Month: March 2024

Data retention in Google Analytics 4 pertains to its capacity to store user data for a defined duration, after which it is purged from the databases. GA4 collects and assesses visitor data, encompassing their behavior and interactions with websites, utilizing this information to generate default reports for streamlined analysis. However, to maintain user data privacy and regulatory adherence, periodic deletion of older data becomes imperative. Consequently, businesses may experience the loss of crucial historical data, thereby impacting their analytical capacities. This temporal duration for which GA4 preserves data is termed data retention.GA4 recently updated its Data rRetention settings, introducing separate retention periods for user data. The default retention period is set to 2 months, but it is advised to manually adjust it to 14 months in Google Analytics 4. Additionally, event-level data retention will automatically decrease to two months if they exceed 25 billion (for standard) or 250 billion (for 360) billable events in the last 31 days. Event-level data older than 2 months will be inaccessible and permanently deleted. This adjustment will impact only a limited number of Google Analytics properties.

User-Level Data vs Event-Level Data

User-level data is associated with a specific user and includes information about demographics (age, gender, location), preferences (communication, products, privacy) and more (recency, frequency, operating system). 

Event-level data is associated with events (actions) that users take on a website or app and includes information about the type of event, when and where the event happened, and other details (such as session duration and conversions). 

In GA4, both explorations and standard reports utilize user-level and event-level data. The key distinction is that explorations reports present raw data, while standard reports present aggregated data.

Takeaways

Regularly Downloading Historical Data:  RWebsite owners are encouraged to schedule regular downloads of historical data, ideally every 6 to 12 months. For GA4 accounts with standard properties becoming to Large or 360 properties becoming XL, it is advisable to download historical data on a monthly basis. Failure to do so may result in the loss of significant historical data due to GA4’s data retention settings, impacting analytical capabilities and trend analysis.

Manual Adjustment of Data Retention Settings: Website owners are advised to modify their data retention settings manually, specifically extending the default retention period from 2 months to 14 months. This adjustment aims to retain a greater volume of data for analysis purposes, encompassing both user and event data retention.

Enable Reset User Data On New Activity: Activating this feature within the data retention configuration resets the designated time frame (ranging from 2 to 14 months) whenever a user revisits the website. Consequently, user data persists provided they revisit within the specified retention period.

Regularly Check Email Inbox: Google Analytics automatically sends notifications to website owners when their property nears or surpasses data retention thresholds. Between receiving the 2 emails, website owners can decrease the number of billable events sent to the Google Analytics 4 property, to ensure compliance with the current limits for property size and to maintain longer event-level retention. 

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has updated its data retention settings, introducing separate retention periods for user and event-level data. The default retention period is set to 2 months, but it is recommended to manually adjust it to 14 months for better data analysis. GA4 audit and training services are essential for website owners to manage their analytics effectively. Audit services ensure data accuracy by identifying discrepancies, while education services provide valuable resources for understanding and maximizing GA4 features, including setting up tracking and interpreting data.

In the past, important actions that were counted as conversions in Analytics were tracked differently than conversions in Google Ads. This caused discrepancies between the data reported by Google Ads and Google Analytics 4.

The recent update by Google to unify the definition and measurement of conversions across Google Ads and Google Analytics 4 promises a simpler and more intuitive experience for digital marketing experts.

Changes in Conversions to Key Events

Key Events: 

• In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the term “Conversions” has been renamed to “Key Events.” To mark an event as a Key Event in GA4, navigate to the Admin, select Events, and then mark the event as a Key Event.
• Metric names have been also updated to reflect this change in GA4; for instance, “Session Conversion Rate” is now referred to as “Session Key Event Rate.” With this update, users can now view the same Google Ads performance metrics whether they’re examining reports in Google Ads or Google Analytics. Key Events are calculated similarly to legacy Conversions, with no functional differences.

Conversions: 

• If the Key Event is important for Google Ads campaigns optimization and performance measurement, import conversions in Google Ads from the GA4 Key Event. To create a Conversion in Google Ads, you can mark the event as a Key Event in Analytics. Then, import a conversion in Google Ads from the GA4 Key Event.
• In Google Analytics 4,there has been a shift in focus from Conversions to Key Events in reports. Different sections of the platform focus on Key Events from various perspectives, such as traffic acquisition and attribution. Notably, Conversion Performance reports within the Google Analytics 4 advertising workspace give particular emphasis to Google Ads conversions.

Concerns on the Update

• The reports generated from Google Ads are expected to align with the conversion performance report in the GA4 advertising snapshot. However, discrepancies may arise when users compare Key Events from paid ads with Conversion numbers in other reports, raising questions regarding clarity and consistency.
• Efforts are required to educate clients and colleagues about the difference between Key Events and conversions.

What You Should Do Now?

• There’s no immediate need for action for existing setup, except to inform others about the name change from conversions to Key Events. 
• There is no requirement for modifications to tracking codes or Google Tag configurations. 
• Be patient. It might take a week or so to see the change in your GA4 account.

