How can you tell if your business website is actually generating traffic? And when you do get traffic, how do you ascertain exactly where that traffic is coming from? Answering these questions is foundational to any SEO or digital marketing effort, and for years there has been a simple answer: By logging into a free back-end platform known as Google Analytics, you can easily obtain a full dashboard of metrics related to your website performance. Such metrics have proven invaluable to SEOs and marketing professionals seeking to guide and direct their efforts, and to know where to allocate their resources to make the most tangible impact.
As such, it may come as a bit of a surprise to hear that Google has announced a significant change to its Analytics function. Specifically, the search company announced that Google Analytics 3, also known as Universal Analytics, will be phased out by next summer. In its place, Google will be unveiling an updated platform, called (cleverly enough) Analytics 4.
But why the change? What will the shift to Analytics 4 mean? And how can SEOs and marketing professionals prepare? Here are a few basic insights regarding Universal Analytics going away.
Why is Universal Analytics Going Away?
To begin with, it may be helpful to understand why Google has made this change.
The answer is pretty straightforward: Google Analytics 3 has been around for a while now. The Google Analytics platform itself goes back to 2005, and the version we know as Universal Analytics essentially came into being in 2008.
So, for a long time now, Google Analytics has served marketers well, providing a vast quantity of predictive information and analysis. But in that time, digital technology and consumer habits have evolved considerably. As such, the Google Analytics we know and love has become largely obsolete.
Specifically, Universal Analytics has been hobbled by a few important changes:
- Universal Analytics was designed with desktop Internet browsing, not mobile browsing, in mind.
- Similarly, Universal Analytics was made for single sessions, not necessarily for tabs kept open indefinitely (as is customary for many mobile users).
- Universal Analytics was designed to take advantage of third-party cookies. However, due to ongoing concerns about online privacy, Google has begun the process of sunsetting third-party cookies. As such, the move away from Universal Analytics can be seen as part of Google’s broader mission to prepare for a cookieless future.
Due to these and other factors, Google’s engineers have determined that Universal Analytics is no longer accurate or viable as a tool for measuring website performance. Hence, the move to Google Analytics 4.
Google Analytics 4: Overview and Timeline
As for Universal Analytics vs Analytics 4, there are a few reasons why the new model surpasses its predecessor. Simply put, Analytics 4 does everything Universal Analytics doesn’t do to keep up with changing online habits and behaviors. It operates on a cross-platform basis. It doesn’t rely on cookies. And, it uses an event-based model for measurement. Also note that it doesn’t store individual IP addresses, which is welcome news for companies that wish to track their online metrics without running afoul of online privacy concerns.
Google Analytics 4 has actually been around since 2020, and in that time, Google has continued to refine and improve it. For example, they have unfurled deeper, more seamless integrations between Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads. They’ve clearly been positioning Google Analytics 4 to become their new flagship measurement tool… but when does the trade-off take place?
Here’s the timeline, according to Google:
- Until July 1, 2023, you’re free to gather and store data using Universal Analytics.
- After July 1, you’ll be able to access previously stored Universal Analytics data for a full six months.
- At some point over the next couple of months, Google will announce the exact date on which Universal Analytics data will become inaccessible.
Why You Should Care About Universal Analytics Going Away?
That’s the basic summary of what’s happening with Google Analytics. Now let’s delve into the practical implications. What are marketers and SEOs supposed to do with this information?
First and foremost, it’s wise to set up Google Analytics 4 properties sooner rather than later. Yes, you have a year’s time before you have to make the switch, but by configuring Google Analytics 4 now you may begin tracking all the core metrics that matter most to you. By doing so, you will have a full set of historical data to reference come next year.
Something else to consider is that currently it does not seem like there will be an easy or simple way to migrate your data from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4. This could change, but for now, it seems like it will be necessary to manually export all Universal Analytics data. Again, it may be wise to do this sooner as opposed to later.
Ultimately, Google’s announcement that it’s sunsetting Universal Analytics should come as a wake-up call to those who work in search. Many have been putting off the switch to Google Analytics 4, but that won’t be an option much longer. The time to familiarize yourself with Google Analytics 4’s platform and features is now. By diving into the interface today, you’ll be better-positioned to handle the change-over next summer.
Stay Up to Date with Google Analytics
While big changes like this can certainly be disruptive, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic: Google Analytics 4 really does seem like it’s built to better capture real user experiences, and to provide more reliable reports and metrics. In the long run, the change may prove to be truly helpful.
Do you have further questions about preparing for Google Analytics 4, or about the general distinctions between Universal Analytics vs Google Analytics 4? We’d be happy to talk with you further about any of these concerns. Reach out to us to schedule a consultation at your convenience.