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<p>In 2023, Google is retiring Google Universal Analytics and moving fully to a program known as Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Since Google is discontinuing their older analytics standard, it’s essential that you learn GA4 to get the most out of <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/utilizing-google-analytics-for-business/">Google Analytics</a>. This update to Google Analytics has made notable changes in regards to data control and accessibility, which is why your knowledge of the Google Universal Analytics tool won’t be sufficient once you start using GA4.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
                <a href="#" class="lwptoc_toggle_label" data-label="show">hide</a>
            </span>
            </div>
<div class="lwptoc_items lwptoc_items-visible" style="font-size:125%;">
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#What_is_GA4">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">What is GA4?</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#What_is_Universal_Analytics">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">What is Universal Analytics?</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Understanding_the_Differences_Between_GA_Universal_and_GA4">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Understanding the Differences Between GA Universal and GA4</span>
    </a>
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Reporting">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Reporting</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Data_Collection">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Data Collection</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Product_Integrations">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Product Integrations</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Admin_Configurations">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Admin Configurations</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Data_Processing">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.5</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Data Processing</span>
    </a>
    </div></div></div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Switching_From_UA_to_GA4">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Switching From UA to GA4</span>
    </a>
    </div></div></div>
</div></div>



<p>Google has implemented GA4 to ensure a more scalable and privacy-centric system. The tracking framework that this tool is outfitted with is event-based. There are also a considerable amount of cross-devices capabilities that allow for <strong>a more holistic view of the data across mobile applications and websites</strong>.</p>



<p>Keep in mind that the functionality and features of GA4 are still evolving, which is why you should keep up to date with any changes before the Universal Analytics service is discontinued. This guide is designed to serve as <strong>an in-depth comparison between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics</strong>, which should make it easier for you to acclimate to the differences between the programs in question.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/google-analytics-dashboard-1024x683.jpg" alt="Set up conversions in Google Analytics" class="wp-image-1255" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/google-analytics-dashboard-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/google-analytics-dashboard-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="What_is_GA4">What is GA4?</span></h2>



<p>Google Analytics 4 is the fully updated form of Google Analytics. Before it was revealed, it was referred to as App+Web Property during the beta. The reason for this name is because the program is able to track web and application visits with a single Google Analytics tool.</p>



<p>Before GA4 was introduced, these visits needed to be separated into completely different Google Analytics properties. Google announced in March 2022 that GA4 would become the only option available to website owners who want to take advantage of Google Analytics and all that it has to offer.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="What_is_Universal_Analytics">What is Universal Analytics?</span></h2>



<p>Universal Analytics is a version of Google Analytics that existed before Google Analytics 4. GA4 was introduced in late 2020, before which Universal Analytics was the only generation of Google Analytics that website owners had access to. Since late 2020, Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 have both been available to site owners. Around the beginning of 2023, Universal Analytics will be phased out.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Understanding_the_Differences_Between_GA_Universal_and_GA4">Understanding the Differences Between GA Universal and GA4</span></h2>



<p>Because of the many changes that have been made between GA Universal and GA4, it’s important that you know the difference between these two programs. The upgrades and changes that have been made to the GA4 feature-set can make a difference for you and your website.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Reporting">Reporting</span></h3>



<p>One primary difference between <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/acquisition-channels-google-analytics/">Google Analytics 4</a> and Universal Analytics involves how reporting works. GA4’s standard reporting interface is <strong>more simplified and streamlined to make the program easier-to-use for site owners</strong>. GA4 uses a considerably more flexible interface known as “Explore”. When the GA Universal 360 beta was ongoing, this feature was known as “Analysis”.</p>



<p>Universal Analytics provided users with real-time reports, standard dashboards, and fully custom reports. However, custom funnel reports weren’t available. Users were only able to obtain 20 reports per property. On the other hand, GA4 provides real-time reports with improved granularity. You’ll also <strong>benefit from custom funnel reports and the ability to obtain 100 reports per property</strong>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="768" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/website-analytics-websitr-traffic-1024x768.jpg" alt="analytics reporting" class="wp-image-2525" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/website-analytics-websitr-traffic-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/website-analytics-websitr-traffic-300x225.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/website-analytics-websitr-traffic.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Data_Collection">Data Collection</span></h3>



<p>As for <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/hits-google-analytics-track/">data collection</a>, this isn’t expected to change too radically in Google Analytics 4. Features like enhanced eCommerce, UTM campaign tracking parameters, custom dimensions, and custom metrics are basically untouched from Universal Analytics.</p>



