Google Analytics 4: Switch & Measure Your Success

Google Analytics experienced its biggest change in October 2020 when Google introduced Google Analytics 4, a more powerful version. In March 2022, another update was released: new hits will no longer be processed by Universal Analytics by July 2023.

[GA4] Add a Google Analytics 4 property (to a site that already has Analytics)

Set up a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) property alongside your existing Universal Analytics property

Create a new GA4 property that gathers data concurrently with your current Universal Analytics property using the GA4 Setup Assistant. Your Universal Analytics property is unchanged and continues to gather data as usual. Both properties are accessible through the admin screen or property selector.

How it works

The GA4 Setup Assistant wizard:

1. Creates your new GA4 property.
2. Copies the property name, website URL, timezone, and currency settings from your Universal Analytics property.
3. Activates enhanced measurement in your GA4 property.
4. Connects your GA4 properties to your Universal Analytics account. You may utilise Setup Assistant in your Google Analytics 4 property to transfer configurations from your Universal Analytics property to your GA4 property thanks to this link.
5. Sets the GA4 property to receive data from your existing Google tag, if you choose to reuse an existing site tag.

The GA4 Setup Assistant process doesn't backfill past data into your new GA4 property. Only future data will be collected by your GA4 property. Use the reports in your Universal Analytics property to view historical data.

Get started

You must have the Editor role for the account in order to utilise the GA4 Setup Assistant. To construct your GA4 property, adhere to the directions below. You may use this wizard regardless of whether your website pages contain a Google Tag Manager container, a Google Analytics tag (gtag.js or analytics.js), or a Google Ads tag (gtag.js).

1. In Google Analytics, click Settings Admin (lower left).
2. In the Account column, make sure that your desired account is selected. (If you only have one Google Analytics account, it's already selected.)
3. Choose the Universal Analytics property that presently gathers data for your website from the Property column.
4. Click the GA4 Setup Assistant link in the Property column. In the Property column, it is the first choice.
5. Click Get started under I want to create a new Google Analytics 4 property.
6. Depending on how your site is presently marked, you will have one of the following choices in the Create a new Google Analytics 4 property pop-up screen:
7. Create and continue. Click this button to continue to the Set up a Google tag page (step 7).
8. Make a property. If you see this choice, it indicates Analytics may use the Universal Analytics tagging you currently have for your GA4 property. Your Universal Analytics and GA4 properties will be connected through a site tag that Analytics will build. Choose this option to go on to the section below that is titled "Next steps with your new GA4 property."
9. On the Set up a Google tag page, select the option that best describes your situation and follow the instructions to finish creating your new GA4 property:
10. Use the Google tag found on your website (Recommended)

Next steps with your new GA4 property

You'll notice "You have successfully connected your properties" at the top of your Google Analytics 4 Property Setup Assistant page after the procedure is finished.

Write down the name of your GA4 property so you can locate it later. Without the "UA-" prefix, your GA4 property name will be "Example property - GA4 (xxxxxxx)" if your Universal Analytics property name is "Example property (UA-nnnnnnn)".

Click To launch Setup Assistant in your new GA4 property, go to your GA4 property. In Google Analytics 4 properties, the Setup Assistant helps you navigate through suggested features and settings so you can complete setting up your Google Analytics 4 property.

The time it takes for data to start showing up in your new GA4 property is up to 30 minutes.

Browse your website, then pick Realtime from the report menu to confirm that data is being gathered. In the Realtime report, activity should be visible.

The user interface of GA4 was not well received, with some people calling it “inefficient” and “difficult to use”. Despite many marketers still being in denial, there's no escape. To help you get started with Google Analytics 4, we have compiled a guide.

GA4 Switch Instructions: Creating A Realistic Transition Roadmap

1. Perform a Google Analytics audit of your current metrics and usage
2. Get your new GA4 property up and running
3. Transform your previous metrics into GA4 options
4. Integrate dashboards and create customized ones
5. Get your team on board by training and explaining
6. Enhance the process iteratively

Things To Remember While Migrating to Google Analytics 4

There is no automatic inheritance of tracking items from other analytics properties (such as UA properties). Thus, your current UA outputs need to be clearly understood before switching to GA4. The first step is to list the metrics you track in UA. Investigate how your organization uses those metrics, particularly where they affect KPIs.

It is very important to create a new GA4 property and launch it as soon as possible. Due to GA4’s lack of historical data import, your property will only start tracking traffic data after it is created and it will populate the GA4 property the quicker you create it.

This should be done by July 1, 2022, at the latest. However, if you miss this deadline, don’t hesitate to create a GA4 property (or properties).

The following are the most common items for setup:

1. Audiences
2. Content Groupings
3. Custom Dimensions/Metrics
4. Events
5. Goals (Conversions)
6. Product Link Connections
7. Referral Exclusions

This is not a one-on-one conversion between UA and GA4. GA4 does not support all UA measurements. Some can be extracted, but they need to be updated and customized. In light of GA4’s beta status, keep track of the changes Google is making.

Be sure to keep your end-users updated during the migration to GA4. There is more to effective change management than just a heads-up about a dashboard update. Include the following in your training and communication plan:

The implementation of Google Analytics 4 and the timing and requirements associated with it.

1. New vocabulary tutorial, especially as it relates to changed metrics.
2. An explanation of how different metrics can be used to find insights.
3. Step-by-step instructions for dashboard changes.

Concluding, GA4 is aimed at helping us analyze ROI and cross-device data more accurately. The process of growth and change is, however, challenging. Keep up with Google's latest updates for GA4 to manage it well.

Why Choose KP Webtech?

Are you thinking of migrating to Google Analytics 4? If so, you may be wondering why you should choose KP Webtech to help you with the transition.

There are several reasons to choose KP Webtech for migrating to Google Analytics 4:

First, we have a team of experienced professionals who know how to properly migrate your data and ensure that everything is transferred over correctly.

Second, we will help you to set up your new Google Analytics 4 account so that you can start tracking your data right away. We will also provide you with training on how to use the new features of GA4 so that you can make the most of it.

Third, we offer competitive prices for our services. We understand that migrating to a new system can be costly, so we want to make sure that our prices are fair and reasonable.

We want to make sure that the transition is as smooth and easy as possible for you, so please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any help.