The pros and cons of Google Analytics 4

It will not surprise anyone that Google Analytics has long been the most widely used tool for analyzing web statistics. In this version 4, Google has changed the data model, the way of storing as well as the entire interface of the tool. The update to GA4 is thus considerably more than just a version upgrade. The tool was previously in beta release, but since this year Google is actively rolling it out.

Before implementing the upgrade with our customers, we naturally wanted to test the tool ourselves and map out all the changes.

New interface

Something that immediately stands out is the new interface. After so many years, it obviously takes some getting used to, but we think the new interface is much more contemporary. It also fits better with the new model (see below) and the new reports you produce with it.

Event-based model

The main difference, however, is the change to an event-based model. Previously, statistics were collected based on page views. Any events were then linked to that. In GA4, the two are separated and basically everything is a separate event. This shifts the focus from the number of page views a user initiates to what he or she does on a page; the events they fire. So you get more visibility into the actual behavior of the visitor.

Also, the event-based model fits better with modern techniques, such as: the headless setup of a CMS (where front and backend are separated), where pages are often not loaded in their entirety, but there is talk of a 'page event'.

No more bounce rate

A common statistic in GA3 was bouncerate: When a user had not taken an action within 30 minutes. To replace that, GA4 introduces Engaged Session. To qualify as such, the session must meet at least one of the criteria below:

• A conversion (one or more contiguous events) has occurred
• The website or app is kept open in the foreground for 10 seconds
• 2 page or screen view events take place

Event-based analytics: faster insight into more relevant metrics

The shift to the event-based model is a big and fundamental advantage as far as we are concerned. Whereas before you had to implement all kinds of events to measure specific actions, now it is much easier to see. Think video plays, scroll depth, or items added to the cart. To get you started, Google has made some of these events the default and you can see them right away.

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Focus on quality visitors and their customer journey

Where previously it was mainly about bounce rates, time on page and pages per session, this has now changed to engagement. This criterion gives much more insight into the user, as statistics do not say much about the user's behavior. So there is a shift from the quantitative actions of a visitor, to what a user actually does on your site. That is now well understood with the introduced engagement rate.

Cross platform and cross domain tracking

Another practical advantage is the ability to hang website and app in the same property through data streams. Within a data stream, you can still differentiate for an app's data stream (for example, between Android and iOS). A big advantage of this cross platform measurement is the increased insight into the overall effectiveness of your campaigns, and how they perform across different platforms. In addition, you can also track cross domain. In theory, this was possible in version 3 as well, by using the same property for a different domain. In practice, however, that required a lot of custom implementation and often resulted in confusing data.

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Deeper insight through custom audiences and custom content groups

The easy creation of custom user segments (e.g., women between 35-49, living in the suburbs)based on visitor behavior is another substantial improvement to GA4. Important, of course, to gain insight into the behavior of specific target groups that deserve extra attention. You can also group content based on certain criteria (for example, all pages with a contact form), to get a better picture of their performance.

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Access to Analysis Hub and BigQuery

Analysis Hub allows you to get deep insights into your data through advanced techniques and reports. Previously, you had to have an account with Google Analytics 360 to get access. Now it is a standard part of GA4. So a significant advantage for the advanced user. In addition, integration with Google's BigQuery (a data warehouse that allows you to easily run analytics on large data sets) has been greatly simplified: With a few clicks, you can import data directly from GA4 into BigQuery to view your data unfiltered in a SQL-like fashion.

More control over privacy

With the introduction of AVG - and with it the blocking of "third-party" cookies - Google has taken into account the changing climate regarding the handling of user data in the new model. For example, in GA4 it is possible to remove event data, whether or not based on filters such as: event type or user properties. Also, ip addresses are anonymized by default and you can delete individual data.

14 months of data retention

For now, it is only possible to keep your data for 2 months by default, with a maximum retention of 14 months. This is a big change from the "infinite" retention capability of Universal Analytics. At this time, it is not known if this will change.

No data migration

Another major drawback is that there is no way to get the data from your UA property to GA4. You will therefore have to start collecting data all over again.

New interface

The new interface is an advantage, but - especially in the beginning - also a disadvantage. Google Analytics is quite complex, each user has had to invest the necessary time to master it. For GA4 you will have to re-learn much of it. However, we do expect the learning process to be a lot shorter now: we think the new setup makes a lot more sense.

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Conversion to GA4 seems easier than it is

You may have already received a notification from Google that you need to upgrade to GA4. It is presented as if this is child's play, just create a new property and you' re done. For small-scale UA establishments this will also be partly true. But if you have set up a number of conversions alone, then you will have to reset these - together with the goals, settings, reports, dashboards etcetera.

We are convinced: the advantages of GA4 significantly outweigh the disadvantages. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating. That's why we advise you to run GA4 alongside your current analytics and experience the differences for yourself. The sooner you start doing this, the better. Since you can't import data from your "old" account.

Could you use some help?

So the switch to Google Analytics 4 is quite laborious. That's why you want to make sure you implement it correctly. And you might also need some help interpreting the new data. Or you might want to take a step back first, to make sure that the events you're going to set up actually provide insight into achieving your goals. We have already helped some of our customers with this. Also something for you?