fbpx

Sunsetting Universal Analytics: Why You Should Start Preparing for 2023

HomeGeek SpeakSEOSunsetting Universal Analytics...

Post

Universal Analytics is the version of Google Analytics that nearly every marketer uses to track their site traffic. It was first introduced in 2012 and since then, has allowed us to accurately track and measure user behaviour. 

 

For anyone not aware, Google is sunsetting Universal Analytics (UA) in 2023 and replacing it with Google Analytics 4 (or GA4), which was introduced a couple of years ago. By July 1st, 2023, new data will no longer be available on UA.

Post 1

Why Is Universal Analytics Going Away?

What’s the reason for this shift? Like everything in life, things change and evolve. When UA first came on the scene, the internet looked quite different—yes, even just 10 years ago.  

 

In Google’s own words:

“Universal Analytics was built for a generation of online measurement that was anchored in the desktop web, independent sessions and more easily observable data from cookies. This measurement methodology is quickly becoming obsolete. Meanwhile, Google Analytics 4 operates across platforms, does not rely exclusively on cookies and uses an event-based data model to deliver user-centric measurement.” (Source)

new_test.max-1000x1000

The Main Benefits of GA4

Google Analytics 4 is designed to support your business more than ever before. That’s not to say that UA doesn’t provide invaluable insights into your web traffic, but the newish GA4 focuses more on your business’ key objectives. 

 

Here’s what you can expect from GA4:

Find out how we boosted District Technologies’s organic traffic by 443% in just 12 months!

UA & GA4: Let’s Compare Metrics

There are quite a few differences between UA and GA4, particularly when it comes to reading your reports. Take a look at the key changes in your metrics (to see a more thorough list, check out what Google has to say on the subject):

Universal Analytics (UA)
  • 2 User metrics (total, new)
  • 2 Pageview metrics (Pageview, Unique Pageview)
  • Sessions are cut off at midnight
  • Goal Completions (old name)
  • Only one conversion (per goal) per Session
  • Bounce Rate is a session with a single page view.



  • Total Events are counted every time a Category, Action, or Label event is triggered.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
  • 3 User metrics (total, new, active)
  • 1 Pageview metric (Views)
  • Sessions are no longer restarted after midnight
  • Conversion event (new name)
  • Every instance is counted of the conversion event
  • Engagement Rate is the number of ‘engaged’ sessions that last longer than 10 seconds (or when the user clicks or visits a 2nd page). Bounce Rate is no longer being used.
  • There are no longer Categories, Actions, or Labels. Every action is an event.

Why You Should Prepare Now for 2023

One of the main reasons to switch to GA4 before July 2023 is that you won’t be able to pull any reports further back than the day of your GA4 implementation. Waiting until the very last moment to switch to GA4 means you may lose more than an entire year of valuable data.

 

If you’ve already taken a look at GA4, you may have noticed that a lot of the terminology (such as what’s included in the table above) has changed. By running both GA4 and UA at the same time, you’ll be able to cross reference the reports from the new analytics against the old, which will help you get used to the new system faster.

 

Lastly, GA4 is equipped with more features that will ultimately improve your business, so why not jump on that bandwagon now when you can take your time with it?

How to Prepare for GA4

The most obvious thing you can do to prepare for GA4 is to implement it. And we recommend doing this by July 2022 so you can take advantage of a full year of reporting. 

 

Implementing it as soon as possible will also allow you to familiarise yourself with the new terminology and layout.

Increase your brand’s digital presence with a free SEO review

Final Thoughts

While migrating to a new system can seem like a daunting task (especially if you’re just getting the hang of the old one) your future self will be thanking you for taking a proactive approach to the inevitable sunsetting of Universal Analytics. 

You Might Also Like:
Share This Post
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Email
About the Author
Picture of Alan Mansford
Alan Mansford
Alan Mansford is Geeky Tech’s on-page SEO and reporting specialist and resident musician. When he’s not serenading us with tales of his rock star days, he’s improving your rankings and getting your site noticed. Learn more about Alan on his profile page.
Shopping Basket