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Better rankings & more sales through perfect content for your target group
Why should you switch to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and what has actually changed compared to the previous version, Universal Analytics?
Google Analytics is an indispensable tool in online marketing because it allows you to evaluate the behavior of your users on your website. Data is at the heart of every successful strategy and Google Analytics gives you the opportunity to collect and analyze this data.
The latest version, Google Analytics 4, brings with it some significant changes and improvements that make it even more effective and powerful. But what are these changes and why should they motivate you to switch?
One of the most important innovations in Google Analytics 4 is the way in which data is collected and processed. While the old version, Universal Analytics, collected session data, GA4 focuses on collecting event data. This change allows you to gain a deeper understanding of your users' behavior and perform more detailed analysis.
Google Analytics 4 also offers an integrated option to track both a website and an app in a single Google Analytics 4 property. This was not possible in the Universal Analytics version and now opens up completely new possibilities for analysis and tracking. In addition, GA4 is better aligned with data protection requirements and anonymizes the IP addresses of users by default.
Switching to Google Analytics 4 should therefore be in your interest to take your online marketing to the next level. In the next steps of this post, we'll show you how to set up your Google Analytics account and create your first Analytics property. It's a little different to Universal Analytics, but don't worry, we'll go through each step together.
1. get to know the new data model
GA4 uses an event-based data model that differs from previous versions. Instead of counting sessions and page views, GA4 measures interactions or "events". Take some time to familiarize yourself with this model before proceeding.
2. define your use cases and create a tracking plan
Think about which events and data you want to track. Create a tracking plan in which you document which data you want to collect and how it relates to your business goals.
3. check your individual information
Visit the Google Analytics website and click on "Start for free". Sign in with your Google account or create a new account if you don't already have one.
4. select a new Google Analytics property or upgrade to Google Analytics 4
After you have logged in, you will be redirected to the Google Analytics administration page. Here you can create a new GA4 property or, if you already use Google Analytics, upgrade to GA4.
5. set up your data stream
Once your property has been created, you need to create a data stream. This is the mechanism by which data is sent to your GA4 property. Select the appropriate type for your website (Web, iOS or Android) and enter the URL of your website and a name for the data stream. You can also skip this step
After you have entered your website URL and named the data stream, a window will open. If you want to set up Analytics on your website, you must integrate the displayed code on your website. More on this in the next section on "Integrating the Google Analytics 4 code on your website.
6. import your data
After the data stream has been created, GA4 starts collecting data. It may take a few hours before the first data is displayed in your account.
7. customize the data storage to your needs
You can customize data storage under "Property settings" in the left-hand navigation bar. For example, you can specify the duration for which the user data is stored.
Integrating the Google Analytics 4 code into your website is an important step in collecting and analyzing user data. Here's how you can do it:
Step 1: Copy measurement ID
Log in to your Google Analytics 4 account and navigate to the desired property. Click on "Data streams" in the admin area. There you will find the measurement ID you need for your website. Copy this ID.
Step 2: Paste the GA4 code into your website
The next step depends on how your website is structured. You need to insert the GA4 code into the head section of each page of your website that you want to track.
If you're using a website builder like WordPress or Wix, there's probably a special section in your settings where you can insert tracking codes.
If you have a customized website, you may need to manually insert the code into your website's HTML files or ask your web developer to do it for you.
The GA4 code looks something like this:
Replace "MEASUREMENT_ID" with the measurement ID you copied earlier.
Step 3: Check the installation
After you have inserted the code, it is important to check that the tracking is working correctly. You can use the real-time reports in Google Analytics 4 to see if your website is sending data.
Note that there is a more efficient way to implement the GA4 code on your website, which is to use Google Tag Manager. This tool can simplify the process of code integration and provide you with advanced tracking options. You can find out more about this in the next section.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has significantly changed event tracking compared to Universal Analytics (UA).
GA4 automatically captures several events by default, including clicks, file downloads, form starts and submissions, page views, scrolling, session starts, user engagements and certain video interactions. GA4 also automatically captures some parameters, such as page location, referrer, page title, screen resolution and language. However, if you want more comprehensive tracking, custom event tracking can be helpful.
When you perform an action on a website or in an app, GA4 sends requests with detailed information about your activity, called events. After GA4 receives these requests, it processes the submitted data and organizes it to generate meaningful reports and insights.
In GA4, you can create custom events by using other events that meet certain criteria. You can do this via the "Events" option in GA4 and the "Create event" button. For example, you could create a custom event "newsletter_sign_up" on the event "page_view" if the parameter "page_location" contains "newsletter-confirmation" in the URL.
