Google Analytics 4: The Beginner's Game Marketing Guide

In October 2020, Google made a big move in the world of web analytics by introducing Google Analytics 4 (GA4). A super-smart tool that was far more than a mere facelift of its predecessor, Universal Analytics (UA). GA4 is an entirely new approach to understanding user behavior across websites and apps.

This cutting-edge analytics tool is a major change in how we track things. It's built to match what marketers need now, especially with how people are using the internet differently and the new rules about privacy.

So, what's in store for you? Improved cross-platform tracking, privacy-friendly data collection, and AI-powered insights. With this guide we will cover everything when it comes to setting up a GA4 account and what's possible with it.

What is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) isn't just a makeover of the old Universal Analytics; it's a brand-new approach that started as "App + Web." Why? Well, because people nowadays effortlessly switch between websites and apps, so GA4 made sure to capture that entire journey without making marketers juggle data between platforms.

Think of GA4 as more than just a stats tool; it's like a superhero solution for the challenges brought by privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA. It's all about putting privacy first, measuring data across different channels, and using smart AI for predictions.

GA4 is designed to future-proof your analytics strategy, leveraging event-based tracking and machine learning to offer smarter insights and customer journeys. 

This makes GA4 an amazing tool for marketers who want top-notch insights without diving into the complexity of old-school analytics. 

What can it help you with?

Google Analytics 4 is the smart sidekick that helps you with your business decisions. Here's a look at what it brings to the table.

Enhanced integration with Google Ads

Google Analytics 4 lets you measure both apps and websites in one go. This means you can track conversions not only for Google Ads and YouTube Ads but also for other channels like Facebook, and even organic ones like search and email. This unified approach helps you analyze the full user journey with better attribution modeling and cross-platform insights.

Customer-centric measurement

The GA4 upgrade is all about understanding your customers better. It uses various methods to identify users, such as User IDs provided by marketers and Google signals, to provide you with a complete picture of how customers interact with your business. It's like having a detailed map of your customer's journey, revealing where they're coming from and what they're up to along the way.

Organized reporting

With the Google Analytics 4 upgrade, reporting gets a facelift too. Google streamlined the process, making it easier to track a customer through the marketing journey.

Source: Google

The new 'Life Cycle' section breaks down reports into Acquisition, Engagement, Monetization, and Retention. The 'Explore' section offers customizable templates to build funnels and visualizations. These new sections offer a peek into the later stages of the customer lifecycle.

Better data control for more privacy

GA4, in response to a world where user data protection and control are increasingly vital, introduced several privacy controls to align with user expectations and comply with privacy laws, notably the GDPR.

1. IP anonymization: In GA4, IP anonymization is automatically enabled and cannot be turned off, ensuring that users' IP addresses are not stored. This aligns with GDPR standards concerning online identifiers and personally identifiable information.
   
   
2. Duration of storing data: GA4 provides only two options for data retention—2 months or 14 months— supporting compliance with the GDPR's storage limitation principle. Data can be extended using solutions like BigQuery.
   
   
3. Consent Mode: Consent Mode v2, introduced in early 2024, enables website owners to adjust Google tags based on users’ consent preferences and integrates with Google's advertising platforms, contributing to a more personalized and privacy-conscious tracking experience.
   
   
4. Server location: Most GA4 servers are in the U.S., and users cannot choose data storage locations. To comply with GDPR data transfer requirements, additional measures, such as a data processing agreement, may be necessary.
   
   
5. User data deletion: GA4 simplifies deletion of user data through the User Explorer report, providing an enhanced and privacy-friendly approach compared to Universal Analytics.
   
   
6. Personally Identifiable Information (PII): GA4 strictly prohibits the collection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Violations may result in data loss or deletion by Google.
   
   
7. Data Sharing with other Google products: While GA4 allows data sharing with other Google products, users must carefully consider privacy laws. For GDPR compliance, explicit consent and a clear Privacy Policy disclosure are required before sharing user data.

In a nutshell, Google Analytics 4 is not just about tracking; it's about understanding your customers in a way that wasn't possible before  while aligning with modern privacy standards.

What are the features of GA4?

The language and functionality of Google Analytics (GA) are evolving, bringing about important changes and introducing important features in GA4. This shift was driven by a need to adapt to the evolving landscape of data analytics and user behavior.

Key changes include event-based tracking, predictive metrics, and deeper integration with ad platforms.

