Analytics

BuhBye UA. Hello GA4.

Posted on by wholesumagency

Universal Analytics is going to be 10 years old next year.
Happy birthday and goodbye.
Google Analytics 4 is here.

Ten years old in the tech world is pretty old. Much has evolved in analytics over the last 10 years and Google has, too. They’ve introduced a new and improved Google Search Console and a new and approved Google Ads, and now, it’s time for a new and improved Google Analytics 4 (which was originally called Web + App).

As I work within GA4, I’m finding things I like and things I tilt my head at and say, “Huh?” But I’m used to learning whatever Google throws at me:

I’ve used Google Analytics when it was called Urchin, which came on the scene in 2005;
–then the ol’ Classic Analytics 2007;
–and the current-yet-out-the-door Universal Analytics since 2012;
–plus a couple proprietary analytic platforms, too.
–And now, it’s time to move on to GA4, which was introduced in October 2020.

You’ll want to move on to Google Analytics 4, as well.

  • GA4 is the biggest update in Google Analytics 15-year history.
  • Google has indicated it’ll stop supporting or maintaining UA on July 1, 2023.
    NOTE: the key phrase is they’ll “STOP SUPPORTING” UA.
  • Set up GA4 now to start collecting data because Universal Analytics property’s history will NOT carry over.
    LET ME REPEAT: UA will NOT carry over.
  • Set up GA4 now to start learning its new features.

Add a Google Analytics 4 property to a site that already has Analytics

Set up GA4 in parallel with your current UA property

For your current websites (or “Properties”) that have Universal Analytics installed, keep that going! Don’t delete them! Don’t remove them!

Do set up Google Analytics 4 for each of your Universal properties.

Step 1.

Go to the Admin section of your current UA property.
Click GA4 Setup Assistant.

Step 2. Click Get Started.

Step 3. Click Create property.

(The property I’m using is pretty old; it needed new tags, hence the highlighted message. Had my tags been in order, the check box for “Enable data collection using existing tags…” would have been checked. Either way, simply click Create property.)

Step 4. The GA4 property is created with its own Measurement ID (grayed out here for privacy.) It is now connected to your Universal Analytics property. They can run side-by-side once the tracking code is updated.

Click on See your GA4 property

Step 5 Click Tag installation

Step 6 Click your new GA4 Data Stream
(do not click the blue button to add another data stream)

Step 7 Select Use existing on-page tag

Since you already have a Universal Property and it has its own tracking code, you can continue to use it.

Step 8 Connecting both your UA property and GA4 property

IF your two properties were not connected earlier on, follow the instructions to open another tab or window so that you can open up the “original” Universal Analytics property. Be sure to click on the Property with UA- at the beginning of its ID. The new GA4 ID is listed, too, but use the UA- property.

Now that both are connected, you need to update the tracking code that is already on your website. 

Step 9  See the Measurement ID at the top, right corner in the image above? It’s also in number 4 of the instructions. It’s grayed out here for privacy. COPY this ID beginning with G-. 

This ID will need to be added to your tracking code on your website. 

Your current tracking code on your website will look something like this:

HEADER SCRIPTS


<script async src=”https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-XXXXXXXXX-X”></script>
<script>
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
gtag(‘js’, new Date());

gtag(‘config’, ‘UA-XXXXXXXXX-X’);
</script>

To update your tracking code, type the new ID G-XXXXXXXXX-X in a new gtag under the UA’s tag and above the /script. Here it is in blue so you can see:

HEADER SCRIPTS


<script async src=”https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-XXXXXXXXX-X”></script>
<script>
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
gtag(‘js’, new Date());

gtag(‘config’, ‘UA-XXXXXXXXX-X’);
gtag(‘config’, ‘G-XXXXXXXXX’);
</script>

Save your changes, and you’re ready to roll!

CONFIRM your new Google Analytics 4 property is tracking

  1. Open your GA4 property and go to its Real Time reports.
  2. In another window, open the UA property and its Real Time reports.
  3. Go to your website.
  4. Then, click on one of its internal pages.
  5. Check out your Real Time reports. You’ll immediately see tracking on the UA property’s home page and the internal page.
  6. The GA4 report takes a minute or two. Or three, maybe five minutes. Be sure you see only 1 user going to each of the pages you clicked on.