If you have ever looked at the reports available in Google Analytics and wanted to know what to do to improve them, then you have come to the right place. We’ll take a look at what you should be doing to improve your reports, including the benefits of a better understanding of Bounce Rate and Engaged Sessions.
Google Analytics 360
The current version of Google Analytics is called Universal Analytics (UA). After January 1, 2023, UA will be retired, and Google will shift its focus to the newer GA4 version of the platform.
For now, UA will still be available as a free and standard product. However, it will not have the same features that GA4 has. This is because it does not fully comply with data protection requirements in Germany. In addition, Google does not intend to invest in the UA product. It will continue to develop the newer GA4 product, which will feature an enhanced data model, machine learning capabilities, and behavioral and conversion modeling.
Google will retain the data from the UA 360 properties for at least six months after the data stops processing. That means you can still access the data from UA properties, but it will be “read only”.
Google has also released an extended grace period for GA360 customers. This will allow them to use the UA 360 features until the platform is sunset. However, it will not be possible to process the data from new 360 properties.
While the new version has a lot to offer, it does not have many of the key features that the original version had. For example, it does not track mobile apps, and it lacks multi-channel attribution.
On the other hand, the new version offers more custom metrics and audience limits. You can also increase the number of conversions per property from 30 to 50.
Google Analytics 4
The use of Universal Analytics (UA) is set to expire in 2023. That means that if you’re using the Universal Analytics platform today, you’ll need to migrate to Google Analytics 4. But, what are you supposed to do?
The best way to prepare for the migration is to get your GA4 reporting up and running. This includes getting your old events and views cleaned up. And if you’re a large user, you can request that Google migrate you over to the new platform.
During the transition period, you’ll also have to make sure that you’re preserving user privacy. Universal Analytics was created when the landscape of privacy preferences was different from now.
With Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you can use data-driven attribution to measure the conversion impact of your campaigns. Plus, you’ll be able to create predictive audiences. If you’re a brand, this might help you comply with certain privacy regulations.
Google’s latest platform, GA4, is designed for the future of measurement. It’s built to connect the offline and online experiences of your customers. And it includes machine learning, artificial intelligence, and better privacy settings.
The transition from UA to GA4 is going to be a little tricky for many Google Analytics users. Because of the new architecture, there are many differences. To be sure, you should start preparing for the move as soon as possible.
One of the biggest challenges for GA4 users is that they’ll lose access to historical data. The previous versions of the Universal Analytics (UA) platform let you choose data retention intervals.
Costs of missing year-over-year reporting
It’s hard to argue with the fact that Google Analytics aka GA is the king of the throne, but like most tech-savvy organizations it isn’t without its flaws. In fact, it has become a breeding ground for rogue analytics monkeys whose sole job is to derail the unruly prince. While Google Analytics may have its share of shortcomings, the company has a track record of keeping users happy. With a plethora of options to choose from, it can be hard to know what to do next. The best bet is to engage in an active and open dialogue. Luckily, the company has a robust support department that can be reached through phone or email. Having a single point of contact with someone who is a subject matter expert can go a long way towards making your life a lot easier. For instance, the customer service team will be able to help you solve a problem you might have overlooked in the past.
Bounce rate is missing from GA4
If you’re not a GA user, you may not be aware of the fact that Google Analytics has axed the bounce rate metric. The good news is that you can still use new metrics to track your site’s engagement.
Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors that visit a single page of your website without doing anything. This is a metric that will be removed in the next version of Google Analytics. In the past, this metric was used to measure conversions.
However, as websites and mobile apps continue to evolve, the old metric no longer makes sense.
To address this, Google Analytics has introduced a new metric called Engaged Sessions. The metric, which can be found in the reporting view, shows how engaged your users are.
Engagement is defined as a session that is longer than 10 seconds. It could include any interaction, such as a conversion event, or even just viewing two or more pages.
While this metric has not yet been rolled into GA3, you can still find it in the Behavior tab. The metric is also accompanied by an advanced search feature, which lets you filter out data by defining dimensions and metrics.
For most GA4 users, however, this metric is not as useful as its predecessor, and will likely be removed. Instead, you can use the other metric, the Engagement Rate.
While it’s not a very practical metric, the Engagement Rate does the equivilent of the Bounce Rate. That’s because it can be used to gauge the number of page views for a visitor.
Engaged Sessions is a comparable metric in GA4
As you may have already noticed, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has a new metric called Engaged Sessions. It’s a metric that will change the way marketers assess their campaigns. This metric will show you how well your website and landing pages are performing.
The new GA4 metric shows how many users are engaged with your website. While the previous platform only showed bounce rate, it did not consider how much time a visitor spent on your page. If the user spent five seconds or ten minutes on your page, you still had a bounce.
The new GA4 metric will also allow you to understand how user engagement changes as the day goes by. You can also see how different campaign sources are contributing to your traffic.
Engagement rate will replace the bounce rate metric. Basically, it is a ratio of active visitors to total sessions.
You will find your GA4 sessions in the Acquisitions> Traffic Acquisition report. However, they’re different from Universal Analytics sessions.
While both metrics are useful for understanding your traffic, they’re slightly different. A session in GA4 will start when a visitor opens your webpage or app. After a certain period of inactivity, a GA4 session will expire.
Unlike GA3, sessions are not restarted at midnight. Also, GA4 sessions are not restarted when a new campaign source is encountered. So if your campaigns were running in both UA and GA4, you’ll have a lower number of sessions in your GA4 reports.
Create more detailed reports in Google Data Studio
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is an updated version of the web analytics software. It features several upgrades and enhancements. In addition to being easier to use, it can collect more data. Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 provides additional management tools.
For example, it includes the ability to replicate UA reports. This feature allows you to keep up with UA’s extensive functionality while also reducing the time and effort involved in building and running UA.
It also allows for data slicing and storage. These features will help you to better understand the data that you have collected.
Aside from analyzing traffic trends, you can use the new features in GA4 to support specific goals. You can also compare the data you have collected to previous periods. Alternatively, you can use custom comparison periods.
One of my favorites is the Source/Medium report. This report shows how well different sources of traffic perform. The table can be customized by selecting the dimensions and metrics you want to analyze.
Another great feature is the Funnel Visualization report. If you’re not familiar with what it does, it provides you with a summary of your user’s journey. Essentially, you can see how many sessions your users are engaged in, where they start, and where they end.
While it may seem like a complicated process, it’s not. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps.