Blog: Google Sunsets Universal Analytics in 2023 - OrbitWeb

Google has introduced an all-new version of Google Analytics to help businesses succeed. This version is designed to meet the evolving measurement standards emerging across platforms and audiences. Google Analytics 4 is flexible, scalable, and it’s built to keep up with changing ecosystems. Google envisions Google Analytics as the single source of truth for all our users.

What is the New Google Analytics 4?

Google recently announced a new version of Analytics – describing it as the new default version of its famous data collection and web traffic analysis software.

What is Google Analytics 4?

The new Google Analytics 4 comes with an arsenal of key features that differ from the old version. One of the most significant differences is the latest data modelling feature that uses AI to fill in gaps in data where traditional Analytics may be blocked by cookie-consent rules blocked JavaScript and a focus on privacy.

What’s more, the user interface for the new default Google Analytics is very different!

Why is Google Introducing the New Google Analytics 4?

Google is moving on from Universal Analytics due to its inability to deliver cross-platform insights. On the other hand, G4 can measure data across websites and apps.

According to Google Universal Analytics will become obsolete.

“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. This measurement methodology is quickly becoming obsolete.”

Google Analytics 4 can operate across multiple platforms using an event-based data model, offering a future-proof solution.

Google Analytics 4 Highlights

• GA4 is built with machine learning as the main form of data measurement, using ‘”modelling” that can extrapolate from existing data and make assumptions about site traffic/user behaviour. The new AI-powered ‘insights’ feature automatically highlights helpful information for marketers.
• Receive a “more complete understanding of the customer journey across devices. It also seems more focused on measuring an end-to-end shopper journey, not just individual metrics.
• Instead of views and segments used by the old Universal Analytics properties, Google Analytics 4 features “data streams.”
• No code adjustments for cross-domain tracking, all can be done within UI
• A “Life Cycle Report” seems to be one of the biggest changes in analytics and focuses on the user journey. Also, “templated reports for eCommerce funnels” give marketers a way to display and visualize data.

What happens next?

All standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new hits on July 1, 2023, and 360 Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new hits on October 1, 2023. After that, you’ll be able to access your previously processed data in Universal Analytics for at least six months.

Source: Google

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