The Core Differences Between Universal Analytics and GA4: How to Adapt

This is the year we wave goodbye to Universal Analytics (UA). The beginning of July and October 2023 will see Google cease processing hitsWeb page hits were all the rage in the early days of the internet, but have since been replaced by far more granular, valuable data. for standard UA properties and UA 360 properties, respectively. Stepping into its place is Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

GA4 has long been the heir apparent. Since October 2020, it made its way out of beta and is set as the default option for properties revolving around Google Analytics. Offering valuable features for both marketers and web developers, GA4 has provided a seamless platform switch from UA.

At least, that’s what Google wishes.

Even though the end date for UA is fast approaching, there are still professionals that have yet to venture from their comfort zone and fully adopt GA4. There are various reasons why this is the case. However, the main sticking point, from what we have assessed, is the different features between the 2 platforms.

This guide takes a closer look at the key differences between GA4 and UA, including how to adapt to the changes if you have yet to do so.

GA4 vs Universal Analytics: What are the core differences?

As their names suggest, analytics is at the heart of each tool, and both supply you with a wealth of data to learn more about your audience. Yet there are differences – some significant, others barely discernible – between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics.

When first getting to grips with GA4 after being a staunch advocate of UA, there are 2 changes that are often more noticeable than most:

• Views are no longer present in GA4.
• Rather than goals, as with UA, GA4 sees events being marked as conversions.

Below we explore both of these points in greater detail – plus describe how you can adapt to each change.

GA4 and the removal of views

What happened to ‘views’? When it comes to the new iteration of Google Analytics, this is one of the questions we receive the most. After all, in UA, the usual course of action involved the following steps: Account > Property > View.

The disappearing act of these views, understandably, led to confusion and even anger among UA users. When someone is well-versed in using a certain feature, they are unlikely to be enthusiastic about switching to a different system – particularly when the original remains available.

However, that won’t be for much longer with UA’s sunset drawing closer. That means you need to get used to the replacement for views – and fast.

The good news: almost all UA views are covered by the different features found within GA4. Here are some of the main situations:

• Excluding development hits: An alternate dev property can be used to handle development hits. Alternatively, data filters open up the possibility to delete development hits before it ends in reporting.
• Including/excluding defined hostname, business unit, or functional area: Report filtering, multiple properties, and multiple data streams can be used for these situations.
• Reporting on user ID and authenticated hits: To segment or report on visitors – whether authenticated or known – it is recommended to use audiences.
• Excluding internal traffic: Data filters can be utilised to identify – and then ignore – internal traffic. This can be done through tag manager with a “traffic_type” parameter or an IP addressAn IP Address is a unique number that identifies a specific computer on the internet./range.
• Excluding query parameters: With data transformation – through tag manager or site code – you can change the “page_path” field to exclude query parameters.

As you would expect, there have also been notable improvements to this area of analytics. For example, remember when you had to remove bot activity through the use of sophisticated filters? That doesn’t have to be done any longer. The reason: every known bot and spider is excluded from data by default with GA4. That saves you a job.

How to adapt to GA4

Replacing UA’s views is one of the main reasons people have held off switching to GA4. Nevertheless, the right approach can make the adaptation stage a whole lot easier. By using data filters, reports, data transformation, customisation, and other elements, it is possible to largely replicate the views aspect of UA within GA4. This is certainly the case when utilising solutions such as BigQuery for custom data sets and Looker Studio for visualised data to improve overall performance.

Teething problems are natural when attempting to replicate the work done with views. Yet once the groundwork is done, and once you’ve become accustomed to how everything works in GA4, you won’t miss the former configuration of this analytics component.

GA4 and the removal of goals

It’s not just views that have been sent packing. As part of GA4’s new features, it has also resulted in the removal of goals. When used in UA, goals had the role of tracking conversions and user actions – the ones that were important to follow for any business. However, these goals have been replaced by conversionA conversion is a desirable result on a website that leads to an action such as completing an order, filling out a form, or simply clicking on a link. events.

How do these measurement models differ? Below is an analysis of some of the main changes between GA4 event conversions and UA goals:

How to adapt to GA4

Once you have gotten to grips with the “Create event” section in GA4, putting together conversions is not too difficult. You select a parameter from a dropdown, pick an operator, and input your value. Once done, your event is effectively ready to go.

Again, there is a period of adjusting to events after the removal of goals. Yet there are significant advantages gained with GA4’s approach compared to the old method used within UA.

Other differences between UA and GA4

The above 2 examples might be the most prominent differences between UA and GA4. Nevertheless, the replacement of views and goals is only the start – there are numerous distinctions between the 2 platforms.

Although we could go on all day about them, here’s a quick rundown of other important differences:

• App tracking: The capability to track both website and app data within the same property is one of GA4’s most celebrated functions.
• Session calculations: Sessions between the two platforms have differing values. GA4 has a more dynamic approach that produces a session ID to track all actions.
• Free exports to BigQuery: It is possible to make raw event exports to BigQuery without spending any money.
• Goodbye bounce rateBounce rate is the percentage of visitors to a website who visit only one page. A high bounce rate indicates that visitors are not satisfied with your website.: For a more positive approach, Google has opted to omit bounce-related metrics and instead report engagement rate figures.
• The importance of Google Tag Manager: You could avoid using Google Tag Manager if you were sticking with basic UA functionality. That’s not possible now due to GA4’s event-based goals.

Conclusion

If you’d like to learn more about GA4 and how it differs from Universal Analytics, make sure to read our comprehensive Google Analytics 4 Guide.

Adapting to GA4, particularly if you have been happy using UA for years, is not easy initially. It is something of a culture shock due to all the changes, removals, and additions you need to accept. Ultimately, UA isn’t going to exist for much longer, and it’s not returning.

Fortunately, the right approach – as well as the right knowledge and guidance – can get you up to speed with GA4. Soon you’ll realise why it is a superior solution for your business.