Google Analytics 4 Migration Quick Guide 2022: Universal Analytics disappears in July 2023 - are you ready?

By Wynne Pirini

Universal Analytics (UA) will stop collecting data in July 2023 and accounts are scheduled to be deleted in Jan 2024.

In order to make comparisons from year to the next, you should have at least 12-months of historical data before July 2023 comes around.

You can’t import your UA data into Google Analytics 4, unfortunately. So, if you haven’t done so already, that means migrating to GA4 IMMEDIATELY.

Some questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you have a tracking blueprint that maps out exactly what you need to make data-driven decisions?

2. Do you have detailed GA4 migration plan including all of the settings that need to be configured so your analytics tell useful stories?

3. Do you have a method for implementing Google Analytics 4 so you're able to collect all of the data you need to collect including events, page views, parameters, and triggers?

4. Do you have muliple websites and wondering how to track the potentially complex customer journey?

5. Have you considered how to deal with consent management, GDPR, CCPA and how to address loss of data?

From Best-Selling author of "How to Use Facebook for Business", Wynne Pirini, this quick-guide is lean and to-the-point. It shows exactly how to upgrade to GA4 from Google Analytics properly, while building the foundations of your first-party data 'oil rig'.

Click the cover image to preview what's inside...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publishdrive
• Release date: Oct 10, 2022

Book preview

Introduction

Universal Analytics (UA) will stop collecting data in July 2023 and accounts are scheduled to be deleted in Jan 2024.

In order to make comparisons from year to the next, you’ll want at least 12-months of historical data before July 2023 comes around. You can’t import your UA data into Google Analytics 4, unfortunately. So, if you haven’t done so already, that means creating a GA4 property IMMEDIATELY.

What you have in your hands is a lean, mean, quick-guide for getting you set up with GA4 and migrating away from Universal Analytics.

I’m busy and I’m sure you are too. So I’ve made this booklet brief, with just enough detail to get the job done properly, with little in the way of wasted words.

With that being said, let’s get into it!

You can download the resources mentioned in this booklet, here.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Table of Contents

Tracking Blueprint

How to Create a Tracking Blueprint

Step 1 - Business Objectives

Step 2 - Key Performance Indicators

Step 3 - Events

Step 4 - Parameters

Step 5 - Universal Analytics

Step 6 - Tracking Specification

Implementation Plan

Stakeholder Buy-In

Implementation Team

Keep it Up-to-Date

Setup Google Analytics 4

Create a GA4 Property

GA Measurement ID

Enhanced Measurement

Cross-Domain Tracking

Referral Exclusions

Data Retention

Custom Events

Custom Metrics

Conversions

Google Ads

Google Search Console

Google BigQuery

Debug Filter

Add GA4 Using Google Tag Manager

A Note About Server-Side Tracking

Create a GTM Web Container

Create a Configuration Tag

The Data Layer

Event Stream

Create a Trigger

GA4 Event Tag

Content Grouping

Consent Management Considerations

Conclusion

The Big Picture

Reason #1 - Data-Driven Decisioning

Reason #2 - DATA-TRAINED RESULTS

Author Biography

About Measurebit

Download Free Resources

One Last Thing...

Tracking Blueprint

If you’re anything like the average business,