Google Analytics 4 is replacing the current version of Google Analytics – Universal Analytics. This switch over will happen on the 1st July 2023 and if you login to your Universal Analytics account, Google will now display a countdown warning.
You don’t need wait until the 1st July to switch to GA4. In fact, it is recommended that you switch now.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics first came on the scene when Google launched the service back in November 2005 after they had bought the website analytics software company Urchin.
GA is the defacto web analytics services and is currently used by over 28 million websites.
The current version of Google Analytics called Universal Analytics (UA) was launched in 2012. In March 2020, Google announced the next version of Google Analytics called Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
The main difference between UA and GA4 is the level that they collect data. UA is based around sessions and pageviews whereas GA4 uses an event driven model.
This means in GA4 it is easier to track events such as outbound link clicks which is a complex task in UA to setup.
In March 2022, Google announced that on July 1, 2023 that Universal Analytics would no longer be collecting data. Also currently, there is no way of transferring data from UA to GA4. This means that if you want until the last minute before switching across then your GA4 will have no historic data.
Google are now writing to advise that from March, if you don’t currently have GA4 setup, then it will automatically setup a GA4 property for you.
Our advice is that if you don’t have GA4 setup, then you do the process for yourself now. This will ensure that you can do the required testing.
If you would like to learn more about how to use GA4, then Google have plenty of courses available at their skillshop.
Switching from UA to GA4
In March 2022, Google announced that on July 1, 2023 that Universal Analytics would no longer be collecting data. Also currently, there is no way of transferring data from UA to GA4. This means that if you want until the last minute before switching across then your GA4 will have no historic data.
Google are now writing to advise that from March, if you don’t currently have GA4 setup, then it will automatically setup a GA4 property for you.
Our advice is that if you don’t have GA4 setup, then you do the process for yourself now. This will ensure that you can do the required testing.
If you would like to learn more about how to use GA4, then Google have plenty of courses available at their skillshop.
