As a business owner, staying ahead of digital trends is crucial. Because Google has phased out Universal Analytics (UA) in favor of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), it's essential to understand how the two differ, and how analytics can impact your business. Whether you're running a small business or managing a municipality, examining GA4 vs Universal Analytics will illuminate how data tracking is evolving.
What Is GA4 and How Does It Differ from Google UA?
GA4 is the latest version of Google’s analytics platform. It replaces Universal Analytics (UA), which has been the primary tool for web tracking. Unlike Google UA, which focused heavily on sessions and page views, GA4 shifts towards user engagement and events, making it more adaptable for today’s omnichannel business environment.
Key Differences Between GA4 vs Universal Analytics
- Event-Based Tracking: In Universal Analytics, tracking was based primarily on “sessions”, or the windows of time when a user is on your site, and “pageviews,” or the number of times a page is loaded or re-loaded in a user’s browser. Universal Analytics reports were relatively easy to understand and track. Custom reports and filters were more straightforward, and many businesses appreciated the ability to generate insights quickly without much technical expertise.
However, while GA4 brings a steeper learning curve, it offers enhanced tracking capabilities that make it far superior in terms of user behavior insights. GA4's event-based tracking and cross-platform integration allow for a more comprehensive view of customer interactions across multiple devices. It also uses AI-driven insights and predictive metrics that can forecast trends and provide proactive recommendations.
- Cross-Platform Tracking: GA4 integrates app and web data into a single platform, offering a more holistic view of user activity. For businesses, this can provide deeper insights into how customers interact with your content, whether on mobile apps or websites.
- AI-Powered Insights: Google Analytics 4 vs Universal Analytics introduces machine learning-driven insights, helping businesses predict future trends based on historical data. This feature is invaluable for businesses looking to stay ahead of market shifts.
- Glass Half Full SEO Philosophy: “Bounce rate,” or the percentage of visitors who quickly leave your site after arriving, are no longer calculated or categorized as such — GA4 instead calculates engagement rate, or the percentage of visitors who don’t bounce. In other words, if your “engagement rate” is 70%, that means that your “bounce rate” is effectively 30%.
Why Analytics for Small Business is Important
Whether you're running an e-commerce store or a brick-and-mortar business, understanding your data is critical. Analytics tracking can help you determine which strategies are working and where improvements are needed. With GA4, business owners can easily track conversions, user interactions, and customer journeys across multiple platforms.
SEO Management with GA4
The transition to GA4 presents both opportunities and challenges from an SEO standpoint. While Universal Analytics provided essential data for SEO, GA4 offers enhanced tools to track keyword performance, page rankings, and user behavior. Additionally, the ability to track user engagement at a granular level is crucial. With GA4, businesses can track how users interact with specific pages, forms, and content, allowing them to fine-tune their strategies for better results. This allows for a more refined approach to search engine optimization.
The Future of Analytics for Businesses
The shift from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 marks a significant change in how businesses analyze data. GA4 offers more comprehensive insights and better tools to help drive growth. At JET Advertising, we can guide your business through this transition, ensuring you maximize the benefits of this powerful new tool.