The era of universal google analytics comes to an end: how does ga4 revolutionize access measurement?
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 8:10 am
Google's transformation: GA4 redefines digital analytics, masterfully optimizing your keyword strategy and boosting your Analytics results.
Google Analytics 4
Google Analytics 4
On August 23rd, Google permanently disabled Analytics Universal . All properties in this format stopped measuring any data, becoming available only for historical consultation.
To replace this product, Google has launched a new Analytics tool, GA4 . It works in a different way and will force the entire market to adapt to another way of measuring data, with new metrics and greater reporting complexity.
Installing an Analytics property remains simple with GA4 , but now includes fewer metrics and dimensions.
To obtain similar information about user characteristics, location, navigation events, conversion goals, device and access platform, it is necessary to make specific configurations in the Analytics property france mobile phone number apply increments to the frontend programming of your website or application. In addition, for some specific types of data, it will be necessary to use APIs to be measured.
What does this mean?
From now on, WebAnalytics professionals need to have advanced programming knowledge to fully explore the tool. This professional will need to go beyond knowledge of HTML and CSS , but also of JS, Angular, Node and React .
For companies, the impact is the increased demand for maintenance of their Analytics properties , the need to plan which data, metrics and indicators they need to monitor and how they want to view this data.
Therefore, for you to be able to fully exploit the tool's features, you need an Analytics specialist and a programmer with expertise in API development to be routinely involved in the maintenance of your GA4 properties .
Why did Google make this change?
The initial reason that created the environment for this change was the Cambridge Analytica scandal . With the scandal of using sensitive user data for various purposes, a global movement to regulate the use and storage of user information began.
More rigid and restrictive legislation created conflicts in the way information was measured by digital platforms, especially regarding the behavior and characteristics of individual users.
In addition, a war began between Big Techs for data, engagement and user retention. Therefore, large technology companies began to adopt strategies that could restrict competitors from feeding on user information generated by their products.
The way people use the internet is changing rapidly. Mobile access is increasing consistently and a change initiated by Apple has generated a global domino effect in the context of this dispute.
In 2020, Apple blocked the use of cookies by third parties on iPhones, iPads, and Safari. As a result, it was not possible to measure specific information about users who accessed the site through these devices in Analytics tools . Information on behavior, interest, consumption, and identity was not recorded by Analytics Universal .
Understanding that it would not have specific data from a relevant number of users, Google stopped using advertising cookies in 2021. This change was made so that it would be possible to measure user behavior data to optimize conversion-optimized campaigns and to have performance with the new campaign formats based on predictive intelligence that were launched that year.
In 2023, Meta was forced to follow the same path and began migrating its conversion pixel to an app model with an API to record user information and events. The platform had lost several segmentation variants that were generated through cookies. The superficial conversion recording generated by the cookie-free pixel led to less efficiency in conversion formats and lower accuracy in the results measured by the platform.
The entire digital market is heading towards a Cookieless era . Cookies will no longer be used and without them, data will need to be measured in a different way. That's why Google was forced to replace its Analytics tool , similar to what it had done for Google Ads .
Competitors such as Adobe were already operating in the market with tools that worked in this Cookieless measurement format . And when they realized that Universal Analytics was obsolete, Google introduced a new solution that is compatible with the digital market we will have from now on.
Google Analytics 4
Google Analytics 4
On August 23rd, Google permanently disabled Analytics Universal . All properties in this format stopped measuring any data, becoming available only for historical consultation.
To replace this product, Google has launched a new Analytics tool, GA4 . It works in a different way and will force the entire market to adapt to another way of measuring data, with new metrics and greater reporting complexity.
Installing an Analytics property remains simple with GA4 , but now includes fewer metrics and dimensions.
To obtain similar information about user characteristics, location, navigation events, conversion goals, device and access platform, it is necessary to make specific configurations in the Analytics property france mobile phone number apply increments to the frontend programming of your website or application. In addition, for some specific types of data, it will be necessary to use APIs to be measured.
What does this mean?
From now on, WebAnalytics professionals need to have advanced programming knowledge to fully explore the tool. This professional will need to go beyond knowledge of HTML and CSS , but also of JS, Angular, Node and React .
For companies, the impact is the increased demand for maintenance of their Analytics properties , the need to plan which data, metrics and indicators they need to monitor and how they want to view this data.
Therefore, for you to be able to fully exploit the tool's features, you need an Analytics specialist and a programmer with expertise in API development to be routinely involved in the maintenance of your GA4 properties .
Why did Google make this change?
The initial reason that created the environment for this change was the Cambridge Analytica scandal . With the scandal of using sensitive user data for various purposes, a global movement to regulate the use and storage of user information began.
More rigid and restrictive legislation created conflicts in the way information was measured by digital platforms, especially regarding the behavior and characteristics of individual users.
In addition, a war began between Big Techs for data, engagement and user retention. Therefore, large technology companies began to adopt strategies that could restrict competitors from feeding on user information generated by their products.
The way people use the internet is changing rapidly. Mobile access is increasing consistently and a change initiated by Apple has generated a global domino effect in the context of this dispute.
In 2020, Apple blocked the use of cookies by third parties on iPhones, iPads, and Safari. As a result, it was not possible to measure specific information about users who accessed the site through these devices in Analytics tools . Information on behavior, interest, consumption, and identity was not recorded by Analytics Universal .
Understanding that it would not have specific data from a relevant number of users, Google stopped using advertising cookies in 2021. This change was made so that it would be possible to measure user behavior data to optimize conversion-optimized campaigns and to have performance with the new campaign formats based on predictive intelligence that were launched that year.
In 2023, Meta was forced to follow the same path and began migrating its conversion pixel to an app model with an API to record user information and events. The platform had lost several segmentation variants that were generated through cookies. The superficial conversion recording generated by the cookie-free pixel led to less efficiency in conversion formats and lower accuracy in the results measured by the platform.
The entire digital market is heading towards a Cookieless era . Cookies will no longer be used and without them, data will need to be measured in a different way. That's why Google was forced to replace its Analytics tool , similar to what it had done for Google Ads .
Competitors such as Adobe were already operating in the market with tools that worked in this Cookieless measurement format . And when they realized that Universal Analytics was obsolete, Google introduced a new solution that is compatible with the digital market we will have from now on.