Why should you switch to Google Analytics 4?

Do you use Google Analytics? If so, you are undoubtedly currently working with the Analytics Universal version. Recently, Google officially announced that the days of this version are numbered: it will no longer be active from July 2023.

What happens next? Switching your account to Analytics 4 should be at the top of your to-do list! It will still be possible to access and process all data collected up to July 2023, but no new attempts to save data will appear in the Universal version. So you have one year to start the changeover.

Google Analytics 4 allows for better tracking of users: the program follows users from one device to the next, whether they move from their phone to their desktop or from their phone to their tablet. This is something that Google Analytics Universal did not monitor at all. So this is really something new in terms of how your data is analyzed.

As for the metrics themselves, Google has improved its tracking technologies. The program recognizes when the same user is using multiple devices, and machine learning fills in any gaps that occur in the measurements... The data is much more accurate and the error rate is much lower. This is the reason why currently when installing both versions, some of the numbers don't match. The Analytics 4 version metrics are the most accurate.

1. The biggest difference is that one fundamental metric has disappeared: the bounce rate. The bounce rate no longer exists and has been replaced by the concept of engagement and engagement rate. Whereas previously, with Analytics Universal, the bounce rate on a one-pager was extremely high and did not allow us to track correctly because there was only one page that was read by Google, today, with Analytics 4, we can really pick out the users who have engaged with the page. Given the quality of content required by Google, both in terms of SEO and SEA, it was obvious that the new version of Analytics would drive user engagement and that this would become an important metric.
   
2. With Analytics 4, Google has completely changed the way it collects metrics. In the Universal version of Analytics, you can see the number of pages viewed or the time spent on a page. In the Analytics 4 version, the metrics are unified and are all considered as events rather than independent metrics. This allows for much more independent management of events without the need for Google Tag Manager or even a developer. Within the interface itself, you can now define new events, such as tracking the submission of a form. You also have the benefit of default tracking of files downloaded, videos viewed and outbound links clicked on. All of this still had to be configured manually in the Universal version. For all these reasons, Analytics 4 is a much more comprehensive tool.
   
3. The interface and its design have of course changed. Reading the results is more user-friendly, the results are easier to access, the whole thing has generally been simplified. In terms of data handling and consultation for the layman, it is more pleasant to use and easier to understand.
   
4. The Analytics 4 version also allows customization and easy creation of reports. You have the option to include new views directly, making the platform almost reminiscent of Google Data Studio (an online tool for transforming data into informative, customizable reports and dashboards). Managing custom events is relatively simple and allows you to create customized events that then turn into conversions.
   
5. Do you analyze the results of your digital campaigns with Google Analytics? The monitoring of your campaigns is also optimized. Cross-platform tracking allows you to determine whether a user has seen your ad on Facebook via their cell phone and then returned to your website on their computer. This revolution in Google tracking makes the monitoring of your marketing campaigns more meaningful and gives you a better overview of the costs per visit and per conversion.

The integration of Google Analytics 4 into third-party products, such as Google Data Studio, is not yet complete and up to date. But development is progressing fast! So it's only a matter of time.

Google currently offers you the option of setting up a Google Analytics 4 account for your property in the old version, but at the moment this is not mandatory. Our advice? Take the initiative and don't wait any longer! This will give you time to get used to this new version before Google forces it on you.

Do you need help with your Google Analytics adventure?