How to Maximise Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

You may have heard of Google Web Analytics, but do you know what it is when you sell it to clients?

Google Web Analytics – or Google Analytics as some people call it – is a data platform that collects and analyses data from website or apps. Its purpose is to help understand traffic origination, traffic flow and areas of loss, with the goal of helping agencies develop effective marketing and engagement strategies.

Unlike its predecessor, Google Universal Analytics, GA4 has a higher focus on user interactions not just session-based tracking, making it more aligned with modern digital marketing requirements.

Today, we want to take you on an overview of GA4 and its role in the digital marketing landscape, so you can explore methods to maximise the efficiency of the platform for your digital marketing agency.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Overview

Ok, so you know what it is now, so let’s look at the new event-based tracking system which sets it apart from older analytical platforms. This new tracking system allows businesses to gain insight into a user’s behaviour; from aggregated top level, down to intricate granularity. It also provides cross-platform tracking and AI-powered analytics to assist in pattern recognition.

Comparing Sessions and Event-based tracking

What you also need to know is that previous iterations of Google analytical platforms utilised session-based tracking as opposed to the newer event-based tracking. Events (in the words of Google themselves) “…allow you to measure a specific interaction or occurrence on your website or app”.

The way these tracking methods differ is in the granularity of user interactions that are recorded/tracked. Where session-based tracking groups user interactions into sessions that are normally defined until the user leaves the website. Under this model tracking normally includes pages viewed, bounce rate and how long before the user exits the site.

On the other hand, Event-based tracking provides even further understanding. Events are defined as each element that the user interacts with on the page, data on how much they scrolled, which elements were clicked, if videos played and much more.

This allows for more accurate data and planning on the analytical platform as customers can be better identified and segmented.

Updated Multi-Channel Tracking

Similar to the previous iteration of Google Analytics, GA4 also supports multi-channel tracking, which includes business websites, applications and social media platforms.

Unlike the previous iterations, it has further improved this function by including cross-device tracking, allowing for the tracking of users even if they access the website on different devices.

The data across the multiple channels being tracked is then consolidated and presented on the GA4 platform allowing for the usage of data for data-driven actions.

Leveraging GA4 to Gain Actionable Insights

The GA4 platform allows clients to track their website (or app) data in real-time and provides generated reports for specified periods of time.

Reports will show which sections of the website that users often interact with or ignore, allowing designers to understand which sections require improvement. GA4 also has AI-powered analytics allowing businesses to predict future user behaviour, allowing the forecasting of future conversion rates and churn probabilities.

This information lets businesses better navigate potential new strategies by validating existing methodologies with real data and statistics.

Next Step to Improving your Digital Presence

Enhancing your understanding of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and how businesses leverage its advanced tracking methods will help you drive better engagement and customer interactions through data-driven insights.

If you want to improve your business website, digital presence, or that of your clients, contact us for further assistance.