Compared to UA, which provides four parameters for events to be tracked, GA4 offers more flexibility as you can define as many event parameters as you want. This allows for highly customized event tracking with lots of data, but is no longer as easy to use as UA.
Setting up custom event tracking in GA4 requires several steps. You must first add custom dimensions, which can be done in two ways: gtag-based and GTM-based.
To add custom dimensions in GA4, navigate to Admin > Property > Custom definitions. Here you can create an event-related custom dimension by entering the name of the dimension and the event parameter. For example, if you want to track clicks on your main navigation menu, you could set the event category to "Menu Clicks", the event action to the anchor link and the event label to the anchor text. This could be used to change the anchor text of menu items and track which ones attract more clicks to optimize your navigation menu for better user engagement and conversion rates.
The implementation of this custom event tracking requires basic JavaScript knowledge. An example of how a custom event named "menu_clicks" is created when a user clicks on a menu item is in the following JavaScript code:
This Analytics code can be copied and pasted into your CMS code editor. The event name "menu_clicks" can be chosen arbitrarily and three parameters are provided, which you specify. This is an approach if you do not have the Google Tag Manager and prefer a gtag implementation.
Integrating Google Analytics 4 (GA4) via Google Tag Manager is an efficient way to manage tracking on your website. Here is a simple guide:
Log in to your Google Tag Manager account. If you don't have an account yet, create one and add a new container for your website.
In your account, click on "Tags" in the left sidebar and then on "New". Here you will create a new tag for GA4.
Give your tag a name, e.g. "GA4 Configuration Tag". Select "GA4 Configuration" as the tag type. In the "Measurement ID" field, enter the GA4 measurement ID that you received when setting up GA4.
You must specify when this tag should be triggered. For the GA4 Configuration Tag, you should select the "All Pages" trigger, which triggers the tag on every page of your website.
Click on "Save" to save your tag.
For your changes to take effect, you must click on "Send" and then on "Publish" to set the tag live on your website.
Use the "Preview" mode in Google Tag Manager to make sure your GA4 tag is triggering correctly. You should also check the real-time reports in GA4 to see if the data is being captured correctly.
Note that this is just the basic setup for GA4 via Google Tag Manager. Depending on your specific tracking requirements, you may need to create additional tags for different GA4 events.
Here is a video for you in which the setup is explained very well:
When it comes to tracking and analyzing your website's data, there are other alternatives besides Google Analytics 4. It's important to remember that each analytics solution has its own strengths and weaknesses and that the choice depends heavily on your individual needs.
One of the most popular alternatives to GA4 is Matomo. This analytics tool is ideal for beginners and offers a simple and straightforward way to analyze website data. Unlike GA4, which requires a website tag for tracking, Matomo works with its own tracking code. It also offers a self-hosted option that gives you more control over your data and minimizes privacy issues.
Another tool you could consider is Clicky. It's similar to GA4 in many ways, as it also uses a website tag to collect data. Clicky is particularly known for its real-time analytics features, which allow you to monitor activity on your website in real time.
Yandex Metrica is another alternative to GA4. It is a comprehensive analytics tool that provides a wealth of information about user behavior on your website. It also includes an integrated heatmap feature that shows where users click on your website.
For advanced e-commerce tracking needs, KISSmetrics could be a good choice. KISSmetrics provides detailed insights into the customer journey and can help to understand the ROI of different marketing channels.
It's important to note that despite the impending shutdown of Universal Analytics Property, many of the concepts and features used in GA4 are based on Google's experience with Universal Analytics Property.
Choosing the right analytics tool ultimately depends on your specific needs and goals. The alternatives mentioned can provide a good starting point for finding the best solution for your website.
The introduction of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) brings significant improvements over the previous version, Universal Analytics. These include a deeper understanding of user behavior through event data, integrated tracking of websites and apps in a single property, as well as improved data protection compliance.
To get the most out of GA4, it is important to familiarize yourself with the new data-based model and create a detailed tracking plan. In addition, GA4 offers extended possibilities for event tracking, but this is more complex and requires JavaScript knowledge.
You create an account on the Google Analytics website, add your website information and install the tracking code on your website.
Yes, Google Analytics 4 is free of charge. However, there is a paid version called Google Analytics 360 for larger companies.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google's web analytics tool, which provides detailed information about website visitors.
GA4 focuses more on event-based tracking, integrates app and web data, offers improved data protection options and implements a new, future-proof model for data management.
Why should you switch to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and what has actually changed compared to the previous version, Universal Analytics?
