Google Analytics and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) are both tools used for website and app analytics, but they have some key differences. GA4 is the latest version of Google Analytics and is designed to provide more accurate data, better user privacy, and improved user experience.
Advantages of GA4 include:
- Automated insights: GA4 uses machine learning to automatically identify patterns in your data and provide insights without the need for manual analysis.
- Cross-device tracking: GA4 can track users across multiple devices and platforms, providing a more complete picture of user behavior.
- Enhanced data privacy: GA4 has built-in measures to protect user data, such as masking IP addresses and automatically removing sensitive information.
Google has announced that Universal Analytics will stop processing new hits on July 1, 2023, and Google Analytics 4 will be the only option after that. It is highly recommended that you start migrating to GA4 as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition.
To migrate to GA4, you can follow these steps:
- Create a new GA4 property in your Google Analytics account.
- Add the GA4 tracking code to your website or app.
- Set up data streams to track specific events, such as page views or button clicks.
- Use the GA4 data in conjunction with your Universal Analytics data to get a complete picture of user behavior.
In conclusion, Google Analytics 4 provides many advantages over the previous version, Google Analytics. The support for Universal Analytics will end in October 2021, so it is recommended that you start migrating to GA4 as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition.
Note: Keep in mind that GA4 is not backward-compatible with Universal Analytics, and data collected in GA4 cannot be imported into a Universal Analytics property. If you have important data in Universal Analytics, you should consider keeping the property running in parallel while you’re migrating to GA4.
