Google Analytics is a powerful tool for tracking website and user data, and it has undergone significant updates over the years. One of these updates was the introduction of Universal Analytics in 2012, which brought new data storage and organization standards, allowing for more accurate tracking of user behavior on websites. However, Google didn't stop there and introduced Google Analytics 4 (GA4), which offers even more advanced features and improvements over Universal Analytics.
Here are some key differences between the two:
Data Model: Universal Analytics uses a Session-Based Data Model, while GA4 works on an Event-Driven Data Model. GA4 uses event parameters to map events and extract meaningful insights, while Universal Analytics relies on Category, Hit Types, and Action Labels.
GA4 has four event categories: Automatically Collected Events, Enhanced Measurement Events, Recommended Events, and Custom Events.
Predictive Audiences and Metrics: GA4 provides predictive audiences that offer insights about potential buyers likely to make a purchase within seven days. Predictive metrics in GA4 allow businesses to manage future transactions and revenue using machine learning tools.
Cross-Device Reporting: GA4 offers improved cross-device reporting, helping to organize data across multiple devices and understand how different interactions are connected.
Hit-Types, Events, Pageviews, and Sessions: Universal Analytics uses hit types like page hits, eCommerce hits, and event hits, while GA4 data is event-based, capturing all interactions as events. GA4 combines pageviews and screenviews to give a comprehensive view of the user's journey across websites and apps.
Custom Dimensions/Metrics: Universal Analytics uses custom dimensions and metrics to add non-standard data to reports, while GA4 uses event parameters for similar purposes.
Google encourages users to switch from Universal Analytics to GA4, as they plan to discontinue Universal Analytics processing for new hits from July 1, 2023.
GA4 offers several benefits:-
Improved cross-platform tracking
Enhanced event tracking
Free connection to Big Query
Greater flexibility in creating custom reports.
Businesses that want to pull popular reports and metrics can use GA4's audience overview, top traffic sources, mobile usage, and performance by page features.
Switching to GA4 is relatively easy and will ensure businesses are future-ready with more advanced analytics capabilities and insights into user behavior.
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