Familiar metrics like bounce rate and average session duration are being replaced by more impactful metrics such as engagement rates and engaged sessions. These metrics provide a deeper understanding of user behavior compared to their predecessors.

• Conversions: The terminology is shifting from goals to conversions, accompanied by a change in how these events are counted. Unlike the previous model where goals could only occur once per session, GA4 counts every instance of a conversion event, even if it occurs multiple times in one session.
  
  
• Views: The term 'views' replaces 'pageviews' in GA4 to account for the combined nature of web and app properties. This change acknowledges both screenviews and pageviews, and repeated views of the same content are now all counted.
  
  
• Session_start event: GA4 redefines what constitutes a session by introducing the 'session_start' event. A session is now determined by this specific event, generating a session ID appended to each subsequent event within that session. Sessions no longer restart at midnight, and the timeout period defines session duration.
  
  
• Engagement rate: The traditional bounce rate, based on session duration being zero, is replaced by the engagement rate in GA4. This shift provides a more insightful metric, focusing on the percentage of users actively interacting with the site.
  
  
• Average engagement time: Although calculated differently, average engagement time in GA4 replaces average session duration, offering a metric that aligns more closely with user focus on web or screenpages.
  
  
• Displaying data differently: GA4 diverges from the hit-based data model of Universal Analytics, opting for an event-based model. Events, rather than pageviews, serve as the key to initiating data collection in GA4.
  
  
• Availability of user information: GA4 introduces four identity methods—User-ID, Google signals, Device ID, and Modeling—to create a unified view of cross-device user journeys. This allows brands and advertisers to consolidate user information, gaining a comprehensive understanding of user interactions with their business.
  
  
• Audiences: When you create audiences in Google Analytics 4 they're automatically imported. Making them accessible for remarketing in Google Ads across the Google Search Network, Google Display Network, and YouTube. This is in contrast to Universal Analytics, where advertisers were required to manually recreate audiences in Google Ads, duplicating the effort. GA4 also includes predictive audiences that leverage machine learning to identify users likely to convert or churn.
  

In essence, GA4 not only introduces new metrics and terminology but also shifts the fundamental approach to data collection and user understanding, aligning with the evolving needs of data analytics and user behavior analysis.

How to set up a Google Analytics 4 account?

If you're setting up Google Analytics 4 for the first time, follow this step-by-step guide:

Creating a Google Analytics 4 Property:

If you don't have a Google Analytics account, begin by visiting the dedicated page and clicking on 'Get started today.' For existing users, sign in to your Google Analytics account.

For first-time users:

1. Go to the 'Admin' section
2. Click on 'Create Account,' and enter an account name.
3. Click 'Next' to add a property and fill necessary details 
   

Existing users:

1. Go to the 'Admin' section
2. Select the 'Client' account
3. Click 'Create Property,' under 'Property'

Adding data streams:

Data streams allow customer information to flow into your Google Analytics 4 property. There are three data streams: Web, iOS, and Android.

1. Visit Admin > Data Streams > Property
2. Choose Web, iOS, or Android, and follow the instructions to configure each platform.
3. Click 'Create Stream.'

Enabling GA4 by adding tags on websites:

To integrate website information into Google Analytics, you need to add tags.

For popular CMS platforms (WordPress)

1. Visit Admin > Property > Data Streams > Web
2. Under Tagging Instructions, you will find the "Measurement ID," your "G"-ID.
3. Select this code and paste it according to the instructions for your CMS platform.
   

For other CMS platforms:

1. Click Admin > Property > Data Streams > Web
2. Scroll Tagging Instructions, find the 'Global site tag (gtag.js),' and select the entire code.
3. Insert the code into the HTML section of your CMS platform.

Following these steps ensures you've set up your Google Analytics 4 property and integrated data streams effectively, providing valuable insights into user behavior across various devices.

Conclusion

Google Analytics provides many opportunities for your business. It allows you to track important marketing metrics that reveal the performance of your website and other game marketing strategies. However, navigating the platform can get difficult if you have never used Google Analytics before.

That’s why it’s advisable to work with an agency that can set up and manage your account. This is where we at Game Marketing Genie can help. Not only can we help you create an account but we will also customize your reports to ensure you gain concrete insights to help you grow your business further.

So, are you ready to start tracking your site data? With our data-driven strategies, you will be one step closer to enhancing your site content and marketing campaigns.