Google Analytics 4: Information and Next Steps for Nexus Clients

/in /by

What’s Happening

Google has announced that Google Analytics 4 is completely replacing Universal Analytics. Universal Analytics properties (Google Analytics 3) will stop collecting data on July 1, 2023.

If your account manager sent you this resource, this means you’re likely on Universal Analytics (GA3), but if you need to confirm, this Google resource can help you determine which one you’re operating on.

Google Analytics 4 is a big change for how/which metrics are being tracked, the way data is collected, and the interface of the tool. While any big switch like this will involve hiccups, this move is an exciting evolution for the world of web analytics. It enables code-free event tracking, helps fill gaps caused by privacy compliance, and more.

For more information about the differences between Google Analytics 4 and the current Universal Analytics, here are a few helpful resources:

Nexus is here to support the success of your SEO strategy over time, which relies on trustworthy data. So, while we can’t make this migration on your behalf, we’ve put together some resources on what this change means and what next steps are needed.

What Does This Change Mean For My Website Today?

When

While end of life for Google Analytics 3 / Universal Analytics is still far away, starting to track data in a Google Analytics 4 property as soon as possible will be imperative to minimizing gaps in year over year data.

Because Universal Analytics will stop collecting new data on July 1, 2023, you should set up Google Analytics 4 by July 1, 2022 in order to have the fullest data possible.

Who

You may be able to complete these next steps yourself if you have experience setting up GA or working in the back end of your website.

However, you may need support from your web development resource in order to complete the changes outlined in the next section. To make this request simple, we’ve created an email template you can access below that covers what is needed.

What

1) Start Tracking in a Google Analytics 4 Property

You’ll need to use the Google Analytics 4 Setup Assistant to create a new GA4 property that collects data in parallel with your existing Universal Analytics property. There are no changes to your Universal Analytics property, and it will continue to collect data until July 2023.

The setup wizard should make the basic setup a very quick/low-effort task.

Resources

2) Configure Conversions in Google Analytics 4

In Universal Analytics, “goal completions” are how the Nexus team (and likely yourself and other members of your team!) understand the value of marketing efforts that pass through your website. Today, goals on your site may include things like contact us form submissions, demo requests, or webinar signups, and they may be configured either as destination or event goals.

In Google Analytics 4, these are more simply called “conversions,” and they’re measured with an event-based data model, which typically enables a more straightforward, code-free setup process compared to UA.

Option 1 (Simplest)

Use the UA → GA4 Goals Migration Tool to quickly recreate goals from your connected Universal Analytics property as conversions in Google Analytics.

Destination and Event Goals (the most common for Nexus engagements) are eligible for migration using this tool.

Option 2 (Backup)

In some cases, or if you have trouble with the tool, you may need to recreate corresponding versions of your goals manually as conversions in Google Analytics 4. If needed, you can use the following resources.

  • Step 1: Take Stock of Current Goal Tracking (Goal Completions in Google Analytics)
    • If helpful, fill out this  Google Analytics 4: Conversion Setup Worksheet. If you’re not able to fill this out yourself, your Nexus account manager can provide support.
    • A couple of notes on auditing your current setup…
      • You’ll want to ensure any goals being used by Nexus, your marketing team, your website team, or anyone else at your business are brought over to Google Analytics.
      • However, as noted by Google, “Google Analytics 4 adoption provides a great opportunity to confirm which KPIs are important to your stakeholders.” You won’t want to move over goals that are out of date such as “Holiday Purchase 2017”.
      • When in doubt, go ahead and reconfigure a corresponding goal in Google Analytics 4. You can always turn off data collection later, but you won’t have data retroactively.
  • Step 2: Configure Conversions in GA4
    • For each individual conversion, you’ll create/switch on the appropriate conversion event in Google Analytics 4.
      In some cases, you may need to set up a custom event.

Additional Resources

3) Grant Access to Nexus

Finally, please grant edit-level access to analytics@nexusmarketing.com and notify your account manager when this has been completed.

What Will This Change Mean Later?

Between now and July 2023, your account manager will transition reporting on traffic and conversions for your account to Google Analytics 4. But for now, reporting will remain consistent and we’ll continue to rely on information from Universal Analytics.

How Nexus Can Help

Where Can Nexus Support Your Team?

  • Providing high-level guidance to your web developer about what is needed for the switch to Google Analytics 4
  • Advising on current goal setup and how that translates into conversions in Google Analytics 4
  • Troubleshooting on code-free conversion setup in Google Analytics 4
  • Development of traffic and conversion reports in Google Analytics 4 to support our SEO engagement

Where Will Nexus Need Additional Support?

  • Setup of the Google Analytics 4 instance
  • Troubleshooting with data collection in Google Analytics 4
  • Setup of any custom event conversions in Google Analytics 4 that require working with code

Additional Resources

Template to Send to Web Resource

[Contact Name],

As you may know, Google is replacing Universal Analytics with the new Google Analytics 4 tool.

The full replacement won’t happen until next summer, but in order to minimize any gaps in data collection, we’d like to complete the setup one year before Universal Analytics is discontinued. But we need your help in order to make sure transition can occur as seamlessly as possible.

Could you please complete the following by July 1st, 2022?

  • Set up a new Google Analytics 4 property. Use the setup assistant to create a new GA4 property that collects data alongside our existing property.
  • Set up conversions in Google Analytics 4. Use the goal migration tool to import our existing goals as conversions in GA4. You may have to troubleshoot on this one to make sure all goals are migrated correctly.
  • Provide access to the Nexus team. Please grant edit level access to analytics@nexusmarketing.com.

The team at Nexus Marketing (who we work with for SEO) put together this resource with a few more details and considerations for this, which may be helpful. Let me know if you have any questions about what is needed.

Best,
[Your name]