean for how you measure marketing activity and conversions, how to get started using GA4 [&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-6319","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\/6319","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=6319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6319\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}