Google will retire Universal Analytics July 1, 2023 in favor of the newer G4 Analytics the company announced.
Not to worry, you have plenty of time to upgrade and download historical data. Previously processed data in Universal Analytics will be stored for at least six months after the deprecation dates listed above.
What’s Prompting The Change
“Universal Analytics was built for a generation of online measurement that was anchored in the desktop web, independent sessions and more easily observable data from cookies,” Russell Ketchum, director, product management at Google, said in the announcement. “This measurement methodology is quickly becoming obsolete.”
According to SearchEngineLand, “Google Analytics 4 (GA4) differs from its predecessor in that it operates across platforms, doesn’t rely on cookies and uses an event-based data model for measurement. It also does not store IP addresses, which can help brands stay on the right side of privacy regulations.”
How Do You Make The Change?
| Get started | Finish migrating |
|---|---|
1. Consider account structure (Effort varies)2. Create a Google Analytics 4 property (Very low effort)3. Create data stream(s) (Very low effort)4. Enable data collection (Effort varies)5. Activate Google Signals (If applicable; very low effort)Required for enhanced remarketing and reporting6. Link to Google Ads (If applicable; low effort)Import Google Ads links from Universal Analytics or create new Google Ads links | 7. Map Universal Analytics custom events to Google Analytics 4 (Effort varies)8. Migrate Universal Analytics goals and conversions to Google Analytics 4 (Medium effort)9. Validate and bid to conversions in Google Ads (If applicable; medium effort)10. Migrate audiences (If applicable; medium effort)11. Migrate ecommerce measurement (If applicable; high effort)12. Add users (Medium effort) |
If you need any help upgrading to G4, give AdToro a buzz.
