Google Analytics 4 – More Than SEO [Podcast]

In the past few episodes, we’ve discussed the SEO and organic tracking implications of switching from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4, but how GA 4 helps with paid campaigns, affiliate campaigns, Google Ads, tracking campaigns with IDs, etc. ?

Krista Seiden of KS Digital and former Vice President of Quantcast join me on the SEJ Show to discuss the ins and outs of GA 4 for paid campaigns as well as other opportunities digital marketers will face as the Google Analytics UA end of service approaches.

One misconception is that this product does not exist yet, I will push it a bit and say that it is constantly evolving, and a lot of new things have appeared. So take the time to learn how to use the tool and really understand what’s in there. – Krista Siden, 4:55

Don’t expect your data to be exactly the same between UA and GA4. So even things like sessions and user accounts will be different because GA4 calculates these things in different ways than Universal Analytics. — Krista Seiden, 44:41

I don’t think this deadline will change. I would suggest taking this seriously. If you don’t start moving now, you likely won’t be able to pull your annual data inside GA4. The faster you do it, the more historical data you’ll have in GA4 to compare against. – Krista Siden, 22:09

[00:00] – About Krista and her background in Google Analytics.
[03:23] – Common misconceptions about GA4.
[05:20] – Is there more customization with GA4?
[07:10] – Frequencies with conversion.
[08:42] – New feature releases with GA4.
[12:57] Why create reports with GA4 if you can use Google Data Studio?
[16:08] – How does GA4 relate to the GDPR?
[19:33] – Differences in transition with the GA360 and GA4360.
[24:30] – What to expect with GA4.
[26:18] – Can you better identify direct traffic with GA4?
[27:22] – Changes affecting PPC.
[30:53] Differences between goals and transfers.
[34:15] – The reason why the data retention period is only 2 months by default in GA4.
[35:18] – Recommendations for getting started with GA4.
[41:04] Would Krista recommend going back?

Mentioned resources:
https://ksdigital.co/academy/
https://join.measure.chat

It’s good that we now have this ability to actually customize the GA4 user interface. So, for example, we can choose which reports to show or not to people in our organizations. – Krista Siden, 5:44

GA4 is a much more privacy-focused architecture than Universal Analytics. – Krista Siden, 16:41

I’m sure there will be many people waiting until the last minute. So don’t wait until the last minute. Like we said, if anything, just go ahead and drop this tag on your site right now. – Lauren Baker, 49:18

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Connect with Krista Seiden:

Krista Seiden is a smart and experienced analytics lead who has led teams at Adobe and Google. In addition, she has led optimization initiatives for companies such as The Apollo Group and Quantcast. As an expert in analytics and optimization methodology, she has become one of the most sought-after consultants in the field.

Her experience led her to start KS Digital Analytics Consulting in 2019, which helps companies optimize their digital marketing and analytics investments.

In addition to being dedicated and hardworking, she also contributes occasional guest posts to top industry publications such as the Google Analytics blog. When you’re not working, you enjoy traveling as much as possible!

Connect with Krista on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristaseiden/

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kristaseiden

Visit her website: https://www.kristaseiden.com/

Connect with Lauren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal:

Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker

Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker