Do you use Google Analytics? Then get ready. The countdown has begun.
From July 1, 2023, only GA4 (Google Analytics 4), the latest version of the famous statistical analysis tool, will be able to use and collect data relating to your WordPress site.
Until then, you have no choice if you wish to continue benefiting from Google's audience analysis solution: You need to migrate from GA3 to GA4.
This is the main purpose of this article. By the end of this article, you will find a step-by-step plan to achieve this.
What is GA4?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the new generation of Analytics, the free website traffic statistical analysis tool offered by Google.
Launched in beta version in June 2019GA4 became the default platform for all new properties in October 2020.
Unlike its predecessor, Google Analytics 3 (also called Universal Analytics), which collected data based on sessions and page views, google analytics 4 "Collection of event-based data from websites and applications", explains Google.
A session represents the period during which a user is active on your website or application.
An event measures a specific interaction of a user on a website or application (e.g., purchase of a product, click on a link, loading of a page, page view, etc.).
Finally, a property is the name Google gives to your website. With this data, you can monitor certain actions. SEO (search engine optimization) for your WordPress site.
What are the specific features of Google Analytics 4?
To present the latest version of its statistical analysis service, Google highlights several key features:
- GA4 offers better privacy protection than Universal Analytics, since "includes privacy settings such as cookie-free measurement, and behavior and conversion modeling" ;
- It works on all platforms (cross-device tracking), whether on websites or mobile applications, with a single Google property.
Thanks to this, the data that the tool collects allows us to " "Better understand the customer journey", while improving the user experience. The user can find all their information on the same interface, without having to switch from one device to another (cross device et cross platform). Practical for measuring audience without spreading yourself too thin; - The protection and anonymity of user data is increased because Google Analytics 4 anonymizes IP addresses automatically (it had to be done manually under Universal Analytics, as stated in this content);
- The new version of the analytical tool uses predictive features thanks to artificial intelligence (AI).capable of providing advice and recommendations to the user to increase marketing ROI (Return on Investment) throughout the customer journey;
- GA4 offers "direct integration" with Google's advertising platforms (like Google Ads), to help you optimize the performance of your marketing campaigns, while making it easier to track them;
- GA4 automatically collects eventsSome events allow "to evaluate additional features and behaviors, and to generate more useful reports"explains Google, which even offers recommended events ;
- You can create custom reports based on a predefined template. A gallery of templates is also available.
Why did Google decide to launch GA4?
GA4: A necessary adaptation to a changing ecosystem
To justify this switch to Google Analytics 4, Google initially puts forward a technical reason.
According to Russell Ketchum, director and product manager of Google Analytics, GA3 (Universal Analytics) was simply ill-suited to the recent developments in the digital ecosystem..
"Universal Analytics was designed for a generation of online measurement that was anchored to desktop computers, independent sessions, and more easily observable data from cookies.", he explains in detail in this blog post. This measurement methodology is rapidly becoming obsolete. Google Analytics 4, on the other hand, operates across multiple platforms, does not rely exclusively on cookies, and uses an event-driven data model to provide user-centric metrics.
Google Analytics has existed since 2005, and its acquisition of the statistical analysis tool Urchin Software.
A pressing need to better control data confidentiality
The second reason put forward by Ketchum is based on the desire to protect "User privacy" and their personal data, in particular to comply with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in effect since 2018.
Here, the objective is to "to offer a better experience to our customers and their users", adds Ketchum. In this sense, Google Analytics 4 "helps businesses respond to evolving user needs and expectations through more comprehensive and granular controls over data collection and use".
Why upgrade to Google Analytics 4?
If you have been using Google Analytics since October 14, 2020, there is a good chance that you are already using the GA4 interface.
If your property was created before this date, Universal Analytics will still provide you with your website traffic statistics.
A Google Analytics 4 property consists solely of numbers, in this format (XXXXXXXXX). Universal Analytics properties begin with "UA" and end with a number (e.g., UA-XXXXXXXXX-1). To find out which type of property you are using, check out this tutorial.
