Goodbye data: It's not you, it's Google Analytics 4

On July 1st, Google Analytics will stop collecting all data for websites that have not migrated over to its latest version: Google Analytics 4 (GA4). But what does this mean for you, and how can we help?

The good news is that GA4 offers several advantages over its predecessor, including improved data accuracy, more powerful insights, and easier integration with other Google products. Powered by Google’s machine learning algorithms, GA4 can identify more user behaviours and trends than ever before. For website owners, this means you’ll be able to make better decisions about your marketing and website optimization strategies.

The bad news? For a seamless transition, the migration to GA4 requires some heavy lifting. Google has recognized this transition will affect over 28.1 million websites and now offers an automated process to ease adoption. However, this automated process excludes essential elements that will help users retain their existing data and insights.

If you’re wondering how important it is to do a manual transition, the answer is very. By simply performing an automatic transition, you risk losing a lot of information about your audience that can help refine your website. This is where the spark* team comes in. We’ll fill in the gaps left by Google to ensure you don’t lose any data during the switch to GA4. Think of it like getting your car detailed—you’ll simply hand over the keys, and once we’ve made the transition, we’ll pass them back to you. Your account will be clean, polished, and ready to go. Below, we’ll outline the steps we take in a manual transition that will prevent data loss and even enhance your GA4 experience.

Import data from the original Google Analytics

To improve your website’s performance, your historical data is crucial. Comparing new data to past data can help you track and refine any campaigns you run, and ensure your website appeals to your target audience. Unfortunately, Google’s automated transition process does not safeguard your past data. By manually importing your data from the original Google Analytics, we can guarantee your continued access to this valuable resource.

Create custom GA4 “events”

In Google Analytics, “events” are specialized measurements that users implement themselves to track and analyze website traffic more precisely. For instance, if you set up a mailing list on your website, you need to create an “event” to track that list. In the transition to GA4, though, events will not transfer automatically. For clearer and more accurate data measurements, we will manually implement those previous events into GA4.

Enable “Google Signals”

Another feature of GA4, Google Signals delivers detailed information about audience demographics and interests beyond the standard GA4 setup. However, GA4 does not come automatically equipped with this useful feature. To help you get the most out of GA4, we will activate Google Signals for you.

Parting thoughts

Overall, migrating to GA4 is a vital step for website owners seeking to maximize their website's performance; the new program boasts improved accuracy, enhanced insights, and streamlined integration with other Google products that can help users better understand their audiences. But transitioning to GA4 without losing essential information is a complicated manual process. Luckily, the spark* team is here to help you make the most out of GA4.

To adopt Google Analytics 4 seamlessly, you can reach out to us anytime at hello@sparkadvocacy.ca.

Migrating to Google Analytics 4