You already know what’s what in digital advertising, so that you’ve already heard the massive, BIG information concerning the common analytics sundown, and the rise of our new overlord Google Analytics 4 (GA4). All hail. You’ve seen the evaluate and distinction items, pored over the GA4 vs Common Analytics thinkpieces… after which prevented switching so long as potential.
However, the inevitable day attracts close to. And when you’re something like us, you will have poked round in GA4 your self somewhat already and pulled some mysterious levers, hoping for the perfect. (Wrong lever, Kronk!) Particularly when you’ve spent your profession in Common Analytics, this transition could be overwhelming, to say the least.
By no means concern! We did some analysis and we’re right here to share. Immediately, we’ll have a look at GA4 vs Common Analytics—particularly because it pertains to e-mail advertising. What’s altering, what’s not altering, and how one can greatest make the most of this new monitoring format for reporting on email… and past.
Let’s dive in.
GA4 vs Common Analytics: One analytics property to rule all of them
First off, let’s overview what we learn about every kind of analytics property.
What’s Common Analytics?
Common Analytics is the OG internet analytics platform created by Google that tracks exercise on and to your web site. Launched in 2005, this device has been the go-to platform for protecting observe of every part from general web site site visitors, to referral sources, to conversions, and a lot extra.
Mainly: For those who can create a UTM for the motion, you’ll be able to observe it in Common Analytics.
Common Analytics was the gold normal for monitoring web site exercise for fifteen years… Till one other ring device was made. Within the land of Reporting, within the fires of Mount Information Evaluation, the darkish lord Google solid in secret a grasp analytics property…
We met it in 2020, as Google Analytics 4.
What’s Google Analytics 4?
In accordance to Google itself, GA4 is, “An analytics service that allows you to measure site visitors and engagement throughout your web sites and apps. This documentation gives implementation directions and reference supplies geared in direction of a developer viewers.”
Merely put, it’s lots of the identical instruments and components of reporting on information we noticed in Common Analytics. However higher. GA4 focuses on the metrics which can be related to the complete buyer lifecycle–-like monitoring occasions somewhat than simply “hits”. In idea, almost anything could be set as an event within GA4, providing entrepreneurs a sturdy device for analyzing and splicing the metrics that actually matter in relation to their web site information.
So, that’s a crash course within the variations within the nice GA4 vs Common Analytics conflict. However why does that matter for any of us e-mail geeks, once more?
We polled our e-mail workforce for the info they care about in GA4. Right here’s what they mentioned…
Our takeaways on GA4 and what it may (and may’t!) do for you
Whereas there’s tons (and we imply tons) to dive into in GA4 and we actually haven’t captured all of it, listed here are the highest three takeaways from our e-mail workforce on the metrics it’s best to care about in GA4. This may occasionally essentially change how we speak about reporting in e-mail advertising!
1. The UTM stays supreme
Even with GA4’s new technique of monitoring information, the UTM remains to be each marketer’s go-to useful resource for ensuring information will get attributed appropriately. The idea of the UTM is easy: It’s a snippet of textual content added to the tip of a URL that helps you retain observe of who’s clicking what hyperlinks, and the way individuals are arriving at sure pages in your web site. (And the best technique to construct these remains to be Google’s own tool. Sneaky, Google.)
The place are you able to see it? In GA4, UTM marketing campaign information lives in all three Acquisition reviews. Click on into Overview, Consumer acquisition, or Visitors acquisition underneath the Acquisition tab to get the products.
Primarily, every part you’ve ever discovered about why UTMs matter nonetheless holds true in GA4. GA4 might slice and cube information otherwise as soon as it arrives, however you continue to must feed the analytics platform information to start with. And UTMs are the takeout bag full of information in your hungry, hungry reporting device.
Enjoyable reality: Do you know that UTM stands for Urchin Monitoring Module? (Yes, really.) You go, funky little internet creatures. You go.
2. Goodbye, bounce price!
Within the previous days, bounce price was an effective way to find out whether or not your viewers was deriving worth from the content material you have been placing out. How lengthy did they keep on the web page? Did they exit the positioning fully or simply click on away? These have been vital questions on the planet of Common Analytics. Primarily, these metrics tracked inactivity, or exercise within the detrimental.
Within the courageous new world of GA4, nonetheless, issues have modified somewhat bit.
