Google Universal Analytics (UA), the popular analytics tool used by thousands of businesses and organizations to track website traffic, is set to be retired on June 30, 2024. This change comes with a transition to the new and more advanced Google Analytics 4 (GA4), which has been in use since July 2023.
The transition to Google Analytics 4
The transition from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 began in July 2023, when UA stopped recording new data. GA4 is designed to provide more detailed analytics, incorporating new features that allow for a better understanding of user behavior.
What does the removal of UA mean for businesses?
Until June 30, 2024, Universal Analytics users will have access to the historical data they have collected. As of July 1, 2024, this access will be lost and all data will be permanently deleted. This means that businesses that want to keep their historical data should act immediately to ensure that they do not lose important information.
Steps to prepare
Businesses that have not yet migrated to GA4 should follow these steps:
- Create and Set Up Google Analytics 4: If you have not already created a GA4 account, you should do so immediately and set it up to record events from your website or e-shop.
- Extract Data from Universal Analytics: It is essential to keep all historical data from UA before the deletion date. This can be done through the available data export tools offered by Google.
Why is Google Analytics 4 important?
GA4 offers many improvements over UA, such as:
Deeper analysis of user data
- GA4 uses event-based data models, allowing for more detailed analysis of user interaction with your website.
Trend Prediction
- By incorporating machine learning, GA4 can predict future trends and user behaviors.
Privacy Protection
- A4 is designed with an emphasis on protecting user data and complies with the GDPR regulation, for the protection of privacy.
The transition to GA4 is necessary for all businesses that want to continue monitoring the traffic of their websites and make use of this data.
Given the permanent removal of Universal Analytics on June 30, 2024, businesses and organizations should mobilize to preserve historical traffic data if they believe that it will be useful to them in the future.
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