A matter of time
Your WordPress site is it linked to a Universal Analytics property? If so, Google encourages you to "Upgrade to Google Analytics 4 as soon as possible".
Indeed, standard Universal Analytics properties will no longer process data from July 1, 2023 (July 1, 2024 for Universal Analytics 360 properties).
This data will be kept for at least 6 months, then you will no longer be able to access them afterwards (no specific date has been communicated by Google at the time of writing).
In other words, you have no choice but to upgrade to Google Analytics 4 if you wish to continue using Google's statistical analysis tool.
A question of analysis (and its effectiveness)
Besides the time constraints, it is recommended to migrate to Google Analytics 4 as soon as possible in order to be able to analyze your data more precisely in the coming months.
As detailed in this article, "The key challenge in web analytics is being able to analyze data over time, across a sufficiently wide date range, allowing for comparative analyses with a given previous period.".
This is referred to as analysis. Year-Over-Year (YoY, from one year to the next).
In practical terms, to be as complete and representative as possible, the history of information collected by GA must cover at least one full year.
So don't delay in updating your websites and switching to this new version!
In the next section, you will discover the detailed procedure for taking action.
How to migrate from GA3 to GA4 in 5 steps?
Migrating from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 can be done in a few clicks, without technical knowledge, thanks to an intuitive setup assistant offered by Google.
It is intended for all types of profiles (from beginner to advanced user).
A Google Analytics 4 property will then be added to your existing Universal Analytics propertywhich will continue to collect data until July 1, 2023, as you read previously.
Now, see how to proceed in detail with this tutorial to switch to GA4, with different levers to activate.
Step 1: Select your Universal Analytics property
First, go to your Google Analytics account, then click on "Admin" in the bottom left corner:
On your interface, in the "Account" column, verify that your account is selected in the available settings. If you only manage one account, it will already be selected:
In the "Property" column, Make sure you have selected the property that is currently collecting your website's data. :
Step 2: Create a new property on your Analytics account
Now let's move on to step 2. Launch the Google Analytics 4 setup wizard. To do this, click on "GA4 Setup Wizard" in the "Property" column:
You must have the "Editor" role on the account to take advantage of the setup wizard.
Next, click on "Start" in the box titled "I want to create a Google Analytics 4 property":
Wait a few seconds, and Your GA4 property will normally be created and connected to the old one, which already collects your data..
You can find his name and username at the bottom of the page:
You can also see that your properties have been successfully associated, via a message that appears at the top of the "Google Analytics Property Setup Assistant 4" page.
If you wish to explore and configure your GA4 property, click the blue "Access your GA4 property" button.
Step 3: Verify that data collection is working
If the GA4 setup wizard offered to enable data collection using your existing tags, your new GA4 property should now collect data.
It may take up to 30 minutes for them to appear on your dashboard. (dashboard), for your information. To verify this, check your website pages. Once there, go to the Reports > Real-time section.
If you see at least one activity in your settings (page visit, or session), that's all good:
This means your website uses the gtag.js tag.The latter uses the gtag.js JavaScript library to send data to Google Analytics.
You will then be able to track and analyze the traffic that will arrive on your pages.
If the setup assistant cannot reuse the existing tag (e.g., because you are using Google Tag Manager or an analytics.js tag), You will then need to add the gtag.js tag to your website pages yourself..
Step 4: Add the gtag.js tag (if needed)
If you need to do this yourself, you'll find the code for this tag in the "Admin" section. In the "Property" column, click on Data Feed > Web.
In the "Google Tag" section, select "View tag instructions". You can manually copy and paste the code displayed in the "Manually Install" tab immediately after the tag. in the source code of your website pages.
For added convenience, you can also use a WordPress extension that will do all the work for you. This is the case, for example, with the plugin GO Google Analytics For WordPress.
In principle, everything is fine. Wait a bit and check again in the "Real-time" section that you are indeed receiving visits (sessions). This would mean that the tracking is active).
A handy tip: you can also use Chrome Tag Assistant Legacy extension to verify that your gtag.js tag has been correctly added to your site's pages.
Have you never used Google Analytics before? Google presents you with this page how to activate GA4 from scratch, for example if you have just launched a new site.
