We are sure that in recent weeks you have heard a lot about the latest version of Google Analytics, but do you really know what this update consists of? In we tell you what new features it presents with respect to the previous version and how to upgrade to google analytics 4 your website. What are you waiting for to discover it?
What is Google Analytics 4?
Is about a new generation of Analytics propertieswhich no longer only focuses on measuring what happens on a web page, but is also capable of offering different metrics for other types of digital properties, such as mobile applications.
More specifically, this new generation of properties is the direct heir to the Web+App properties, launched on the market in 2019. In this way, the Web+Apps have been renamed GA4. In case you already have a Web+App property up and running, you won’t have to perform any configuration steps other than familiarizing yourself with the new reporting templates.
Is it necessary to update Google Analytics 4?
If you have never activated a Web+App, we recommend that you add a GA4 property to your account. Why should I upgrade my website to GAA? It is necessary since from now on Google will no longer update the Universal Analytics type properties, only those of Google Analytics 4, since they are the future of Analytics, and we should familiarize ourselves with them as soon as possible.
GA4 is going to be Google’s answer to the big changes around web analytics and attribution models for marketing campaigns, due to the heavy focus on privacy and third-party cookies.
With GA4 you will be able to enjoy new metrics and reports, which is why it is totally useful and recommended. It is worth starting to create a history with all the data that this new update is capable of throwing at you, many of them related to the progress of the google analytics artificial intelligence.
How to configure Google Analytics 4?
Setting up the new GA4 property is very easy. Below we discover all the steps so you can carry it out. Discover how to upgrade to google analytics 4 easily!
Property configuration in GA4
- To start setting up a new Google Analytics 4 property, the first thing you need to do is log in to your Google Analytics user.
- If you have several accounts, check that you are on the one you want to update Click on Manage.
- Select in the second column the button that says “Update to GA4”.
On the next screen, you’ll have the option to create a new Google Analytics 4 property or connect to one you already have. In case you have not created any property with Google Analytics 4, click on the “Start” button.
Next, a screen will appear to start the creation of the new Google Analytics property 4. Click on the “Create property” button.
Label creation in GA4
The next step consists of place a new tracking code. Once the setup wizard has opened, click on “Tag Installation”.
At this point, you should confirm that the URL and name of the property you are trying to update to Ga4 are correct. Now you must click on the arrow on the right, where a new menu will be displayed.
You will find two options: One of them, “Add tag on page”, will allow you to add a new tag. The “Use tag on page” option will give you the option to use the existing tag. Choosing one or the other option will depend on the Google Analytics tag implementation method that you had on said property.
If you used a tag of type gtag.js or if you did it through Tag Manager, we can choose to use the existing tag. If, on the other hand, you do not have Tag Manager or the gtag.js tag, but you did it through the old analytics.js tag, you will have to create a new one, since it is not compatible with GA4. Follow the steps indicated in each of the options and connect your new label using the corresponding label ID. If everything is correctly implemented, after a few minutes you will see real-time traffic appearing on your new GA4 property.
Other considerations after activating GA4
Once you have your property up and running and measuring traffic, we recommend that you take an additional step.
- Access your new property and extends the data retention period to 14 months. This is done by accessing from Manage > Data Settings > Data Retention. We’ll change to 14 months and then click save.
- Activate Google Signals. Access from Administrator > Data settings > Data collection. Enable the collection of Google signals data. This will allow you to collect better data for those users who have activated ad personalization for their Google accounts, since if a user has taken actions from more than one device, they could appear as different users in your data. This is very important if you are going to carry out remarketing campaigns.
As you have seen, it is relatively simple. configure new Google Analytics 4 property. Although it will still take a while to get used to the new interface, the truth is that it has been improved in several aspects. There is still no date for the disappearance of the old property, but it is likely that in a few months it will stop collecting data. For this reason, we recommend that you carry out the update of the property of your website as soon as possible, since otherwise there may come a time when you stop receiving traffic data from your visits.
In We are aware of the importance of web analytics in decision making for each of the marketing strategies that we carry out in our business. If you want more information about how to implement measurement in your web strategy, do not hesitate to contact us. .
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