NEW: Conversions and Key Events in Google Analytics 4

Summary

Google Analytics 4 (G4) is introducing significant changes to the way conversions are tracked and reported. The term 'conversions' will be replaced with 'key events' to address discrepancies between Google Ads and Analytics conversion numbers. This change aims to clarify that 'conversions' in Google Analytics will now only apply to those events also considered conversions in Google Ads. Despite the name change, the functionality remains the same; events can still be marked as both key events and conversions. Users will need to educate themselves and others about this shift and understand how to navigate the new reporting structure in G4.

Takeaways

• 🔑 Google Analytics 4 (G4) is changing the term 'conversions' to 'key events' to address discrepancies between Google Ads and Analytics conversion numbers.
• 📈 The process for marking events as key remains similar; you send an event to G4, then mark certain events as key in the admin section.
• 🌐 Metric names will change to reflect the new terminology, e.g., 'session conversion rate' becomes 'session key event rate'.
• 🤔 The renaming aims to clarify that conversions in Google Analytics will now only apply to events that are also conversions in Google Ads.
• 📊 In the Traffic Acquisition report, 'conversions' will be replaced with 'key events', showing events marked as key in G4's admin panel.
• 🚀 The Conversion Performance report in the Advertising section will focus solely on Google Ads conversions, ensuring numbers match those in Google Ads accounts.
• 🔄 Key event paths (previously conversion paths) will now be used for analyzing the path to any key event, not just Google Ads conversions.
• 🛠️ The process for creating conversions will be simplified, allowing direct creation of Google Ads conversions from the G4 interface.
• 📝 No action is required immediately, as Google is rolling out the change gradually, and existing tracking codes do not need updates.
• 💡 Key events function the same as legacy conversions, with the only change being the name.
• 🔄 An event can be both a key event in G4 and a conversion in Google Ads, being used in both sets of reports without conflict.

Q & A

What is the new term for conversions in Google Analytics 4?

In Google Analytics 4, the term 'conversions' has been replaced with 'key events'.

How does the process of marking an event as a key event in Google Analytics 4?

To mark an event as a key event, you send an event to Google Analytics 4, then go to the admin section, navigate to events, and mark specific events as key events.

What is the reason behind renaming conversions to key events in Google Analytics 4?

The renaming is to address the mismatch between conversion numbers in Google Ads and Google Analytics due to different settings like Look Back window, counting method, and attribution models.

How will the metrics' names change with the introduction of key events?

Metric names will change accordingly; for example, 'session conversion rate' will become 'session key event rate'.

What will be the impact of the change on the reporting in Google Analytics 4?

Reports will now display key events instead of conversions unless they specifically relate to Google Ads conversions. The change aims to clarify the distinction between events marked as key events and those imported as conversions to Google Ads.

How will the performance of Google Ads conversions be reported in Google Analytics 4?

There will be a separate section in the advertising workspace focusing only on Google Ads conversions. The conversion performance report in this section will match the numbers in your Google Ads accounts.

Can an event be both a key event and a conversion in Google Ads?

Yes, an event can be marked as a key event in Google Analytics 4 and, if imported as a conversion in Google Ads, it will also be displayed as a conversion in Google Analytics.

What actions are required from users due to this change?

No action is required except informing others about the name change. Google is rolling out the change gradually, and eventually, 'conversions' will be renamed to 'key events'.

Does this change affect the calculation of key events differently from legacy conversions?

No, the functionality of key events remains the same as legacy conversions. The only change is in terminology.

What should users do to adapt to this change?

Users should educate themselves and others about the change, understanding what a key event is and how it differs from conversions, especially if the company uses multiple analytics tools.

Are there any concerns about this change?

While the change aims to solve the mismatch problem, there are concerns that it might not completely address the confusion, as key events from paid ads may not match the conversion numbers, and users may still have questions.

How can users stay updated with this change?

Users can stay updated by subscribing to relevant YouTube channels or following Google Analytics' updates and announcements.

Outlines

00:00

📊 Google Analytics 4: Conversions to Key Events

This paragraph explains the upcoming change in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) where the term 'conversions' will be replaced with 'key events'. It discusses the reasons behind this change, primarily to address the discrepancy between conversion numbers in Google Ads and Google Analytics. The speaker outlines that while the process of marking events remains similar, metric names will change to reflect the new terminology. The video aims to clarify user concerns about the differences in conversion numbers between platforms and how the renaming to 'key events' will streamline the process in GA4.

