Countless individuals and companies across the globe rely on Google Analytics to gather data about their website's visitors and how these visitors behave. In a move that we haven't seen in over a decade, Google is replacing the current version of Google Analytics (Google Analytics 3 or Universal Analytics) with a brand-new product -- Google Analytics 4. And while the names of these two products sound the same, there similarity ends there.
Obviously there's a ton of information that people need to know about Google Analytics 4, and this post is designed to be your hub for learning more about the move from GA3 to GA4 from the perspective that matters most to you. What is the same for everyone, however, is that you must upgrade to Google Analytics 4 before July 1, 2023, and you need to migrate as soon as possible in order to start gathering data now.
If you are an individual or business and you don't know where to start with GA4, check out our introductory GA4 article, Google Analytics is Dead, Long Live Google Analytics. In this article we go over why Google has decided to create Google Analytics 4 and why the old way of doing things (Universal Analytics) is being retired.
If you are already aware that you need to migrate to GA4, you can read the second article in our series, Top 10 Things Small Businesses Need to Know about Migrating to Google Analytics 4. There are some key changes that will occur with GA4, not the least of which is that you can't backup your current UA data and you can't copy over UA data to GA4. And that you can and are encouraged to run UA in parallel with GA4 while you still can.
See what your migration options are if you run a WordPress-based website. Fortunately there a few ways to migrate WordPress to GA4, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. While you will still need to create a Google Analytics 4 account, you do have flexibility in how you install the new GA4 code in Wordpress (the old UA code won't work anymore after July 1, 2023).
Everyone has a lot of questions about Google Analytics 4 and so did we. Check out our Google Analytics 4 FAQ to see the answers to common GA4 questions.
Need a refresher about dimensions vs. metrics? We've got you covered.
Here's why you don't want Google automatically migrating you to Google Analytics 4. Hint: Google gave the farm away when they said that their migrations are basic, and that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to migrating.
If would like to take advantage of our expertise in GA3 to GA4 migrations and work with us to help you or your company with the change, you can learn more about our migration service here.
Thanks to Google, your clients have little choice but to migrate to GA4. On the bright side, however, the introduction of GA4 is a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity for agency owners like you to migrate your clients GA3 accounts to GA4. In doing so, you will be providing a valuable and necessary service for your clients, while at the same time building relationships and revenue building for your agency.
Download our free GA4 Migration checklist.
Learn more about our GA4 Agency Migration Training.
How to add GA4 migration services to your business.
