If you’re a digital marketer, chances are you have heard of Google Analytics (GA). Whether you use it to track website traffic or gain insights into customer behavior, this powerful and free tool is an important part of any successful digital marketing campaign. But what many marketers don't know is that Google Analytics has gone through several major updates over the years - GA3 and GA4 being the most recent versions. In this blog post, we will explore the differences between these two versions in detail, so that you can make an informed decision about which one is best for your business.

GA3 vs GA4

• When it comes to Google Analytics (GA), there are two different versions: GA3 and GA4. So, what’s the difference between the two?
• GA3 is the most recent version of GA, and it’s what most users are familiar with. GA4 is a newer version that was released in October 2020.
• One of the main differences between GA3 and GA4 is that GA4 uses a different data model than GA3. This means that data is stored differently in GA4, which can make it difficult to migrate from GA3 to GA4. Additionally, GA4 includes new features that aren’t available in GA3, such as user-centric data and event-based data.
• Another difference between GA3 and GA4 is that GA4 requires a Google Analytics ID (UA), whileGA3 does not. A UA is a unique identifier that helps Google track your analytics data. Finally, you’ll need to use a different tracking code for each version of Google Analytics.
• So, which one should you use? If you’re just starting out with Google Analytics, we recommend using GA4. However, if you’re already using GA3 and are comfortable with it, there’s no need to switch over to GA4 just yet.

Benefits of GA4

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics. GA4 offers several benefits over the previous versions, including:

1. Increased accuracy: GA4 uses machine learning to automatically identify and collect data from websites and apps, resulting in more accurate data collection.

2. Improved user experience: The GA4 interface is designed to be more user-friendly, making it easier to navigate and find the information you need.

3. Enhanced reporting: GA4 provides new report types that give you deeper insights into your website or app’s performance.

4. Greater flexibility: GA4 offers increased flexibility when it comes to tracking code implementation, making it easier to integrate with other systems.

5. Better data protection: GA4 includes new features that help protect your data, such as IP anonymization and data retention controls.

Drawbacks of GA4

There are a few drawbacks to GA4 that should be considered before making the switch from GA. First, GA4 is still in early stages of development and lacks some features that are available in GA, such as custom dimensions and custom reports. Additionally, GA4 requires a bit more setup than GA in order to get the most out of it. Finally, because GA4 is still new, there isn't as much documentation or online support available for it yet.

How to migrate from GA3 to GA4

If you're using Google Analytics (GA) and want to move to the latest version, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), there are a few things you need to know. First, GA4 uses a different data model than GA, so your data will be organized differently. Second, GA4 uses machine learning to provide insights, so some of the reports and features you're used to seeing may look different. Finally, GA4 is still in beta, so some features are still being developed.

To migrate from GA3 to GA4:

1. Create a new property in GA4. You can use the same account as your GA3 property, but you'll need to create a new property within that account.

2. Set up data collection for your new property. This includes adding the appropriate tracking code to your website or app and configuring any data sources you want to connect to GA4 (such as Firebase).

3. Start exploring! Once you have data flowing into GA4, take some time to poke around and see what's different. Check out the new reports and features and see what insights GA4 can provide that GA3 couldn't.

Conclusion

Upon a comparison of Google Analytics GA3 and GA4, it is clear that both offer powerful tracking capabilities for webmasters. However, there are still some notable differences between the two versions. It is important to consider your business goals and decide which version will best suit them in order to maximize the performance of your website analytics. With this knowledge, you can make sure that you are using the most up-to-date version of Google Analytics to generate meaningful insights from your data.