05:01

🤔 Understanding and Implementing Key Events

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of how key events will function in GA4, emphasizing that they will be calculated the same way as legacy conversions but will simply have a new name. It clarifies that an event can be both a key event in GA4 and a conversion in Google Ads, and that the two platforms will aim to provide consistent reporting. The speaker expresses skepticism that this change will fully resolve user confusion but acknowledges the need for education on the new terminology. The video concludes with common questions about the transition and reassures viewers that no immediate action is required on their part.

Keywords

💡Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google's web and app analytics platform. It provides advanced tools to track and analyze user interactions with a website or app. In the context of the video, GA4 is undergoing changes in how it labels and measures conversions, now termed as 'key events'.

💡Conversions

In digital analytics, a conversion occurs when a user completes a desired action on a website, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. Historically, in Google Analytics, these actions were termed 'conversions'. However, the video explains that in GA4, these will now be referred to as 'key events' to reduce confusion with Google Ads conversions.

💡Key Events

Key events are significant user actions or milestones that are important to a business and are now the term used in GA4 to replace 'conversions'. These events help businesses measure the success of their digital marketing efforts and understand user behavior.

💡Lookback Window

The lookback window is a setting in digital marketing that determines the period during which a conversion can be attributed to an ad interaction. It is one of the factors that can cause discrepancies between conversion numbers in Google Analytics and Google Ads.

💡Attribution Models

Attribution models are methods used to distribute credit for a conversion across touchpoints in a customer's journey. These models help determine how to allocate the value of a conversion among the different interactions a user has with a business's marketing channels.

💡Session Key Event Rate

Session key event rate is a metric in GA4 that measures the percentage of sessions in which a key event occurs. This metric helps businesses understand the frequency at which users complete important actions during their interactions with a website or app.

💡Google Ads

Google Ads is Google's advertising platform that allows businesses to create and display ads on Google's search results and other partner websites. It is closely integrated with Google Analytics, and the video discusses how conversion tracking works between the two platforms.

💡Admin Panel

The admin panel in GA4 is the section of the platform where users can manage their account settings, including defining what events are marked as key events. It is where users have control over the configuration of their tracking and reporting.

💡Traffic Acquisition Report

The traffic acquisition report in GA4 provides insights into the sources of traffic to a website, including information on how those sources contribute to key events. It helps businesses understand which channels and strategies are most effective in driving desired user actions.

💡Attribution Section

The attribution section in GA4 is where users can analyze the path taken by users leading to a key event. It was previously known as the conversion paths report, but has been updated to reflect the new terminology around key events.

💡Interface

In the context of GA4, the interface refers to the user-friendly platform where users can interact with the system to view reports, analyze data, and configure settings. It is the visual and functional aspect of the software that users engage with.

Highlights

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will change the definition and conversions.

Conversions in GA4 will now be called 'key events'.

The process for marking events remains similar; events are sent to GA4 and then marked as key events in the admin section.

Metric names will change to reflect the new terminology, such as 'session key event rate' instead of 'session conversion rate'.

The renaming aims to address the mismatch between conversion numbers in Google Ads and Google Analytics.

Conversions will still exist in GA4, but only for those that are also conversions in Google Ads.

Reports will differentiate between key events and Google Ads conversions, such as the traffic acquisition report showing key events from various traffic sources.

The conversion performance section will focus solely on Google Ads conversions, matching numbers in Google Ads accounts.

The attribution section will now feature 'key event paths' instead of 'conversion paths'.

The process for creating conversions will become simpler, with the ability to create Google Ads conversions directly from the G4 interface.

Despite the changes, the presenter is unsure if the issue of mismatched conversion numbers between platforms will be fully resolved.

Education on the change is necessary, as it may still cause confusion among clients and stakeholders.

No action is required from users, except to inform others about the name change from 'conversions' to 'key events'.

There is no need to update Google Analytics tracking code or Google Tag Manager due to this change.

Key events will be calculated the same as legacy conversions; the functionality remains the same, only the name has changed.

An event can be marked as both a key event and a conversion, being used in all relevant reports and imported into Google Ads if applicable.

This change is a developing situation, and more details may be learned in the future.

