In case you didn't know (where have you been?) Google is deprecating Universal Analytics, the existing version of Google Analytics. These GA properties will stop collecting data on July 1st 2023 or July 1st 2024 for paying GA 360 customers.
I've been working solidly on GA4 migrations since before Google announced the UA sunset in early 2022, and have fine-tuned my process for migrating from UA to GA4. In this article I'll share all the details, so read on...
Scoping
The first thing to do as part of the 'Assess' phase is to understand what you've got set up already. For very simple websites, this scoping may be possible before we start the project if the tracking that's in place is minimal. However, for larger and more complex setups this initial discovery process will take longer.
At this point, we'll be looking to answer questions such as:
How many Universal Analytics properties do you need to migrate?
Do you have GA4 set up already?
How many people would you estimate are actively using Google Analytics?
Do you have Google Tag Manager set up?
What dashboards do you have set up that are using Universal Analytics?
What custom segments are you using in Google Analytics?
How do you use different ‘views’ in your Universal Analytics property?
Technical Review
Once I've got to grips with the lay of the land, I'll do an in-depth review of your existing Universal Analytics setup to document what you have in place, identify any issues, and make recommendations. If you have GA4 setup, I'll audit that too.
At this point, I'll be covering these things in Universal Analytics, taking into account any important considerations for the migration to GA4:
Events
Conversions
Filters
Content groups
Channel grouping rules
Views
Segments
Audiences
Custom dimensions
Custom metrics
Reporting requirements gathering
Going into the planning phase, I'll now be armed with detailed knowledge of your existing tracking having already fully immersed myself in it. This is where you come back in.
We'll get together with other key stakeholders - typically other end users of GA - to discuss findings from phase 1, and uncover and understand the business requirement for GA going forwards. We'll also use this session to identify opportunities to make improvements or fix existing pain points when working with your Google Analytics data.
GA4 Solution Design
Everything that’s been learned so far about your setup and requirements will determine the best structure for your data. Planning this out properly is critical to ensure your GA4 setup will be easy to work with for marketers and analysts alike.
The solution design takes the form of a Google Sheet, where I'll plan out the optimal structure for your GA4 events, based on your reporting requirements. your
Code Change Brief
With almost every project of this kind, we will need to ask your developers to make some code changes on the site. As part of this phase, I will create a clear brief for any code changes that are required.
Time to get down to business! All the planning starts to come to fruition at this point, as we start setting up the tracking code that's going to give you the data you need in GA4.
There are three elements to this phase:
1 - Tracking code implementation
Work closely with your developers to QA and verify the code changes that I've briefed them on
Implement the GA4 tracking code using Google Tag Manager (GTM)
2 - Configuration and customisation
Set up and configure your GA4 property
Customise the GA4 reporting interface
Link GA4 to Google BigQuery (Google's cloud data warehouse)
3 - Data validation
QA of all tracking once it starts flowing into GA4
Verify key metrics against Universal Analytics to ensure a smooth transition
I've spoken above about the importance of planning, which can often be forgotten. With onboarding, it's a similar story.
Implementing GA4 to start collecting data as soon as possible is important, but preparing people to use it must not be overlooked.
Moving to a new tool will naturally be difficult for end users, but with GA4 it's a particular issue because the standard reports are rather limited.
It's important to consider how best to enable people to access and utilise GA4 data, ensuring a smooth transition to the new tool. I do this in a number of ways:
Documentation: this includes technical documentation of the tracking setup, as well as material aimed at the end users of GA to explain in simple terms where to find the data you need
Delivery call: with every GA4 migration project I'll run through everything I've done at the end, and demo GA's reporting and analysis capabilities using your data
Dashboard creation: make your data more accessible by visualising it outside of the GA interface. Typically this is using Google's dashboarding tool Looker Studio
Training: bespoke session(s) tailored to your specific GA4 setup
Regular maintenance checks ensure data continues to be trustworthy. It can only take a few months for all the good work we've done so far to come undone, especially on websites that change frequently.
I'll be releasing my maintenance checklist with all the details of what goes into these checks in a future article, so keep an eye on my website or connect with me on LinkedIn.
As part of my support services, I can also offer ongoing support with new tracking implementation, reporting and analysis, training, or other consultancy.
Summing up
Migrating to GA4 might seem like a chore, but it's actually an amazing opportunity to take a step back, and consider what you need from your analytics tool. GA4 requires complete reimplementation so it's a great chance to shed anything that's not needed and fix any nagging issues you have when trying to analyse and optimise your website using GA data.
Your GA4 migration also has the potential to be a disaster. If you get it wrong, you may be stuck with a suboptimal setup for a long time, as it may be hard to make the business case to start again from scratch.
This is why I advocate proper planning led by reporting requirements, which ensures the GA4 setup is in line with what end users need.
If you'd like to know more about how this process might work for your organisation, please get in touch via the contact form.
留言