SUMMARY: Know how Google Analytics 4 will affect you. Hire an organic SEO company for guidance and help.
Google announced the launch of the Google Analytics 4. The update was previously referred to as App + Web. It’s an analytics tool that offers smarter insights to help e-commerce sites net higher returns. As the digital marketing sphere moves to a cookie-less space, the tool is envisioned to help with that transition.
Will It Affect You?
Every time a Google update happens, we ask this question: and for good reason. A Google update could be devastating to your ecommerce business if your site isn’t ready for it. And yes, it will affect you. But don’t panic just yet. The good news is, you still have time to prepare. The first step you’ll want to do is understand how your data works. This will save you a ton of headaches later. If you don’t know how, hire an organic SEO company to help you through this.
Set Up a Data Stream
The first thing you need to do is look for the admin section for Universal Google Analytics. Look for the feature that will allow you to upgrade a property. If you go with that upgrade now, though, keep in mind that you’ll need to use the gtag install for the GA. Once that step is done, the upgrade will create a new property. This one, though, will have tracking that starts with G-. Connect the property to a data stream then. If you’re keeping an eye on the traffic to the site and app, add both data streams to one report. Make sure you have the Universal Google Analytics code firing on the site or use the Google Tag Manager to make sure the data flows in both GA versions.
Real-time Refresh
Once you have your new code on the site, jump to the Real-time report. Check if the data is flowing in. GA4 combined all the individual reports from Real-time into a major one, so your user map will update in real-time. You can also check data from the last 30 minutes. Since Google Analytics 4 is designed to focus efforts on improving engagement, you can expect changes in events and conversions as all page views will now be tracked as events. More tractable conversions, though, still mean that you need to choose the events that you’re tracking carefully. Do that by customizing and editing events in the analytics interface.
Edit Events in GA4
Go to the events menu. You’ll see the standard events that come with GA4. At the top of the screen, though, you’ll find controls that make it possible for you to change an existing event or create a new one. Look for the sliders that can turn any of your events into a tracked conversion. Since only some clicks count as conversions, you’ll need to know how to modify events to pick which ones are worth tracking.
Get Help from Pros
Managing your site is a full-time job. If your hands are already full running a business, get help from experts. Find an SEO service provider to help you through the update and guide you through the changes.