This informal CPD article Google is changing - 3 things Business owners need to know now was provided by morphsites, a digital agency and specialist in bespoke web development and design, SEO and digital marketing.
Google is changing - 3 things Business owners need to know now
Google loves to keep businesses on their toes. And now they are changing to GA4 – Google’s latest analytics platform. What will this mean for your business? Are you ready to make the switch?
You may have heard through the grapevine that Google will completely switch to GA4 (Google Analytics 4) by July 2023. What does that mean for businesses? In a nutshell, if you rely on collecting data on your customers or clients, you will not be able to access that data in the same way. Why does this matter? If you need to know who’s visiting your website or what they are purchasing, you need to start looking at new strategies to analyse that data.
Why? The well-known and understood Universal Analytics (UA) will be replaced, so now’s the time to make sure your business fully grasps these changes and keeps up with Google’s ever-evolving algorithms.
But does that mean you need to rip out your online strategy, make drastic changes, or start afresh? If you are feeling anxious about the changes and thinking about doing the above, this article is for you.
Here are 3 ways to keep up with GA4 and to know what you need to do right now as a business owner.
1 - Don’t panic
If you aren’t sure what you need to do, you’re not the only one. Google are constantly making tweaks and changes too – changes that may or may not stick. Google even said themselves:
“We’re continuing to add new predictive metrics, like the potential revenue you could earn from a particular group of customers. This allows you to create audiences to reach higher-value customers and run analyses to better understand why some customers are likely to spend more than others, so you can take action to improve your results.”
So instead of having that “knee-jerk” reaction and getting rid of all your hard work, do some market research to see how others are responding. Count the cost as Google may well switch again. At this point, learning more about how to keep up with Google and gradually tweaking your strategy will do your business more good than completely starting over.
2 - Prepare for change
Here’s what you can do. Start collecting data built up since you have been using Google Universal Analytics (UA). Why? Well, Google recently announced they will be getting rid of Google's UA on the 1st of July 2023, with all historical data being wiped out just 6 months later.
*Gasps*
Again, no need for us to sweat. It just means that your new GA4 property will collect data from the time of creation only and past data from UA properties will disappear. So begin collecting the data you need to keep track of now and save yourself havoc next year.
3 - Make the switch
Ready to upgrade to GA4? We’re right there with you. In fact, making the switch may be a lot easier than you think. Google has created a GA4 setup assistant to guide you through the process, but there may be a few things you need to know first. We also highly recommend learning more about Google Analytics 4 before it replaces the Universal Analytics we all know and love. There are plenty of online tools to help you do that, including the Google blog.
Keeping up with Google
It’s neither the first nor the last time Google will upgrade its platform. There will be more changes in the future, meaning more research and more adjustments. So understanding how GA4 will affect your business and what you need to do to make the switch will make life a lot simpler, and your business will thank you for it.
In short, you don’t need to panic. But it is vital to keep up to date with what is happening and make sure your business is fully prepared for Google’s big switch to GA4 next year. Start preparing now and get yourself set up to stay in Google’s good books.
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