GA4: The revolution in web analytics: Discover the keys to the new generation of Google Analytics

Introduction to GA4

In a constantly evolving digital world, keeping up to date with the latest tools and technologies is essential in order to obtain valuable information about the performance of your website. In this regard, Google has taken a huge step forward with the launch of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the new generation of its web analytics platform.

In today’s post, you will immerse yourself in the revolution that GA4 represents and discover the keys to this exciting update. From its focus on privacy and the omnichannel environment to its ability to provide a deeper understanding of user behaviour, GA4 offers a new set of powerful tools to make informed decisions and boost your marketing strategies.

Join us as we explore how GA4 breaks away from the traditional approach to web analytics and enables you to obtain a comprehensive overview of your data. From the initial set up to making use of the key characteristics, we will break down everything you need to know to make the most of this new version.

Don’t miss out on the chance to be at the forefront of web analytics and discover how GA4 can enhance the growth of your business. Get ready for a new era of data analytics with GA4 and unlock all of its potential!

What is GA4 and how does it differ from the previous versions of Google Analytics:

GA4, an abbreviation of Google Analytics 4, is the latest generation of the popular web analytics platform from Google. Designed to adapt to a constantly changing digital environment, GA4 introduces a series of characteristics and significant improvements compared to previous versions. Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 is centred on the tracking of events rather than the traditional pages visited, which provides a more detailed overview of user behaviour on your website or application.

One of the main differences of GA4 compared to the previous versions of Google Analytics is its focus on privacy and protection of users’ data. GA4 is designed to comply with the strictest privacy regulations, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It introduces advanced IP anonymization functions and allows users to easily configure the retention of data to comply with the established privacy policies.

Another significant difference is the capability of GA4 to track and analyse data more comprehensively in an omnichannel environment. Through the integration with Google Signals, GA4 can collect data from multiple sources, such as websites, mobile applications and marketing platforms, enabling a more complete understanding of the user journey across different channels and devices. This holistic overview provides a more precise image of how users interact with your brand at all digital contact points.

By understanding these key differences, you will be able to take maximum advantage of the power of GA4 and make informed decisions to enhance the growth of your business.

Main advantages and benefits offered by GA4 compared to the previous versions.

These advantages and benefits of GA4 compared to previous versions of Google Analytics offer an increased ability to understand users, optimise strategies and improve commercial results in a constantly evolving digital environment.

1. Tracking of custom events: With GA4, you can track custom events, which enables you to capture specific actions performed by users on your website or application. For example, you can track events such as adding products to the shopping basket, playing videos or completing forms. This level of detail provides you with a more precise overview of how users interact with your content and what actions they perform.
2. Analysis of the user journey: GA4 offers a more in-depth analysis of the user journey through different channels and devices. For example, you can see how users interact with your website from a search on Google to a visit to your mobile app. This enables you to gain a better understanding of how they relate to and complement the different digital contacts, helping you to optimise the user experience at each stage.
3. Improved funnel analysis: GA4 introduces a renewed focus on funnel analysis, which enables you to identify the specific steps that users follow before making a conversion. You can analyse the performance of each step of the funnel, identifying points of abandonment and optimising the experience at these key points. For example, you can see how many users added products to the shopping cart, how many proceeded to payment and how many completed the purchase. This helps you to understand the actions that boost or hinder conversions so you can put measures in place to improve them.
4. Advanced segmentation of audiences: With GA4, you can create custom audience segments based on user behaviour and characteristics. For example, you can segment users that have made a purchase in the last 30 days or those that abandoned the shopping cart without completing the purchase. This segmentation allows you to adapt your marketing strategies and offer personalised messages to specific audiences, which improves the relevance and effectiveness of your campaigns.

Hence, we can see that GA4 enables a more comprehensive and precise analysis of user behaviour by providing tracking of custom events, analysis of the user journey, improved funnel analysis and advanced segmentation of audiences. These capabilities provide you with valuable information in order to understand the actions of users, identify opportunities for improvement and optimise your marketing strategies to boost the success of your business.

