Google Analytics in its current form will shortly be no more, with Universal Analytics (GA3) about to be superseded by Google Analytics 4 (GA4). This will mean a change in the way Perth SEO is measured and managed going forward, and some significant implications for what will happen to your current data.
As a leading SEO company Perth businesses rely on to rank well in searches and get found by new and potential customers, we have taken a deep dive into GA4 and what it means going forward.
Top 3 benefits of Google Analytics 4
As an SEO agency that expertly analyses traffic data to help businesses build and maintain their online presence, we think GA4 represents three key improvements when compared to GA3, which we have outlined below.
If you are unsure about your current analytics set up, or need advice on the upcoming changes, our S.E.O services team will be happy to provide you with expert advice.
GA4 = a more unified view
GA4 will provide users with a more unified view across website and app platforms; in this way, multiple web and app data streams will be able to be incorporated into a single dataset, as opposed to the way in which in GA3 views create separate collections of data. This has in the past led to some inconsistent metrics.
One thing to bear in mind, however, is that when you first set up and configure GA4, your historical performance data won’t be available, although this will begin to change with time as datasets become populated.
Enhanced user interface
There will be a number of new reporting tools available to users in GA4, including enhancements to the ways in which custom reporting can be configured.
The overall platform UI has also undergone a reorganisation, with data from any report able to be viewed in the navigation pane. In terms of our provision of guaranteed S.E.O services, this will assist us to assess and compare data collected from across different platforms and different streams much more quickly and accurately.
Changing how we do data collection and analysis
One of the key areas that GA4 addresses, and which is crucial for us as providers of Perth S.E.O services, is that it represents a move towards the use of more sophisticated first-party data and away from third-party data collected via cookies.
This has been driven by the fact that mobile search has to a large extent superseded the use of desktop and laptop devices, and so GA4 has been designed specifically to collect and analyse cross-platform, event-based data in response.
What does Google have to say about GA4?
Google is making it explicit that GA4 is not an enhanced version of Universal Analytics (GA3) — it is instead an entirely new platform.
However, GA3 and GA4 will run in parallel until the middle of 2023, so in the meantime Google is encouraging website owners to use both, so that GA4 is able to collect data alongside GA3. At the same time, it has been made clear that sites without GA4 will not be penalised.
If you have any questions or are unsure about how the changes will affect your website and data, Ignite Search can help set up GA4 to ensure the smooth running of services Perth S.E.O businesses need to keep on top of their marketing.
What we are saying about GA4, as one of Perth’s Best S.E.O agencies
The key message with regard to GA4 is don’t delay— although GA3 will still be available until July 2023, the sooner you can set up GA4 the sooner you will begin to collect data, giving you a more accurate, longer term picture of how your website is used across all platforms and devices.
At Ignite Search, we are proud to be considered the best S.E.O company when it comes to supporting Perth businesses through using and analysing data effectively, and so talk to us if you have any queries about what the impact of GA4 could be.
