Google Analytics 4 - what changes does Google Analytics introduce?

SEO activities are closely related to website traffic analysis. Without it, it would be difficult to determine whether the actions taken are producing any results. Google Analytics comes to the rescue, which is a free and very comprehensive tool that allows you to analyze website traffic. Recently, its new version - GA4 - has been released. Check out what has changed.

Google Analytics 4 - new analytics

Google Analytics 4 offers a new perspective on data analysis. Due to changing consumer behaviors, as well as the shift of businesses from offline to online and changes in privacy policies, Google has created a new version of the platform. Analytics allows for tracking user traffic from both applications and websites. Its foundation is machine learning, which enables a complete understanding of customers.

How does Google Analytics 4 differ from the previous version?

The previous version of Google Analytics (Universal Analytics) did not combine data about a single user when they used both an application and a website. The new generation collects this information and creates a complete user profile. This is a very important change because the path of a modern user is a multidimensional process. Very often, a user becomes aware of an offer by noticing an advertisement on a mobile device, but completes the transaction using a desktop device by entering a specific website into a search engine.

Of course, the list of improvements available in the new version of Google Analytics is much longer. One of the most important changes is reporting within the customer lifecycle. This cycle consists of 4 stages: acquisition, engagement, revenue generation, and retention. The reports will allow you to assess customer behaviors at each step of the customer journey. In Google Analytics, you can also find options that help comply with GDPR regulations. Now you can control what data will be collected and whether you want to use it for personalized advertising.

The goal of Google Analytics fourth generation is to understand customer interactions with the brand. Therefore, Google allows the use of machine learning, which facilitates the detection of trends among customers.

Linking Google Analytics with Google Ads

As mentioned earlier, Google Analytics 4 provides data on user behavior on websites and in applications. Thanks to this, Google Ads campaign targeting is more precise, as we can create more accurate audience lists. Since we can track the entire customer journey across different devices, it will be much easier for us to create an ad that is tailored to them.

Analysis - obtaining useful user statistics

Analysis is an analytical tool that facilitates the understanding and comparison of user information. Statistics allow, among other things, to take appropriate marketing actions. As for the methods of analysis, currently 5 methods are supported.

• Exploration shows data in a table, but visualizations in the form of charts can also be used. 
  
  
• Path analysis allows you to present user traffic on a website or in an application. This allows you to better optimize user experiences. 
  
  
• Segment overlap shows relationships between different user segments, which helps identify specific target groups.
  
  
• User behavior explorer displays a list of recipients belonging to a previously created segment. You can analyze the actions of individual user groups. 
  
  
• Sequence path analysis shows user traffic on a chart in the form of a tree. This method will help you understand how users interact with your website and application.

As you have probably noticed, Google Analytics is constantly evolving and offering new features. In addition, Google listens to the community and introduces changes that make using the tool easier. The ones that have just been implemented are undoubtedly a big step forward, and this is certainly not the end.