Google Analytics is a powerful tool that all business owners should be using to track the success of their website. With Google Analytics 4, there are some big changes that you need to be aware of.

In this blog post, I will cover why it's important to set up Google Analytics 4 now, and what changes you can expect compared to Google Analytics 3 (aka Universal Analytics). I will also provide tips for setting up Google Analytics 4, so that you can get the most value from this powerful tool!

What is Google Analytics 4?

Before we get down to brass tacks, let's first answer the question: what is Google Analytics 4? Google Analytics is a free web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic.

Google Analytics allows you to see how many people are visiting your site, where they are coming from, what pages they are looking at, how long they are staying on your site, and much more. This information is incredibly valuable in understanding what is working well on your site and what needs to be improved.

Google Analytics has been around for a long time, but Google recently released a new version: Google Analytics 4. This updated version includes a number of changes and new features that make it even more powerful than before.

How is Google Analytics 4 different from Google Analytics 3?

One of the biggest changes is that Google Analytics now uses a machine learning model to generate insights and predictions. This means that it can provide you with more accurate data about your website visitors, including their interests and demographics.

Another change is that Google Analytics now includes cross-device tracking. This means that you can see how users interact with your website across different devices and get a better understanding of the customer journey.

Finally, Google Analytics now includes support for Google Ads. This means that you can see how your Google Ads campaigns are performing, and get insights into which keywords are driving conversions.

So why is it important to set up Google Analytics now?

First, Google Analytics 3 (aka Universal Analytics) is being shut down in July 2023. If you're still using Google Analytics 3, you need to migrate your data to the new version before that date.

Second, the new version of Google Analytics includes many improvements that will be beneficial for your business. These include more accurate data, cross-device tracking, and support for Google Ads.

Tips on how to set up Google Analytics 4

Getting used to a new interface can be daunting, but luckily Google has made the set-up process for GA4 relatively straightforward. Here are some tips to get you started:

• To set up GA for your website, head to the Google Analytics homepage and sign in with your Google account.

◦ Once you're signed in, click on "Create Property" in the top right corner.

◦ Enter your website's URL and name, then select "Global Site Tag (gtag.js)" as your tracking code type.

◦ Click "Create" and you're all set!

If you're using Google Ads, you'll need to link your GA account to your Ads account in order for the data to show up correctly. To do this, head to the Admin tab in GA, then click on "Google Ads Linking" in the middle column.

◦ Click "New Link Group", then select your Ads account from the dropdown menu and click "Continue".

◦ On the next page, make sure all of the options are checked off and click "Finish".

Now that you've set up GA4 for your website, it's time to start tracking your data. The most important thing to track is your website's overall traffic. This will give you an idea of how many people are coming to your site and what pages they're looking at. To see this data, head to the "All Traffic" section in the left sidebar. Here you'll see an overview of your website's traffic, including how many people visited your site in the last month, what pages they looked at, and where they came from.

Let Milk it Digital help

If you're struggling to set up your new Google Analytics account or want help getting the most out of it, I can help. I’m pretty swift when it comes to GA, and I’m always happy to chat about how I can help grow your business online. Send me a message today.