Google Analytics is an indispensable tool in online marketing because it allows you to evaluate the behavior of your users on your website. Data is at the heart of every successful strategy and Google Analytics gives you the opportunity to collect and analyze this data.
The latest version, Google Analytics 4, brings with it some significant changes and improvements that make it even more effective and powerful. But what are these changes and why should they motivate you to switch?
One of the most important innovations in Google Analytics 4 is the way in which data is collected and processed. While the old version, Universal Analytics, collected session data, GA4 focuses on collecting event data. This change allows you to gain a deeper understanding of your users' behavior and perform more detailed analysis.
Google Analytics 4 also offers an integrated option to track both a website and an app in a single Google Analytics 4 property. This was not possible in the Universal Analytics version and now opens up completely new possibilities for analysis and tracking. In addition, GA4 is better aligned with data protection requirements and anonymizes the IP addresses of users by default.
Switching to Google Analytics 4 should therefore be in your interest to take your online marketing to the next level. In the next steps of this post, we'll show you how to set up your Google Analytics account and create your first Analytics property. It's a little different to Universal Analytics, but don't worry, we'll go through each step together.
1. get to know the new data model
GA4 uses an event-based data model that differs from previous versions. Instead of counting sessions and page views, GA4 measures interactions or "events". Take some time to familiarize yourself with this model before proceeding.
2. define your use cases and create a tracking plan
Think about which events and data you want to track. Create a tracking plan in which you document which data you want to collect and how it relates to your business goals.
3. check your individual information
Visit the Google Analytics website and click on "Start for free". Sign in with your Google account or create a new account if you don't already have one.
4. select a new Google Analytics property or upgrade to Google Analytics 4
After you have logged in, you will be redirected to the Google Analytics administration page. Here you can create a new GA4 property or, if you already use Google Analytics, upgrade to GA4.
5. set up your data stream
Once your property has been created, you need to create a data stream. This is the mechanism by which data is sent to your GA4 property. Select the appropriate type for your website (Web, iOS or Android) and enter the URL of your website and a name for the data stream. You can also skip this step
After you have entered your website URL and named the data stream, a window will open. If you want to set up Analytics on your website, you must integrate the displayed code on your website. More on this in the next section on "Integrating the Google Analytics 4 code on your website.
6. import your data
After the data stream has been created, GA4 starts collecting data. It may take a few hours before the first data is displayed in your account.
7. customize the data storage to your needs
You can customize data storage under "Property settings" in the left-hand navigation bar. For example, you can specify the duration for which the user data is stored.
Integrating the Google Analytics 4 code into your website is an important step in collecting and analyzing user data. Here's how you can do it:
Step 1: Copy measurement ID
Log in to your Google Analytics 4 account and navigate to the desired property. Click on "Data streams" in the admin area. There you will find the measurement ID you need for your website. Copy this ID.
Step 2: Paste the GA4 code into your website
The next step depends on how your website is structured. You need to insert the GA4 code into the head section of each page of your website that you want to track.
If you're using a website builder like WordPress or Wix, there's probably a special section in your settings where you can insert tracking codes.
If you have a customized website, you may need to manually insert the code into your website's HTML files or ask your web developer to do it for you.
The GA4 code looks something like this:
Replace "MEASUREMENT_ID" with the measurement ID you copied earlier.
Step 3: Check the installation
After you have inserted the code, it is important to check that the tracking is working correctly. You can use the real-time reports in Google Analytics 4 to see if your website is sending data.
Note that there is a more efficient way to implement the GA4 code on your website, which is to use Google Tag Manager. This tool can simplify the process of code integration and provide you with advanced tracking options. You can find out more about this in the next section.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has significantly changed event tracking compared to Universal Analytics (UA).
GA4 automatically captures several events by default, including clicks, file downloads, form starts and submissions, page views, scrolling, session starts, user engagements and certain video interactions. GA4 also automatically captures some parameters, such as page location, referrer, page title, screen resolution and language. However, if you want more comprehensive tracking, custom event tracking can be helpful.
When you perform an action on a website or in an app, GA4 sends requests with detailed information about your activity, called events. After GA4 receives these requests, it processes the submitted data and organizes it to generate meaningful reports and insights.
In GA4, you can create custom events by using other events that meet certain criteria. You can do this via the "Events" option in GA4 and the "Create event" button. For example, you could create a custom event "newsletter_sign_up" on the event "page_view" if the parameter "page_location" contains "newsletter-confirmation" in the URL.
