When it comes to monitoring and analysing website data, Google Analytics has been an essential tool since 2006. This is when Google offered the service as a way to track visitor information for free. In 2023 there was a significant change in the way website data was collected by Google and a new version of their Analytics tools was release. Earlier versions were known as Universal Analytics but this new version is known as Google Analytics 4 or GA4.
When you gather information about how people use a website it can help Google to further understand how people use the wider internet. This in turn allows Google to develop new insights and also maintain the services they offer. These are powerful tools that assist Google in knowledge-gathering which is why they are offered free. But equally, they assist website owners in discovering highly-valuable data about potential customers. So, it’s a pretty fair exchange.
Let’s take a quick look at how marketers can best use the data available from Google Analytics 4.
What is Google Analytics 4?
GA4 was introduced in order to combat gaps in data knowledge and understanding that existed in Universal Analytics as a result of cookie rejection and Ad Blockers. Privacy concerns which led to the phase-out of third-party cookies mean that GA4 uses different methods to collect visitor actions and data. AI is used to fill in any data or knowledge gaps.
The introduction in Europe of GDPR with the option to “opt out” of cookies has rendered cookies practically worthless. With many software tools previously relying on this information to help companies discover more about their web visitors, a new way had to be found.
Google themselves claim that GA4 is designed for the future of data measurement. An important feature is that it can be installed on both websites and apps – unlike previous versions. This can help businesses that have both a website and an app to connect user journeys. Very handy when visitors move from one to the other.
It also measures user engagement by averaging out how long visitors spend on your site or app and providing a percentage score with higher scores meaning a longer duration on the site/app and, therefore, better user engagement.
How can marketers make better sense of their data?
The most studied reporting software that marketers use is website analytics. However, the power of the insights and data that are automatically collected only really scratch the surface. More in-depth analysis can unearth ways to better serve your existing customers and, more importantly, convert web visitors to customers. The “Explorations” feature in GA4 enable marketers to uncover insights relevant to their business by creating custom charts and tables. It also enables you to analyse, segment and breakdown user journeys. This is especially useful in multi-step funnels. Plus, the “Path Exploration” option can highlight specific user journeys. Path explorations can sometimes reveal surprising user journeys that are having an impact on conversion rates.
For example, with one of our clients at Ditto Digital, our detailed analysis of user journeys revealed that the calls-to-action (CTA) on key website pages were not driving visitors along the expected route to conversion. Instead, certain CTAs were causing them to go off at tangents to read some of the many useful guides on the website. Of course, providing helpful information is a key part of our SEO strategy with every client but it has to be provided at the right point – early – in the user journey. If provided later in the user journey it can distract people from actually converting – whether that conversion is buying a product or service or contacting the business by phone or email.
So, a relatively simple user journey exploration with accurate information in GA4 enabled us to better understand user behaviour. This led to a review of CTAs on key web pages which, in turn, led to a higher conversion rate.
Using Looker Studio
Of course, Google Analytics is not the only source of data and different platforms record data differently. Fortunately, Google have another free tool that can help marketers consolidate date from a range of sources.
That tool is Looker Studio with which you can produce a live dashboard that only shows you the metrics you want to see from an operational perspective. Being able to see and load just the one dashboard which you can use to report on a range of metrics from different sources is much easier than loading a range of platforms and then collecting the data together in one place.
There’s a wide range of well-known third-party tools that integrate directly with Google Looker Studio. For example, social media advertising platforms like Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, TikTok Ads. E-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, plus CRM tools like HubSpot and Salesforce also integrate easily. And, of course, not forgetting SEO tools such as SEMrush and Ahrefs. These all contribute to a clear picture of how visitors reach your website, interact with it and, ultimately become customers. Priceless data all in one place.
Having a single Looker Studio dashboard can save significant amounts of time analysing data. It also allows you to manipulate the data to show things like short- or long-term trends.
Start by setting up a Looker Studio dashboard and selecting the different data you want to report on. This should provide you with a much more tailored way to use it for all your marketing activities.
Just one caveat – take the time to get the Looker Studio dashboard right so you can completely trust the data. It is a complex process with some odd quirks.
Jo brings diverse experiences into her role as a Content Specialist, having spent 15 years in logistics before carving a highly successful career as a writer and strategist. Her unique blend of business, law and copywriting expertise allows her to translate complex concepts into engaging and accessible content that resonates with target audiences.
