WHAT IS GOOGLE ANALYTICS 4?

Google Analytics 4 also known as GA4 is the latest evolution of Google’s website tracking tool and it is quite the upgrade. If you have been using Universal Analytics (the previous version) and suddenly feel like everything looks different you are not alone. GA4 is designed to give businesses deeper insights into user behaviour while also adapting to a world with fewer cookies and stricter privacy laws.

One of the biggest changes in GA4 is how it tracks data. Unlike Universal Analytics which was session-based GA4 is event-based. This means that instead of tracking users based on page views and sessions GA4 focuses on events such as clicks video plays downloads and even how far users scroll down a page. This makes it much better at understanding how people interact with your website or app.

Another major change is cross-platform tracking. GA4 allows you to track users across both websites and mobile apps giving you a complete view of the customer journey. If someone starts browsing on their phone and later switches to a laptop GA4 can connect the dots and show how their behaviour changes across devices.

Privacy and data control have also been improved. With increasing concerns about online privacy and the decline of third-party cookies GA4 uses machine learning to fill in data gaps when direct tracking is not possible. This means businesses can still get valuable insights while respecting user privacy regulations like GDPR.

GA4 also introduces predictive analytics a feature that uses artificial intelligence to forecast future user actions. For example, it can predict the likelihood of a user making a purchase or leaving without converting allowing businesses to adjust their marketing strategies accordingly.

Setting up GA4 requires adding a new tracking tag to your website or upgrading from Universal Analytics. While it comes with a learning curve it offers more flexibility and in-depth insights compared to the old version. Google has also announced that Universal Analytics will stop processing new data so switching to GA4 is not just an option, it is a necessity.

Google Analytics 4 is not just a minor update, it is a completely new way of understanding website traffic and user behaviour. By focusing on events cross-platform tracking and AI-driven insights GA4 gives businesses the tools they need to stay ahead in the ever-changing digital landscape. If you have not made the switch yet now is the time to get familiar with GA4 and start taking advantage of its powerful features.