Compared to UA, which provides four parameters for events to be tracked, GA4 offers more flexibility as you can define as many event parameters as you want. This allows for highly customized event tracking with lots of data, but is no longer as easy to use as UA.
Setting up custom event tracking in GA4 requires several steps. You must first add custom dimensions, which can be done in two ways: gtag-based and GTM-based.
To add custom dimensions in GA4, navigate to Admin > Property > Custom definitions. Here you can create an event-related custom dimension by entering the name of the dimension and the event parameter. For example, if you want to track clicks on your main navigation menu, you could set the event category to "Menu Clicks", the event action to the anchor link and the event label to the anchor text. This could be used to change the anchor text of menu items and track which ones attract more clicks to optimize your navigation menu for better user engagement and conversion rates.
The implementation of this custom event tracking requires basic JavaScript knowledge. An example of how a custom event named "menu_clicks" is created when a user clicks on a menu item is in the following JavaScript code:
This Analytics code can be copied and pasted into your CMS code editor. The event name "menu_clicks" can be chosen arbitrarily and three parameters are provided, which you specify. This is an approach if you do not have the Google Tag Manager and prefer a gtag implementation.
Integrating Google Analytics 4 (GA4) via Google Tag Manager is an efficient way to manage tracking on your website. Here is a simple guide:
Log in to your Google Tag Manager account. If you don't have an account yet, create one and add a new container for your website.
In your account, click on "Tags" in the left sidebar and then on "New". Here you will create a new tag for GA4.
Give your tag a name, e.g. "GA4 Configuration Tag". Select "GA4 Configuration" as the tag type. In the "Measurement ID" field, enter the GA4 measurement ID that you received when setting up GA4.
You must specify when this tag should be triggered. For the GA4 Configuration Tag, you should select the "All Pages" trigger, which triggers the tag on every page of your website.
Click on "Save" to save your tag.
For your changes to take effect, you must click on "Send" and then on "Publish" to set the tag live on your website.
Use the "Preview" mode in Google Tag Manager to make sure your GA4 tag is triggering correctly. You should also check the real-time reports in GA4 to see if the data is being captured correctly.
Note that this is just the basic setup for GA4 via Google Tag Manager. Depending on your specific tracking requirements, you may need to create additional tags for different GA4 events.
Here is a video for you in which the setup is explained very well:
When it comes to tracking and analyzing your website's data, there are other alternatives besides Google Analytics 4. It's important to remember that each analytics solution has its own strengths and weaknesses and that the choice depends heavily on your individual needs.
One of the most popular alternatives to GA4 is Matomo. This analytics tool is ideal for beginners and offers a simple and straightforward way to analyze website data. Unlike GA4, which requires a website tag for tracking, Matomo works with its own tracking code. It also offers a self-hosted option that gives you more control over your data and minimizes privacy issues.
Another tool you could consider is Clicky. It's similar to GA4 in many ways, as it also uses a website tag to collect data. Clicky is particularly known for its real-time analytics features, which allow you to monitor activity on your website in real time.
Yandex Metrica is another alternative to GA4. It is a comprehensive analytics tool that provides a wealth of information about user behavior on your website. It also includes an integrated heatmap feature that shows where users click on your website.
For advanced e-commerce tracking needs, KISSmetrics could be a good choice. KISSmetrics provides detailed insights into the customer journey and can help to understand the ROI of different marketing channels.
It's important to note that despite the impending shutdown of Universal Analytics Property, many of the concepts and features used in GA4 are based on Google's experience with Universal Analytics Property.
Choosing the right analytics tool ultimately depends on your specific needs and goals. The alternatives mentioned can provide a good starting point for finding the best solution for your website.
The introduction of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) brings significant improvements over the previous version, Universal Analytics. These include a deeper understanding of user behavior through event data, integrated tracking of websites and apps in a single property, as well as improved data protection compliance.
To get the most out of GA4, it is important to familiarize yourself with the new data-based model and create a detailed tracking plan. In addition, GA4 offers extended possibilities for event tracking, but this is more complex and requires JavaScript knowledge.
You create an account on the Google Analytics website, add your website information and install the tracking code on your website.
Yes, Google Analytics 4 is free of charge. However, there is a paid version called Google Analytics 360 for larger companies.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google's web analytics tool, which provides detailed information about website visitors.
GA4 focuses more on event-based tracking, integrates app and web data, offers improved data protection options and implements a new, future-proof model for data management.
SEO and content marketing are his passion. When he's not checking the latest rankings, he's probably playing sport.
Better rankings & more sales through perfect content for your target group
SEO and content marketing are his passion. When he's not checking the latest rankings, he's probably playing sport.
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