Step 5: Configure features of your new GA4 property
Once the above operations have been completed, you can refine your settings by configuring your property's parameters according to your needs (process of setup of GA4).
The GA4 setup wizard also suggests certain actions to take regarding data configuration. Off the top of my head, I could mention the following:
- activate Google signals, to benefit from features of remarketing et reporting more powerful;
- create a Google Ads association (e.g., Google AdWords) and set bids for GA4 conversions;
- define audiences ;
- configure conversion goals ;
- link GA4 to BigQuery (you can, for example, opt for continuous streaming export);
- add users.
- Click on MesuresThen select each of the metrics you want to include in your report. For example, total number of users, bounce rate, conversions, and total revenue.
Congratulations: you are now using Google Analytics 4. Without further ado, let's move on to a more controversial topic in the next section: GA4's compliance with the GDPR.
Is GA4 compliant with the GDPR?
Since 2018, the GDPR has ensured that every individual has control over and protection of the personal data they disseminate during their internet browsing.
The body responsible for enforcing it in France is the CNIL. (National Commission for Information Technology and Freedoms). And the least that can be said is that it has Google Analytics in its sights.
An example ? In February 2022It has issued formal notices to several organizations using Google Analytics due to illegal data transfers to the United States.
She even recommended no longer using Google Analytics under current conditions, without distinguishing between Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4.
However, the latter aims to be more respectful in terms of data confidentiality and respect for privacy.
As this article states, "We cannot say today that the use of GA4 will comply with the GDPR and meet the requirements of European authorities such as the CNIL.".
Should you then rule out a possible migration to GA4? Not necessarily, and for several reasons:
- Google Analytics will continue to evolver and is working to meet the requirements of the CNIL and European authorities in the coming months;
- The CNIL itself proposes a solution to make Google Analytics compliant with the GDPR, via a proxying solution ;
- the European Commission and the United States announced, in March 2022, an agreement in principle on "a new transatlantic framework for the protection of personal data" aiming to better to regulate data flows to the United States.
Although it is not yet considered a legal framework that organizations can rely on to transfer data to the United States, it could become so in the future.
At the moment, it's difficult to have a definitive opinion on the matter. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting a legal expert for further clarification.
And if you have decided to take advantage of the planned end of Google Analytics 3 to switch to an alternative solution, read on.
What are the alternatives to Google Analytics 4?
Google Analytics is by far the most widely used traffic analysis tool by webmasters. At the time of writing, it was dominating nearly 86% of market share.
Its dominance is undisputed, but it's not the only one to help you analyze your traffic data.
If you have concerns about data confidentiality and privacy, be aware that there are other alternatives on the market.
While not all of them are free and may not always have options as advanced as GA4 in terms of traffic analysis and custom reports, most of them have the advantage of being GDPR compliant.
The CNIL has even identified the following web analytics solutions (Not exhaustive) "as they can be configured to fall within the scope of the exemption from obtaining consent" :
- Matomo Analytics (formerly Piwik), which even has the advantage of offering an extension for the WordPress CMS called WP-Matomo Integration (WP-Piwik);
- Analytics Suite Delta from AT Internet ;
- Piwik PRO Analytics Suite ;
- Abla Analytics ;
- BEYABLE Analytics ;
- Wysistat Business ;
- SmartProfile.
GA4: The Summary
Deployed since June 2019, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will definitively replace Universal Analytics in July 2023.
As a webmaster and/or website creator, It is important for you to prepare for this change and switch to GA4 as soon as possible., if you wish to continue using Google's performance measurement tool.
Thanks to this article, you have discovered, among other things:
- What are the specific features of Google Analytics 4?
- Why switch to this new version of the analytical tool?
- its impact on respect for privacy, data confidentiality, and its compliance with the GDPR;
- How to migrate from Universal Analytics to GA4.
Do you need advice, or even support, to switch to Google Analytics 4 smoothly?
Contact the WP Maintenance team, specialists in WordPress technical support..
Available 7 days a week, we will offer you tailor-made support that will meet your needs with speed, professionalism and efficiency.
