With the arrival of Universal Analytics in 2014, Google already showed its interest in offering more complete and precise information about the user and their behavior. This trend was reinforced in 2020, with the merger of Google Analytics and Google Analytics for Firebase (GA4F) into a new type of property: Web+App .
On October 14, Google Analytics 4 was officially launched , a new generation that many call “the future of analytics ,” but why? Simply because it continues to take steps towards user-centered analytics thanks to data integration and artificial intelligence to predict behavior. Not bad. Let’s review what this new update brings and how it can help companies.
The customer, the center of the analytics of the future
The customer, now more than ever, is at the heart of measurement. We have moved from session- and device-based analytics to one that puts a greater focus on the user lifecycle . In Analytics 4, behavioral analysis is not only based on real actions; we can also benefit from predictions of future actions thanks to machine learning tools and audience customization.
Which users are most likely to convert? And to churn? What potential revenue can a particular audience bring? All of these questions, and more, now have answers. A clear example is the case of Vistaprint , which thanks to the beta version of GA4 was able to predict the response that customers would have to the launch of its new protective masks.
Through its blog, Google shows how the channels that generate bulk sms russia new customers and their behavior once they are on the web.
User privacy: a pending but obligatory task
The privacy of user data is always on the table. Last month, the deadline given by the European Data Protection Committee to implement changes in the acceptance of cookies on websites expired . The war against third-party cookies does not stop. Google knows this and wants to adapt.
They are already working on the Privacy Sandbox project , which aims to eliminate third-party cookies from Chrome in the coming years. Now, with Analytics 4, Google continues to take steps in the same direction, adapting to a possible future without cookies . According to Vidhya Srinivasan: “ It's privacy-centric by design, so you can rely on Analytics even as industry changes like restrictions on cookies and identifiers create gaps in your data. “
google analytics 4
What can we expect from Google Analytics 4?
Let's summarize some of the highlights of this new update:
More comprehensive measurement on the website and on devices thanks to cross-channel.
Real-time event tracking without code thanks to automatic tracking. Some actions no longer need to be pre-tagged: scrolling on the page, playing a video, etc.
New data reports with greater insights into the customer lifecycle.
Predictive metrics thanks to intelligence based on Machine Learning that help anticipate future behaviors.
Creating audiences