Introduction
Web analytics collects, measures, analyzes, and reports website data to improve website performance. Web google analytics tools help businesses understand user behavior on their website, track website performance, and make data-driven decisions to improve their online presence.
Google Analytics is the most widely used web analytics platform in the world. Universal Analytics has been the go-to version for web analytics for over a decade. However, Google recently released GA4, which is a newer and more advanced version of Google Analytics. In this blog, we’ll compare Universal Analytics and GA4 to help you decide which platform is right for your business.
What is Universal Google Analytics
Universal Analytics is a web analytics platform created by Google that has been in use since 2012. It is the older version of Google Analytics and is designed to help businesses understand their website traffic and user behavior. Universal Analytics uses cookies and tracking codes to collect data on website visitors, including demographics, behavior, and traffic sources.
Universal Analytics allows businesses to track website data such as page views, bounce rate, and average session duration. It also allows businesses to create custom reports and analyze data using dimensions and metrics.
What is GA4
GA4 is the latest version of Google Analytics, released in 2020. It is an advanced version of Universal Analytics that is designed to provide businesses with a more comprehensive view of their customer journey. GA4 uses machine learning to provide insights into customer behavior across multiple devices and platforms.
GA4 uses a different tracking code than Universal Analytics and collects data differently. It uses an event-based data model, which means that events are tracked on the website and sent to GA4 as data. This allows for more accurate tracking of user behavior and allows businesses to track customer behavior across multiple devices and platforms.
Key Differences Between Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4
Measuring Users
One of the main differences between Universal Analytics and GA4 is how they collect data. Universal Analytics uses cookies and tracking codes to collect data on website visitors, while GA4 uses an event-based data model. GA4 tracks events on the website and sends them to Google Analytics as data. This allows GA4 to track user behavior more accurately and provide more comprehensive data.
Data Structure
One of the main differences between GA4 and UA is the data structure. GA4 uses a more event-driven model while UA is session-based. This means that GA4 is focused more on the individual actions taken by a user on your website, rather than a user’s overall session. With GA4, you can track specific events like button clicks, video views, or scroll tracking.
In contrast, UA is based on sessions, which are defined as a group of interactions a user has on your website within a given time frame. In UA, users are assigned a unique client ID to identify their sessions, and all data is collected within those sessions. This data includes page views, events, and other interactions.
User ID
User ID is another feature that differs between GA4 and UA. It allows you to track individual users across devices and sessions, providing you with a complete picture of the customer journey. With UA, user ID tracking requires a lot of customization and configuration. In contrast, GA4 automatically tracks user IDs by default, making it much easier to implement.
Event Tracking
Event tracking is a key feature in both Universal Analytics and GA4. It enables you to measure specific actions or events that users perform on your website or app. Events can be anything from button clicks to video plays or form submissions. By tracking these events, you can gain insights into user behavior, identify bottlenecks in the user journey, and optimize your website or app accordingly.
In Universal Analytics, event tracking is accomplished through the use of custom JavaScript code that is added to the website or app. Events are then tracked using the _gaq.push() function. However, in GA4, event tracking is done through the use of event parameters, which are sent as part of the gtag.js library. This approach allows for greater flexibility and easier customization of events.
Reporting in Google Analytics 4 vs. Universal Analytics
The reporting interface is where you view and analyze the data collected by Universal Analytics or GA4. Both platforms offer a range of reports and visualizations that enable you to understand user behavior, track conversions, and measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
The Google Analytics dashboard provides access to the reporting interface in Universal Analytics. Here, you can view standard reports such as traffic sources, page views, and user demographics. You can also create custom reports that allow you to analyze data according to your specific business needs.
Users can access the reporting interface in GA4 through the Google Analytics app. Here, you can view a range of reports, including real-time data, user engagement, and conversion rates. GA4 also offers more advanced reporting features such as predictive metrics and cross-platform data analysis.
Data Retention
The Universal Analytics or GA4 platform stores user data for a certain amount of time. This period is known as data retention. This is an important consideration for businesses that need to comply with data privacy regulations such as GDPR or CCPA.