Transcripts

from now on the definition of

conversions in Google analytics 4 will

change in this video I will explain what

all of this means what to do about it

and at the end of this video I will

answer the most common questions you

might

have in the past if you wanted to

measure a particular event which is

important to your business for example a

form submission or a purchase you had to

Mark such events as conversions from now

on such conversions will be called key

events the flow will remain pretty much

the same you send an event to Google

analytics 4 then you go to the admin

section events and then Mark some events

as key events basically the name

conversion is changed to key event this

means that metric names also change for

example instead of session conversion

rate you will have session key event

rate which I have to admit does not

sound very user friendly so why is

Google doing this well the main reason

is the mismatch between conversion

numbers in Google ads and Google

analytics things such as Look Back win

window settings counting method

attribution models all of them affect

the metrics and some users get confused

they keep asking why the conversion

numbers between both platforms are

different to address this issue Google

decided to do several things the first

one is to rename Google analytics

conversions to key events I already told

you about that the second change is that

conversions as a concept Still Remains

in Google analytics but it will apply

only to those conversions that are also

conversions in Google ads so if you have

a key event in Google analytics 4 and

that key event is also imported as a

conversion in Google ads then it will be

also displayed as a conversion in Google

analytics so here I am for example in

the traffic acquisition report here we

see various traffic sources and then

previously we had a column called

conversions now it is called key events

this column displays those events that

are marked as key events in the admin

panel of your G4 but if for example you

go to the advertising section you here

here you will see the conversion

performance section I don't know if you

will see that now but if not then you

should see that soon then here this

report focuses only on Google ads

conversions or in other words events

that are imported as conversions to

Google ads This Is My Demo property so I

don't have any conversion data from

Google ads but here you would see the

name of the conversion and then how many

Google ads conversions did you get so

the numbers in this report should match

the numbers in your Google ads accounts

but if the report or some Metric

mentions key events then you're not

dealing with conversions from Google ads

you're dealing with any event that is

marked as a key event in your property

for example in the attribution section

you have key event paths previously this

report was called conversion paths but

since right now the name conversion is

reserved just for Google ads we have to

work with key events so if I click here

then I can select which key events do I

want to include in this particular

analysis as a result the process of

creating conversions will be simpler at

some point you will be able to create

Google ads conversions directly from the

interface of G4 such conversions will

share the same settings so what's next

how are we going to work from now on

well it depends on the use case if you

want to quickly check the number of

Google ads conversions and in this case

I mean events that are imported as

conversions to Google ads then you go to

the advertising workspace and check the

conversion performance report if you

want to check the performance of

important events regardless of whether

they came from Google ads or another

Channel then you look at key events and

use reports such as Explorations or

standard reports or other reports that

mention key events for example key event

paths what do I think about all of this

well I'm not a fan I understand the

problem I understand the reasoning

behind this but it does not look like

this change will solve the problem

completely sure Google ads reports

should match the conversion performance

report in G4 but if my client looks at

key events in other reports they will

probably still have the questions why

key events coming from Paid ads do not

match the numbers of conversions so the

problem Still Remains to some extent it

has just moved from one place to another

also we will have to work more on

Education First of all educate ourselves

about this change and then educate our

co-workers clients stakeholders about

what the hell this key event is and how

is it different from conversions

especially if the company is using

several analytics tools so I have mixed

feelings about this and for the end of

this video here are several common

questions that I wanted to address what

actions do you need to take in this case

no action is required except that you

will need to inform others about the

name change Google is now rolling out

this change and eventually conversions

will be renamed to key events do you

need to update your Google analytics

tracking code or Google tech manager the

answer is no I cannot see this change in

my account why it's a gradual roll out

and it might take about a week or so you

will have to be patient will key events

be calculated differently than the

Legacy conversions no the functionality

of key events Remains the Same as the

Legacy conversions basically Google just

changed the name here can an event be

marked as a key event and as a

conversion at the same time yes a form

submission for example can be marked as

a key event and it will be used in all

reports where key events are mentioned

and at the same time it can also be

imported to Google ads then that event

will be a conversion and it will be

displayed in reports such as conversion

performance the fact that event is a

conversion in Google ads does not affect

how it is calculated as a key event so

yeah that's it for this video this is

still a developing situation and we

might learn more details in the future

if you want to stay up to date with this

change then subscribe to my YouTube

channel also if you found this video

useful hit the like button below this

video this will tell the YouTube

algorithm gots that this video is good

enough to recommend thanks for watching

my name is Julius this is analytics

Mania and I'll see you in the next

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