Switching to Google Analytics 4: Why It Matters

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) represents the biggest analytics upgrade in over a decade. As over 50% of websites currently use Google Analytics, the shift to GA4 will be significant.

Google is sunsetting Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023. This means all existing Google Analytics properties will stop processing new hits after this date.

To avoid disruptions, website owners need to set up GA4 and migrate over.

Key Benefits of Switching to Google Analytics 4

As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience, I recommend all WordPress site owners upgrade to GA4.

Here are 5 key reasons why:

1. Future-proof your analytics

GA4 is the only supported Google Analytics version going forward. By upgrading to GA4, you ensure uninterrupted data collection and reporting beyond July 2023.

2. Improved session tracking

GA4 uses machine learning to better differentiate between users and sessions. This provides more accurate analytics on engagement and behavior.

For example, GA4 can distinguish between a visitor refreshing the page and a new visitor arriving from the same IP address. This reduces inflated session counts.

3. Enhanced conversion tracking

Tracking conversions like form submissions, downloads, email signups, etc. is easier in GA4 without any coding required.

You can simply enable enhanced measurement and assign event tracking to these actions. This makes it faster to connect offline interactions with their online sources.

4. Cross-device tracking

A key benefit of GA4 is its cross-device tracking between mobile apps and websites. This provides a complete view of the customer journey across devices.

For example, you can see that a user started their journey on a mobile browser, switched devices, and eventually converted on desktop.

5. No sampling restrictions

Universal Analytics applies sampling limits on sites with very high volumes of traffic. This means only a sample of analytics data is processed.

GA4 removes these sampling restrictions even for sites with 50 million+ sessions per month. This ensures you can access all of your analytics data.

Step-By-Step Guide to Switching to GA4 in WordPress

Here is an eight-step process to smoothly switch your WordPress site from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 based on my experience:

Step 1: Create a GA4 Property

First, you need to set up a GA4 property in your analytics account to replace Universal Analytics.

Sign in to Google Analytics and click on Admin in the bottom left corner:

Under the Property column, click on GA4 setup assistant:

Choose to create a new GA4 property when prompted.

Google will automatically prefill relevant details from your current Universal Analytics property like website URL, timezone, etc.

Review the settings, then click Create Property.

Step 2: Install a Google Analytics Plugin

Next, you need to connect your WordPress site with this new GA4 property.

The easiest way is by installing a analytics plugin like MonsterInsights. It handles all the GA4 setup and tracking for you.

Simply install and activate MonsterInsights like any other plugin.

During the setup wizard, select your newly created GA4 property when prompted:

The plugin will automatically add the required GA4 tracking code on your WordPress site. This sends your website data to Google Analytics.

Step 3: Set Up Event Tracking

One of the biggest differences between Universal Analytics and GA4 is the switch to event-based data collection.

This means actions like form submissions, clicks, downloads, video plays, outbound links, etc. need to be tracked as events in GA4.

Fortunately, MonsterInsights makes event tracking easy. Simply enable enhanced event tracking in the plugin settings:

This automatically tracks events like mail list signups, file downloads, commenting, etc. without any coding required.

You can further customize event tracking for different interactions as needed.

Step 4: Customize Data Collection

Next, review your GA4 data collection settings and make any adjustments needed:

• Update exclusion rules to prevent tracking employee visits, development URLs, etc.

• Enable affiliate link tracking to automatically track clicks on affiliate links for better attribution.

• Adjust session timeout duration and pages per session limits if needed.

• Enable additional MonsterInsights tracking like author tracking, custom dimensions, etc.

Tweaking these settings ensures you only capture relevant data and takes full advantage of GA4 tracking capabilities.

Step 5: Recreate Key Reports

One challenge with switching to GA4 is that reports are structured differently. Many helpful reports from Universal Analytics are missing.

For example, GA4 does not have an easy acquisition overview report like Universal Analytics.

To bridge this gap, leverage custom reports and segments in GA4. For example, I recreated an acquisition overview report with the relevant dimensions configured:

Review your top Universal Analytics reports and recreate the ones most valuable using GA4 data.

Step 6: Compare Historical Data

To accurately compare historical trends, keep Universal Analytics connected during the transition period.

Review your key metrics like users, revenue, transactions, etc. in both Universal Analytics and GA4.

This validates that GA4 is setup properly and capturing data as expected. Having parallel reporting avoids data blindspots.

Once satisfied, you can disconnect Universal Analytics if you wish. But first download any helpful historical reports for future reference.

Step 7: Educate Your Team

Educate your analytics stakeholders (marketing, execs etc.) on the differences in GA4 reporting.

Train them how existing insights are mapped in GA4 and where to find overall website performance data.

Having them comfortable with GA4 ensures continuity in using analytics to guide business decisions. No surprises or confusion!

Step 8: Refine and Optimize

Treat the GA4 switch as an opportunity to improve your overall analytics approach:

• Dig deeper into GA4 data and unlock new insights that can drive growth.

• Streamline your reporting by focusing on key trends, metrics and segments. Avoid "vanity metrics".

• Leverage new GA4 capabilities like predictive analytics, AI-powered insights, etc.

With the improved infrastructure in Google Analytics 4, you can build an analytics foundation to take your business results to the next level.

Key Considerations for Your GA4 Migration

Here are some final tips for a smooth transition to Google Analytics 4:

• Start early to give yourself plenty of testing time. Don‘t wait until the last minute.

• Review Google‘s GA4 implementation guide for technical best practices.

• Take advantage of expanded dimensions in GA4 for more granularity, like device category, state, etc.

• Monitor your KPIs closely during and after migrating to avoid unexpected drops.

• Use custom funnels to analyze drop off rates for goal completions and conversions.

• Connect GA4 to tools like Google BigQuery, Data Studio, etc. to unlock deeper analysis.

Migrating analytics platforms is always challenging. But with proper planning and validation, you can have a smooth GA4 switchover before Universal Analytics is sunset.