Google’s update to unify conversions across Google Ads and Google Analytics, particularly in GA4, streamlines the measurement process, enhancing clarity and consistency for digital marketing experts. Fortunately, existing setups remain unaffected, providing continuity in tracking and reporting. Incorporating a GA4 audit into your analytics practices can further ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of your tracking implementation. Overall, this update reflects Google’s commitment to improving the analytics experience, empowering marketers to make more informed decisions and optimize campaigns effectively.

Unassigned traffic in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) refers to any website traffic that lacks attribution to any of the following default channel groups.

• Affiliates
• Audio
• Cross-network
• Direct
• Display
• Email
• Mobile Push Notifications
• Organic Search
• Organic Shopping
• Organic Social
• Organic Video
• Paid Other
• Paid Search
• Paid Shopping
• Paid Social
• Paid Video
• Referral
• SMS

Google uses Default Channel Group rules to allocate traffic sources into specific groups. However, in instances where a traffic source, such as its medium or source, does not adhere to these predefined rules, Google Analytics 4 designates it as Unassigned. This occurs due to the system’s inability to determine the appropriate group for the given traffic source.

Identify What Kind of Traffic is Displayed as Unassigned

In Google Analytics 4, navigate to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition.

The first step is to determine the type of traffic classified as unassigned. Click the Plus icon in the table and add the Session Source/Medium dimension.

Next, in the search bar, input “Unassigned” and search. This action will display all Source/Medium values that are unassigned.

How to Fix the Unassigned Traffic in GA4

Use UTM parameters to tag URLs

Utilizing UTM parameters for URL tagging helps Google Analytics 4 (GA4) in precisely discerning the source, medium, and campaign data pertaining to individual users. It is advisable to employ values that GA automatically recognizes. Alternatively, you can create custom channel groups in GA4 that can recognize your custom UTM values. However, unassigned values will persist within the default group.

Make Sure UTM Parameters Are Correct

When employing UTM parameters, it is essential to consistently include utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign. Should a digital marketing campaign URL solely possess utm_campaign (e.g., smartli.co/?utm_campaign=smartli), utm_medium and utm_source will register as (not set). This subsequently results in the campaign being categorized as Unassigned within Google Analytics 4.

Make Sure to Use the Measurement Protocol Correctly

The Measurement Protocol (MP) serves as a method for transmitting data to Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Specifically engineered for relaying information from servers such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to GA4, its primary function is data augmentation rather than the initiation of new sessions or the generation of fresh users/visitors.

When employing UTM parameters, it is essential to consistently include utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign. Should a digital marketing campaign URL solely possess utm_campaign (e.g., example.com/?utm_campaign=upsell), utm_medium and utm_source will register as (not set). This subsequently results in the campaign being categorized as Unassigned within Google Analytics 4.

Make Sure Google Tag Fires First

If a GA4 event tag fires before the Google tag, it can lead to an increased occurrence of “not set” values in source/medium attribution. To mitigate this, consider configuring the Google tag to fire upon initialization, with all pages triggering its activation. Furthermore, if certain event tags are set to trigger on “Pageview,” it is advisable to postpone their firing, perhaps by configuring them to activate upon DOM ready or Window Loaded triggers.

This precautionary measure is particularly crucial for server-side GTM configurations. Within the Google tag settings, it is imperative to specify the URL of the server-side endpoint. Failing to do so may result in the event tag firing before the Google Tag, leading to complications such as an inability to identify the server’s URL, consequently resulting in “not set” values.

Audience Triggers

When dealing with a predictive audience in Google Analytics, it’s probable that the associated event won’t integrate into an existing session. Consequently, the source/medium will appear as “(not set)” in Google Analytics 4, resulting in an “Unassigned” status. 

This issue can also arise with regular audiences. Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward remedy for this problem. Audience triggers are managed within the backend of Google Analytics 4, so if you’re utilizing triggers (distinct from Google Tag Manager triggers), expect an increased occurrence of “(not set)” traffic sources.

Google Ads Related Issues

• Ensure you have connected Google Ads to Google Analytics.
• Ensure auto-tagging is enabled.

Wait 24-48 hours for GA to Process The Data

Google Analytics typically requires a processing window spanning between 24 to 48 hours for data analysis. Consequently, when reviewing reports and scrutinizing data from the previous day or the current day, it is probable to observe an increase in unassigned traffic.

Grappling with unassigned traffic in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) unveils the intricacies of digital analytics and underscores the critical need for meticulous data management. However, it also highlights the importance for businesses to conduct comprehensive Google Analytics audits regularly. Through this process, they can delve deep into their data ecosystem, identifying gaps, optimizing tagging strategies, and refining tracking mechanisms to ensure data accuracy and maximize insights. Such audits not only enhance the integrity of analytics data but also empower businesses to make informed decisions, improve campaign performance, and ultimately drive meaningful growth. In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, embracing the practice of regular Google Analytics audits becomes not just a best practice but a strategic imperative for businesses seeking to thrive in the digital age.