As we approach the sunset date of Google's Universal Analytics (GA3) on July 1, 2023, it's time to familiarize yourself with the new Google Analytics 4 (GA4). We have put together a list of commonly asked questions and answers to help you with the transition.
Do I need to create a Google Analytics 4 property?
We have been working hard to create GA4 properties for all the blogs that didn't have one already. The good news is that you now have Editor access to your new property through your Gmail account. You can log in to your Google account to see the new GA4 property for yourself. If you're having trouble finding it, don't worry, just let us know and we'll be happy to assist you.
If you have your own Google Analytics 4 property, then please provide editor access to google@frequentflyerservices.com. Then send us a message at help@boardingarea.com to let us know that you would like us to use your GA4 property instead of the one we created for you.
How do I turn off the Universal Analytics Sunset Warning pop-up?
Follow these opt-out instructions provided by Google:
If you opt-out, a new GA4 property will not be created for you. If you have already created a GA4 property, no configurations will be copied over from the connected Universal Analytics property, regardless of whether they have been marked as complete or not.
To opt-out, you need the Editor role on your Universal Analytics property.
In Google Analytics, click Admin.
In the Property column, click GA4 Setup Assistant.
At the bottom of the page, turn off the Automatically set up a basic Google Analytics 4 property toggle.
Alternatively, click Manage GA4 migration in the yellow informational banner at the top of your Analytics account. Turn off the Automatically set up a basic Google Analytics 4 property toggle.
Where is the Google Analytics 4 script placed?
You can find the new GA4 script in the header field of the BoardingPack plugin. We will keep the Universal Analytics ID in the BoardingPack Google Analytics field until Universal Analytics expires. If you have any other analytics tracking installed elsewhere on your site, just give us a shout and we'll make sure you're not tracking twice.
What happens to my Universal Analytics Data?
You won't be able to add historical data to GA4 because it's a different analytics model than the previous version. The old model relied on page views and sessions, while the new one focuses on events, making the data incompatible. However, there's some good news! Even though Google Analytics will be phased out in July this year, you'll still have access to your old data for another year before it disappears. In the meantime, you can always download your older data into a CSV spreadsheet (instructions).
But wait, there's more! We have been storing Google Analytics data in BigQuery for our dashboard project, so we actually have all of your old data. We're planning to create a complete dump of every blog property we have access to, so we can build a historic traffic view just for you. Isn't that exciting? So, don't worry, not all is lost when it comes to making comparisons. We've got you covered!
How do I create a custom dimension for author reports?
For now, we advise just continuing with Universal Analytics until the end. We'll have a fix in place by then and will announce whether the fix is in Google Analytics 4 or the next BoardingPack version. The fix will be in place before the upcoming Universal Analytics sunset.
How do I find the bounce rate?
The reason you're not seeing a bounce rate in the Google Analytics 4 platform is intentional. Unlike its predecessor, Universal Analytics, Google Analytics 4 is built around tracking user actions and events more closely. Given this focus, a metric that measures inactivity doesn't really fit into the framework anymore. As a result, Google has instead implemented the engagement rate and the notion of an engaged session.
So, what exactly is an 'Engaged Session'? Well, it's simply a session that fulfills at least one of these conditions:
It has a duration of more than 10 seconds
It involves more than one-page view
It includes at least one conversion event
The way to compute the engagement rate is by dividing the number of engaged sessions by the total number of sessions.
You can locate this metric, the engagement rate, in several reports available in Google Analytics 4, including the traffic acquisition report, which is shown below:
Despite Google's initial indication that they'd completely eliminate the bounce rate from the interface, they've had a change of heart. It may not be readily available in many of the standard reports, but you can tweak these reports to include bounce rates. Bounce rate can also be incorporated into explore reports.
However, it's crucial to be aware of how the bounce rate is computed in Google Analytics 4 before we walk you through the process to access it. It's essentially the opposite of the engagement rate in Google Analytics 4, which means it won't align with the value found in Universal Analytics. This discrepancy is something that all relevant parties should be made aware of.
To view the bounce rate in Google Analytics 4 reports, here's what you need to do:
Navigate to 'Reports' from the left-side menu.
Choose the report that you wish to modify.
Locate 'Customize report' in the top-right corner of the report and click it. Note: If you can't see this button, you're not assigned an Editor or Administrator role.
In the 'Report data' portion of the right panel, click on 'Metrics'. Add 'Bounce rate' and then click 'Apply'.
If you want this change to be permanent every time you open this report, select 'save changes to the current report'.
More information can be found in the UPDATED: But It Does Exist…Bounce Rate in GA4 article from Seer Interactive.
How do I use Google Analytics 4?
If you want to learn how to use Google Analytics 4, check out the videos linked below. They will guide you through everything you need to know to get started with GA4.