Users can configure data retention settings in Universal Analytics to retain data for a maximum of 26 months, after which the platform automatically deletes user data. However, GA4 offers more flexibility in data retention settings. You can choose to retain data for a minimum of 2 months and a maximum of 14 months. Alternatively, you can choose to retain data indefinitely, but this may impact your compliance with data privacy regulations.
Integration
Integrations allow you to connect Universal Analytics or GA4 with other tools and platforms. This enables you to enrich your data, automate processes, and gain deeper insights into user behavior.
Users can accomplish integrations in Universal Analytics by using custom JavaScript code or third-party plugins. For example, you can integrate Universal Analytics with Google AdWords or Google Tag Manager to track the performance of your marketing campaigns. You can easily add tracking codes and tags to your website or app in GA4 using Google Tag Manager, which facilitates integrations.
GA4 also offers pre-built integrations with a range of Google marketing and advertising tools, including Google Ads, Google Optimize, and Google Marketing Platform.
Machine Learning
Machine learning is a key feature in GA4 that enables you to gain deeper insights into user behavior and improve your marketing effectiveness.
GA4 uses machine learning to analyze user behavior and predict future actions, enabling you to optimize your marketing campaigns and improve user engagement.
For example, GA4 uses machine learning to analyze user behavior on your website or app, identify patterns in user behavior, and predict which users are most likely to convert. This enables you to optimize your marketing campaigns and improve user engagement.
Cross-Domain Tracking
Cross-domain tracking is one of the features that highlight the differences between Universal Analytics and GA4. In Universal Analytics, cross-domain tracking is a complex and often difficult process that requires a lot of manual configuration. On the other hand, GA4 makes cross-domain tracking much simpler and more intuitive.
One of the main differences between the two is the way they handle cross-domain tracking. In Universal Analytics, cross-domain tracking requires you to set up a separate tracking code for each domain you want to track. This can be a time-consuming process, especially if you have multiple domains you want to track.
In contrast, GA4 uses a different approach to cross-domain tracking. GA4 uses a single measurement ID that works across multiple domains, so you do not need to set up separate tracking codes. This means that you can track user behavior across multiple domains with much less effort than in Universal Analytics.
How Do I Set Up Google Analytics 4?
Users can complete the relatively straightforward process of setting up GA4 in just a few steps. Here’s a high-level overview of how to set up GA4 for your website:
- Create a GA4 property: To get started with GA4, you’ll need to create a new property within your Google Analytics account. To do this, navigate to the Admin section of your account and click on “Create Property.” From there, select “GA4” as the property type and follow the prompts to set up your new property.
- Add the GA4 tracking code to your website: Once you’ve created your GA4 property, you’ll need to add the tracking code to your website. You can do this by either adding the code manually to your website’s HTML or by using a tag manager like Google Tag Manager to install the code. But before that, you will need to know how to set up Google Tag Manager on your website.
- Set up your data streams: Data streams are used to collect data from different sources, such as your website or mobile app. To set up a data stream, navigate to the “Data Streams” section within your GA4 property and follow the prompts to set up your new data stream.
- Configure your event tracking: Event tracking is an important feature of GA4 that allows you to track specific user actions on your website, such as clicks or form submissions. To configure event tracking, you’ll need to set up custom events within your GA4 property and add the relevant tracking code to your website.
Will Google Analytics 4 Still Be Free?
Yes, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will still be free to use. Like the previous version of Google Analytics, GA4 is a free tool for website and app owners to track and analyze user behavior.
One of the main benefits of using GA4 is that it offers a more advanced and streamlined approach to data collection and analysis, allowing users to gain deeper insights into user behavior and make more informed decisions about their business.
All users can use the core functionality of the GA4 platform for free, although certain features or integrations may incur additional costs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both Universal Analytics and GA4 offer powerful tools for tracking and analyzing user behavior on your website or app. However, with its advanced data collection methods, more flexible data structure, and advanced machine learning capabilities, GA4 represents a major step forward in the world of web analytics.
As such, if you’re looking to gain deeper insights into user behavior and make more informed decisions about your business, it’s worth considering making the switch to GA4. And if you’re looking for help with optimizing your website for search engines, consider partnering with our agency that offers organic SEO services.
