Have you heard the news? Google is upgrading its analytics platform in a HUGE way. Okay, I know what you're thinking and I get it. Although this doesn't sound like the sexiest, most exciting information to most, I can assure you that it will make a noticeable impact on the way digital marketing data is collected. Google first announced GA4 quite a while ago, and even gave users plenty of time to test the new platform and migrate early if they wish.

Whether you're hearing about the Google Analytics 4 transition for the first time or learned about it through the grapevine somehow, it doesn't matter – the migration deadline is the same for everyone: July 1, 2023. This ultimately means that account holders will be forced to deal with the changes to their analytical accounts if they want to continue tracking data with Google. (Unless one decides to use alternative search engines instead, of course.)

Everyone, just breathe. We swear it will be okay.

Now that you've fully digested this information, you no doubt have one or several questions. Below you'll find answers to commonly asked questions about the Google Analytics 4 migration, in an effort to help you better understand the changes taking place with the Google Analytics platform.

Starting July 1, 2023, Google will stop collecting any data from websites synced to their Universal Analytics system. (Or in plain English, their current model.) This means that users will not only be unable to track any data through the old school platform from that day forward.

The data tracking accounts for all District Maven monthly recurring clients have already been updated to Google Analytics 4, so no further action is needed at this time.

Our marketing experts are happy to help on-demand clients through the migration process as well. If you're interested in having the District Maven team handle the transition for you, contact us directly by email to get started.

We're going to be really blunt here, but there are a ton of new things one will find within the GA4 platform. In the interest of keeping this a brief FAQs post (and not a novel), you'll find a few of the most obvious, key differences listed below:

• If you've ever logged into Google Analytics before, the first thing you'll notice is that the dashboard has gotten a total makeover.
• GA4's dashboard *also* can be completely customized by the user, allowing one to view specific, segmented reports that matter most to their business or brand.
• Data reported is collected from user activity tracked on not only websites, but digital applications as well.
• While Universal Analytics placed its focus on page views, Google Analytics 4 calls all activity measurements "events."
• GA4 introduces a roster of brand new metrics for data lovers to analyze, namely engagement metrics, expansion of tracked demographics and attribution.
• Thanks to Google's brand new predictive metrics platform, users can optimize their website proactively backed by macro-level, data-driven insights.
• For the first time, one can track data from multiple platforms instead of just Google alone. Ultimately this showcases the whole user experience and journey through a website from beginning to end.

Forgive us for being vague, but it depends. "Realtime" data happens really quickly (5 minutes or so), while other information (such as data reports, conversion numbers and other key metrics) takes a bit longer. In most cases, this data will start to appear in a GA4 property dashboard within 24-48 hours.