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GA4: Are you ready for the new Google Analytics?

Published on: 5th July 2023

Google Analytics (GA4) and reporting on marketing activities

If you’re not familiar with Google Analytics (GA4) and you manage the marketing of your aerospace business, it’s about time to get acquainted with it!

As of 1 July 2023 Universal Analytics will stop processing data, which means you need to make the switch to GA4 now. GA4 is the next generation of Google Analytics that collects event-based data to track the interactions that users are taking on your company website or app. GA4 can greatly benefit your business, whatever its size, by revealing intelligence about your website users and customers, while still protecting their privacy.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s web analytics platform. It provides businesses with valuable insights into their website and app performance, user behaviour, and marketing activities. GA4 introduces several changes and improvements compared to its predecessor, Universal Analytics (UA).

GOOGLE ANALYTICS (GA4) AND REPORTING ON MARKETING ACTIVITIES

 

Here’s an overview of GA4 and how it can be used for reporting on your marketing activities:

1. Event-driven data model: GA4 uses an event-based approach, where user interactions are tracked as events. These events can include pageviews, button clicks, video plays, form submissions, and more. Events are logged with associated parameters, allowing for granular tracking and analysis of user actions.

2. Enhanced cross-platform tracking: GA4 offers improved cross-platform tracking, allowing you to measure user interactions across websites, mobile apps, and other digital platforms. This is especially valuable in today’s multi-device and multi-channel marketing landscape.

3. Deeper integration with Google Ads and other Google products: GA4 integrates more seamlessly with Google Ads and other Google products, enabling better tracking and reporting on marketing campaigns. You can easily view data related to ad clicks, impressions, and conversions directly within GA4.

4. Analysis Hub: GA4 introduces the Analysis Hub, a powerful tool for exploring and analysing data. It offers a wide range of analysis techniques, such as exploration, funnel analysis, user retention, and cohort analysis. These features help marketers gain valuable insights into user behavior, campaign performance, and customer journeys.

5. Customisable reporting and data visualisation: GA4 allows you to create custom reports and dashboards tailored to your marketing goals. You can use the drag-and-drop interface to build visualizations, charts, and tables to present data in a meaningful way. This flexibility enables marketers to track and report on key metrics specific to their marketing activities.

6. Machine learning capabilities: GA4 incorporates machine learning models that provide automated insights and predictions. For example, it can help identify high-value customer segments, predict churn, and suggest marketing optimisation opportunities. These AI-powered features enhance the depth and accuracy of reporting and analysis.

7. Privacy enhancements: GA4 is designed with privacy in mind. It aligns with changes in user privacy preferences and data regulations. For example, GA4 allows you to respect user consent preferences and adjust data collection accordingly. This ensures compliance with privacy regulations while still providing valuable marketing insights.

 

When reporting on marketing activities using GA4, you can track and analyse various metrics, such as traffic sources, user engagement, conversion rates, campaign performance, and user behaviour across different channels. By leveraging the features and capabilities of GA4, you can gain a deeper understanding of your audience, optimise your marketing strategies, and make data-driven decisions to drive business growth.

 

Should I Switch to Google Analytics 4?

In a word, Yes.
Start working with GA4 now. You can still refer to UA however, set up a GA4 property to run in parallel with Universal Analytics. Start collecting data on GA4 so you can take time to learn the new layout, features, integrations, tracking, metrics, and reporting. UA will be ending on July 1, 2024.

Can I Use Google Tag Manager with GA4?

Yes.
You can use Google Tag Manager with GA4. However, GA4 tracking differs from Universal Analytics tracking. You must create new event tracking in GTM to work with your GA4 property.

Can I use UA and GA4 together?

No.
You can’t transfer data from a Universal Analytics property to a Google Analytics 4 property. You must track data from scratch in a new GA4 property.

Useful resources

To support your understanding of GA4 and how it can support your aerospace business, we recommend that you use the resources that are available on the web.

Here are a few recommendations:

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