What Does GA4 Mean?

GA4 Stands For Google Analytics 4

GA4, or Google Analytics 4, is Google's 4th iteration of it's analytics platform. As of October 14, 2020, GA4 is the default analytics setup through Google, replacing the previous default of UA, or Universal Analytics. GA4 refers to the default Property setting within Google Analytics and does not affect the Account, but could change the data within the View under the account.

From Beta To Default

Prior to the announcement of GA4, it was previously just known as App+Web Property. App+Web was introduced last year in a beta version and now that it has moved to GA4, it is the default analytics setup.

What Are The Benefits Of GA4?

According to Google's release of their AI-powered GA4 Property, there are various benefits from it. The first and likely most pertinent one is that Google has identified that this is the analytics property that they're investing in. This likely means that UA will no longer see updates and will be deprecated in the near future. Jumping on board with the Property that has future enhancements just seems like the wise decision. A better view of ROI. A lot of the new benefits seem to be around supporting the growing needs of ecommerce. With deeper ecom conversion tracking and predictive modelling, GA4 will actually provide a look at opportunity gains for certain audiences, helping advertisers make decisions on targeting and budget. A deeper integration with Google Ads. The new setup allows for a more enhanced integration with Google Ads. Planned "next steps" for GA4 also include more features around data enhancements and audience modelling. Customer Lifecycle View. Attributing an anonymous Marketing ID to each user allows for better insight into their early interactions with the owned digital properties, along with a full view of their usage patterns and lifecycle on the site, including content consumption and purchases. A Truly Universal Analytics. Despite the previous setup being referred to as Universal Analytics, it was anything but. The new GA4 instance allows for seamless tracking against Owned Media (website and apps), Paid Media on Google's Platforms (Google Ads, YouTube Ads, etc.), Paid Media on Non-Google Platforms (social media, etc.) and Earned Media insights (i.e. Organic Google Search, Organic Social Traffic). A Cookie-Free Setup. GA4 still uses cookies, but is setup in the way that it can still operate and perform without the use of cookies. This is particularly important for businesses and marketers still looking to stay targeted with the introduction of cookie-free browsing being introduced on certain browsers and mobile devices. With all of these new benefits, Google has indicated that the same, if not more, user controls will be available to determine what can and cannot be tracked by the user.