Google Analytics was released back in 2005, and since then it became the foundation of how business and website owners track their data on a day-to-day basis. So, if you have a website or an app, and you depend on SEO, then Google Analytics is definitely your go-to analytics tool.

But Google Analytics wasn’t always like this. In fact, over the years this tool has made many changes in how it reads, analyzes and understands customer behavior across different channels.

The latest upgrade to Google Analytics comes in a form of Google Analytics 4 which is designed to take the process of reading data to the next level.

Google Analytics 4 has officially launched in 2020, but Google has set a date (July 1st 2023) when every UA user should migrate to GA4. 

So, if you still haven’t migrated to GA4 you’ll want to keep reading as we explain what is GA4 and why it is important to migrate as soon as possible.

What is Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?

With GA4, you’ll be able to analyze data in a more comprehensive way. Data collection and analysis are completely reimagined with new machine learning and machine learning-based features that take advantage of everything that worked well in Universal Analytics.

So, the GA4 should be considered as an upgrade to the popular Universal Analytics. Fortunately, there are a lot of companies offering Google Analytics 4 migration services, in case you want to skip that hassle.

What is the Difference Between GA4 and UA?

Thanks to the new architecture, Google built GA4 from scratch. The Universal Analytics platform is built around the concept of sessions, which are basically series of page views. 

The GA4 system, on the other hand, is based on the concept of events. You can define custom events, such as page views, clicks, form submissions, and even pageviews.

Architecture changes have a number of important implications. The first benefit is that GA4 can collect a great deal more data than Universal Analytics. 

Furthermore, GA4 can provide you with a lot more insight into how people use your site or app. 

Lastly, the great thing about GA4 is its ability to track just about anything – not just web traffic.

Why It Is Important to Migrate to GA4?

As we mentioned above, UA will no longer be available after July 1st, 2023. After that, you’ll still be able to access UA data until December 2023.

In order to ensure you have a full year’s runway and year-over-year data, we recommend you switch to GA4 as soon as possible – ideally, by July 1st of 2022, however that has already passed. 

While switching to GA4 now will save you time in the future, the sooner you do, the sooner you will begin accumulating data that you can use post-December 2023.

Switching to GA4 once you don’t have a choice in July 2023 will mean that when December 2023 rolls around, you’ll only have a few months’ worth of data.

The process will be much easier if you give yourself time to adapt rather than scrambling once you’re forced to. If you wait until you’re forced to switch, you’ll have little time to adjust – not to mention, you’ll already be “behind” your competitors who smartly made the switch earlier.

While it can be frustrating to have to change platforms, GA4 offers new features and approaches that benefit both business owners and marketers. 

The pain associated with these adaptations often disappears after a short period of time, followed by a noticeable improvement. In many cases, you’ll find that GA4 becomes a preferred choice sooner rather than later.

Another reason that should inspire you to migrate is the added benefits that come with GA4.

Benefits From Migrating to GA4:

• GA4 Custom Reports
• BigQuery Integration
• Web and App Analytics
• User Journey Tracking
• Custom Reports
• Advanced User Properties

So, in order to make sure everything goes smoothly and to give yourself enough time to accumulate data, it is important to migrate to GA4 as soon as possible.