This post was written by: Julian Litvak.
The New Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a free tool that gives marketers the ability to analyze website data for their business, and make informed decisions. There have been many updates and iterations of Google Analytics over the years. The most widely used version of Google Analytics is called Universal Analytics and came out in 2012.
In October 2020, Google launched their newest version of Analytics called Google Analytics 4. Wondering about the difference between GA4 and Universal Analytics? We got you covered.
Knowledge of GA4 is a surefire way to stand out when applying to top companies -- and since the product is so new, it doesn’t require years of experience in the industry to become an expert.
There is an explosion of need for marketers with GA4 capabilities and recent graduates, with knowledge of the tool, will greatly benefit. The evolution of data privacy, artificial intelligence and online behavior, will make Google Analytics 4 vital to savvy businesses that want to succeed in online marketing.
Third-Party Cookieless Future
The way that people are being tracked on the internet is changing, and Google Analytics is evolving as well. Traditionally Google Analytics works by setting cookies on a user's browser when they visit a site. Cookies are packets of data that allow websites to identify users and “remember” their information.
Cookies are a widely adopted technology on the web and are commonly used on most websites. Due to data compliance laws, the state of cookies on the internet is changing. Third-party cookies, cookies created by websites other than the one you’re visiting, are going away.
So, how does Google work around the removal of third-party cookies? By offering modeling capabilities that use blended data and machine learning to track cookieless user behavior in GA4. Overall, GA4 is positioned extremely well to adapt to current and future shifts in laws and regulation -- as privacy is at the forefront of the new iteration of the Analytics platform.
These industry-wide shifts will have a lasting impact on how businesses collect and analyze data moving forward. Which is why now more than ever, companies are seeking knowledgable digital marketers and agency partners to help guide them through changing times.
Artificial Intelligence/Insights
One of the main benefits of using GA4 is its advanced machine learning and natural language processing functions. Not only does this technology allow Google to fill the gaps in data with cookieless tracking but also offers a new set of tools for marketers to leverage in analysis and reporting.
For example, Analytics Intelligence is a set of features in GA4 that uses machine learning to help marketers configure, understand, and act on their data. There are two types of insights Analytics Intelligence provides:
- Automated Insights detect changes and trends in the data and alerts the marketer automatically within the Analytics platform.
- Custom Insights are created manually and detect changes based on the conditions the marketer sets, e.g. “new users from Campaign X decreased by 50% in the past week", “conversions were less than 10 in the past day”, and so on. These insights provide highly valuable information quickly -- saving marketers from spending time building out reports to answer FAQs.
Tools like Google’s Analytics Intelligence have not been fully integrated into the marketing landscape and there is a plethora of opportunity for new marketers to take advantage of these tools in their profession.
App/Web Measurement
Marketers are obsessed with collecting valuable user data from their website. However, to capture the full picture of user behavior, marketers need the ability to collect data across domain, device, and so on.
Why? Simply put, the customer journey is messy and complex. Especially for companies with multiple platforms (e.g. Mobile apps, websites, etc.) -- being informed on how users interact with the full digital ecosystem is critical. That's why GA4 is updated to track modern day consumer behavior and organize it into a central location for analysis using App + Web properties in GA4.
Learn More GA4
As GA4 grows to maturity, businesses will need marketers that know how to integrate the new Google Analytics 4 into their measurement strategy. A knowledgeable marketer can provide extreme value to a company by utilizing the new tools in GA4.
💡 At Seer, we're constantly looking to integrate new features into our business processes to provide the most value to our clients.
Our in-depth training program quickly teaches new marketers how to take advantage of the powerful capabilities of GA4 -- enabling us to work with clients big and small to track, pull and analyze their data in GA4. Seer’s philosophy is not just to become proficient in Google Analytics 4, but to be a leader in the marketing world and push the boundaries of what GA4 is capable of doing (we're hiring BTW!)
If you are interested in learning more about Seer’s work on GA4, check out these articles:
- What is Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
- How to Set Up GA4 Web Tracking
- How to Use the GA4 Demo Account
- GA4 Q&A with Seer's Analytics Team
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