How to get started with GA4
Step-by-step guide of how to start using GA4

Still haven’t set up GA4 in your business? Follow the steps in our guide What is Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and how does it work? and start using the new generation of Google Analytics.

Improved practices to take maximum advantage of the GA4 functionalities.

1. Set up custom events: Take maximum advantage of GA4’s ability to track custom events. Identify the key actions that users perform on your website or app and set up events to capture this data. This will enable you to obtain a more precise overview of the user behaviour and gain a better understanding of how they interact with your content.
2. Set goals and conversions: Setting goals and conversions will help you to measure the success of your campaigns and actions. Clearly define the goals you want to achieve, such as purchases made, forms sent or pages viewed, and set up the corresponding conversions in GA4. This will enable you to track the conversions and analyse their performance to optimise your strategies.
3. Explore custom reports and panels: GA4 offers a wide variety of reports and custom panels to analyse and view your data. Familiarise yourself with these resources and take advantage of the customisation options to create reports and dashboards tailored to your needs. This will enable you to obtain valuable information about the performance of your campaigns, user behaviour and the impact of your marketing actions.
4. Perform tests and experiments: Take advantage of the capability of G4 to perform tests and experiments. You can try different variants of content, designs or strategies and analyse the results to make data-driven decisions. This will help you to optimise your campaigns and continuously improve the performance of your website or app.

Remember that the appropriate configuration, correct tracking of events and conversions, segmentation of audiences, customisation of reports and testing are vital practices to take maximum advantage of GA4’s functionalities. These recommendations will help you to gain a more in-depth and valuable overview of your data, which will enable you to make more informed and effective decisions to boost the success of your business.

Conclusions

Summary of the key points and benefits of GA4

As we have seen, GA4 is a key tool for analysing the behaviour of users on our website.

Its user-centred approach, tracking without cookies and advanced analytics features based on artificial intelligence make this a valuable option for website owners that want to gain a better understanding of the customer journey.

GA4 enables users to obtain detailed information about key metrics, like users, sessions, conversions and revenue, while the dimensions facilitate segmentation and data analysis for a more comprehensive overview. Moreover, its seamless integration with mobile applications and websites provides a unified perspective of the performance on different platforms.

By using Google Analytics 4, you can make informed decisions to improve the user experience, optimise content and marketing campaigns, and ensure that your website is more relevant and efficient. GA4 represents an essential tool for digital analysis, enabling companies to adapt and grow in the changing online landscape.

Adopt GA4 and take advantage of the web analytics revolution it offers.

It’s time to take advantage of the web analytics revolution offered by GA4! If you are looking for a more advanced and powerful tool to understand and optimise the behaviour of your users, GA4 is the answer. Don’t be left behind! Discover the potential that this new generation of Google Analytics can offer you. Get ready for a new era of web analytics and maximise your profits like never before.

Additional Resources
Here you have a list of official resources for GA4 provided by Google that will help you to set up this extremely useful analytical tool.

1. Google Analytics official documentation: Access Google Analytics official documentation to obtain detailed information about how to set up and use GA4. You can find step-by-step guides, tutorials and practical examples to make the most of all of the features of GA4. (Link: https://support.google.com/analytics/#topic=10737980
2. Google Analytics YouTube Channel: The Google Analytics YouTube channel offers a wide range of tutorial videos, presentations and practical tips for using GA4. You can find information about how to set up events, perform data analytics, create custom reports and much more. (Link: https://www.youtube.com/c/GoogleAnalytics )
3. Google Analytics Academy: The Google Analytics academy offers free online resources that enable you to learn and master GA4. You can access interactive lessons, questionnaires and practical exercises to improve your web analytics skills with GA4. (Link: https://analytics.google.com/analytics/academy/ )
4. Google Analytics Community: Join the Google Analytics community to connect with other marketing professionals and share your experiences and knowledge about GA4. You can get answers to your questions, take part in discussions and stay up to date with the latest GA4 news and updates. (Link: https://support.google.com/analytics/community?hl=es )

These official resources from Google will provide you with updated information, practical tips and community support to help you to make the most of GA4. Explore them and use them as an additional reference on your journey to success in web analytics with GA4.