COSA CAMBIA DAVVERO? GA3 vs GA4 💥 DATA MODEL

Summary

This video script discusses the significant differences between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics, focusing on the data model. It highlights the new features in GA4, such as semi-automatic event tracking, advanced analytics, and the ability to set goals retroactively. The script also emphasizes the unified data model for web and app data, making it easier to integrate and analyze user interactions across platforms.

Takeaways

• 📊 Google Analytics 4 (GA4) introduces a significant shift from Universal Analytics, focusing on a data-driven approach with a new data model.
• 🔄 The new data model in GA4 is event-based rather than session-based, offering more flexibility and a flatter data structure.
• 🌐 GA4 allows for the integration of web and app data within a single platform, eliminating the need for separate tracking and analysis.
• 🎯 GA4 enables the setting of goals retroactively, meaning past events can be turned into conversion goals.
• 📈 GA4 provides advanced analytics features that were previously exclusive to Google Analytics 360, now available to all users.
• 🛠️ Semi-automatic event tracking in GA4 reduces the need for manual setup in Google Tag Manager, streamlining the tracking process.
• 📝 The data model in GA4 is based on a single event type, simplifying the tracking process but requiring more precise event strategy.
• 🔍 The event-based model allows for an increased number of parameters to be associated with each event, enhancing data granularity.
• 🚀 GA4's data model facilitates the export of data directly to BigQuery, a feature previously limited to Google Analytics 360 users.
• 📱 The shared data model between web and app tracking in GA4 simplifies data collection and organization, making it more unified and manageable.
• 📝 The change to an event-based data model in GA4 requires a more detailed understanding and strategic approach to event tracking and analysis.

Q & A

What is the main focus of this lesson in the Google Analytics 4 course?

The main focus of this lesson is to discuss the data model and its differences between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics (Google Analytics 3).

What does the term 'data model' generally refer to in the context of Google Analytics?

In the context of Google Analytics, 'data model' refers to the set of rules and principles that guide the platform in how data is collected, organized, and structured.

How does the data model in Google Analytics 4 differ from Universal Analytics?

The data model in Google Analytics 4 is event-based, meaning that all interactions are treated as events, whereas Universal Analytics was session-based, organizing data within user sessions.

What are some of the key advantages of Google Analytics 4 over Universal Analytics?

Key advantages include semi-automatic event tracking, advanced Google Analytics features available to all users, the ability to set goals retroactively, and the integration of app and web data on a single platform.

How does Google Analytics 4 handle data from both web and app platforms?

Google Analytics 4 combines data from both web and app platforms without the need for separate platforms, using a shared data model that allows for a unified analysis.

What is the significance of treating all interactions as events in Google Analytics 4?

Treating all interactions as events in Google Analytics 4 simplifies the data structure, making it easier to analyze and understand user behavior across different platforms and interactions.

How does the event-based data model in Google Analytics 4 affect the way data is analyzed?

The event-based data model allows for more flexibility and a broader range of parameters to be associated with each event, enabling more detailed and precise analysis.

What was the limitation in Universal Analytics regarding the number of parameters that could be associated with an event?

In Universal Analytics, an event could be characterized by only four parameters: category, action, label, and value. This limitation has been removed in Google Analytics 4.

Why did Google make the change to an event-based data model in Google Analytics 4?

The change to an event-based data model in Google Analytics 4 was made to provide a more flexible and unified approach to data collection and analysis, especially for integrating data from both web and app platforms.

What is the practical implication of the shift from session-based to event-based data model in Google Analytics 4?

The shift allows for a more detailed tracking of user interactions, beyond the limitations of a single session, and enables the analysis of user behavior based on a sequence of events, enhancing the understanding of customer journeys.