Since GA4 focuses on motion, primarily constructive motion taken, bounce price doesn’t actually have a spot of their new reviews. As a substitute, we have engagement rate, a metric that tracks whether or not customers are:
- On the web page greater than 10 seconds
- Taking a look at a number of pages
- Finishing conversion occasions
It’s very comparable info, simply measured otherwise. However you received’t discover any reviews or tables monitoring bounce charges in GA4. (Pour one out for bounce charges, our previous and beloved—or not so beloved—good friend.) This generally is a little bit of a mind-bender for the skilled e-mail marketer, however we promise, the info you want is there! It’s simply in a special place.
3. Hiya, engagement price
Talking of the place that information is hiding, let’s speak somewhat bit about engagement price. This metric, as talked about above, retains observe of what periods in your web site are engaged sessions. This information is seen in lots of reviews in GA4, together with however not restricted to the Acquisition report proven under.
Try all these columns of engagement information! Bam.
What’s our use case for these engagement metrics? (You most likely have some concepts already.) However let’s briefly entertain some examples.
- For those who’re working a newsletter program, keeping track of the engagement rate of the content material items you’re linking to may provide help to A/B test content material or evolve your technique.
- Keeping track of customers despatched to your web site from e-mail will help determine any potential deliverability points, particularly in case you have a reasonably constant sending schedule.
- And naturally, any sharp lower in site visitors and customers with zero change to ship quantity or cadence is a giant ‘ole warning signal that one thing is affecting email deliverability!
These are all conditions during which your engagement information is primed to be a few of the most beneficial info you will get your arms on within the coming years.
Now that we’ve lined what metrics matter within the debate between GA4 vs common analytics, let’s check out find out how to get that info.
Reporting on e-mail with Google Analytics 4
And now it’s time for the a part of the present we’ve all been ready for. How do we discover the effectiveness of our e-mail campaigns in GA4?! (Please, simply present me find out how to discover the views that match what I’m used to seeing in Common Analytics. ?)
Whereas we are able to’t do this precisely, right here’s a few of the views that our workforce has discovered most helpful in relation to monitoring e-mail campaigns throughout this transition to GA4.
Occasions
First up is the occasion report. You’ll be able to set occasions inside GA4 which can be invaluable to your enterprise objectives, whether or not that’s web new contacts, trial conversions, or one thing else, after which observe each these occasions and the way individuals bought there.
To see this report view, head over to Engagement > Occasions > Occasion Title > Visitors Supply (Medium).
Right here at Litmus, one in all our massive objectives for the yr is web new contacts, so we’ve arrange occasions in GA4 to assist us determine which types are driving new subscribers. (Gotta maintain that high of funnel stuffed!) So, figuring out occasions that align to your enterprise objectives is one thing e-mail entrepreneurs ought to absolutely-totally-definitely be contemplating.
Visitors acquisition
Subsequent, we’ve bought the nice previous site visitors report. This one might be probably the most acquainted to devoted Common Analytics customers, because it exhibits present guests discovered your web site. The place is your web site site visitors coming from? Discover out right here.
To see this report view, head over to Lifecycle > Acquisition > Visitors acquisition (by medium).
As a savvy e-mail marketer, you’re most likely additionally utilizing a BI device to trace motion by means of the lifecycle—however this site visitors acquisition view can nonetheless assist for these detailed top-of-funnel insights. A traditional that simply by no means will get previous.
Engagement
Lastly, we have now the Engagement report! Our private new favourite place to play. Within the under view, we seemed particularly on the weblog web page (equal to the Content material Drilldown in Common Analytics), after which sorted by session medium. On this case, that’s e-mail.
To see this report view, head over to Engagement > Touchdown web page, then kind by session medium (click on by means of to see high e-mail).
As mentioned above, there’s simply a lot you’ll be able to glean from this dataset. Need to understand how your emails are performing? Try the time on web page and conversions for all rows the place session medium is about to e-mail. Need to know which e-mail? Make the timeframe smaller within the date part. Ta-da! ?
These are simply a few choices for reporting on email performance inside GA4, however you get the thought. Mainly, the world is your oyster!
GA4 vs Common Analytics: And the winner is…
Whereas the transition from one type of reporting to a different could be tough, particularly after fifteen years counting on sure metrics, the winner right here is obvious. GA4 is a sturdy reporting device that can assist us take into consideration the way in which we observe information otherwise. It’s time to broaden our brains, and embrace the way forward for e-mail reporting!
And there you’ve gotten it. All we may dig up how GA4 will change the e-mail marketer’s life this yr—hopefully for the higher! What are your ideas on the GA4 vs Common Analytics debate? Tell us your ideas on Twitter (or the social platform of your selection) or shoot us an e-mail at [email protected].