<p>Universal Analytics accommodated 20 goals for every view. GA4 has increased the number of allowed goals to 30 for every property. The number of custom dimensions has increased from 20-75. GA4 separates these dimensions into 50 event-scoped dimensions and 25 user-scoped dimensions. The number of custom metrics has also increased from 20-50.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/myriam-jessier-eveI7MOcSmw-unsplash-1024x683.jpg" alt="google data collection" class="wp-image-4398" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/myriam-jessier-eveI7MOcSmw-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/myriam-jessier-eveI7MOcSmw-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/myriam-jessier-eveI7MOcSmw-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/myriam-jessier-eveI7MOcSmw-unsplash-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Product_Integrations">Product Integrations</span></h3>



<p>When taking product integrations into account, the Google Marketing Platform offers a sizable advantage over all other analytics tools. The ability that Google Analytics has to integrate with other tools available in this platform means that you’ll have access to a wide range of benefits and features only available with Google Analytics. Keep in mind, however, that not every product linking option has been added to GA4 yet. However, the <strong>recent addition of a BigQuery integration means that GA4 is a sizable upgrade over Universal Analytics</strong>.</p>



<p>The types of Google services that were already available in Universal Analytics include Google Ads, Google Optimize, and Display &amp; Video 360. While all of these services are expected to be added to GA4 over the next year, Google Ads is the only one of the three that has already been implemented.</p>



<p>Keep in mind that GA4 offers two Google services that were never available with Universal Analytics. These services include <a href="https://admanager.google.com/home/?authuser=0">Google Ad Manager</a> and <a href="https://cloud.google.com/bigquery">BigQuery</a>, the latter of which is a cloud data warehouse that <strong>allows users to convert big data into actionable insights</strong>. Google Ad Manager gives you the ability to properly manage every ad that’s created through the Google platform.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="625" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/stephen-phillips-hostreviews-co-uk-shr_Xn8S8QU-unsplash-1024x625.jpg" alt="product tracking google analytics" class="wp-image-4234" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/stephen-phillips-hostreviews-co-uk-shr_Xn8S8QU-unsplash-1024x625.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/stephen-phillips-hostreviews-co-uk-shr_Xn8S8QU-unsplash-300x183.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/stephen-phillips-hostreviews-co-uk-shr_Xn8S8QU-unsplash-1536x937.jpg 1536w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/stephen-phillips-hostreviews-co-uk-shr_Xn8S8QU-unsplash.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Admin_Configurations">Admin Configurations</span></h3>



<p>If you want to use Google Analytics to collect data, you must first configure your <a href="https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/2649554?hl=en">Google Analytics property</a>, which refers to an application or website you’d like to track. In the Admin area, it’s possible to manage user permissions, set up your base architecture, delete data, set up alerts, and filter out any unwanted traffic. GA4’s admin configurations have been improved compared to the configurations available with Universal Analytics.</p>



<p>When looking specifically at the account architecture, Universal Analytics allowed data to be collected at the property level with reports being viewed at the view level. In Comparison, GA4 allows data to be collected at the stream level and reports to be viewed at property level. In Universal Analytics, data was able to be retained for anywhere from 14-50 months. <strong>GA4 allows data to be retained for a period of 2-4 months</strong>.</p>



<p>Just like Universal Analytics, GA4 provides analytics alerts on a monthly, weekly, or daily basis. However, GA4 also allows these alerts to be made on an hourly basis if you’re using the web version of this program. Two features that are completely new with GA4 include customized report navigation and data deletion.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/justin-morgan-_Lnid7JAWFQ-unsplash-1024x683.jpg" alt="admin configuration analytics" class="wp-image-4542" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/justin-morgan-_Lnid7JAWFQ-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/justin-morgan-_Lnid7JAWFQ-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/justin-morgan-_Lnid7JAWFQ-unsplash-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/justin-morgan-_Lnid7JAWFQ-unsplash-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Data_Processing">Data Processing</span></h3>



<p>Data processing is another important focal point of GA4. The GA4 version of Google Analytics focuses on higher data thresholds, user privacy, and less sampling. There are many differences between Universal Analytics and GA4 when it comes to data processing functionality.</p>



<p>For instance, session are defined differently between the two programs. In Universal Analytics, sessions would expire following 30 minutes of inactivity, which is the same with GA4. Universal Analytics also had sessions expire at midnight, if a session was longer than four hours, and after any UTM parameters change. GA4 has streamlined this approach to session expiration by getting rid of the three additional triggers mentioned previously.</p>



<p>For user definition, Universal Analytics used GA client ID for standard views and custom user-ID for user ID-enabled views. GA4 combines these two approaches with <a href="https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7532985?hl=en#zippy=%2Cin-this-article">Google Signals</a>.</p>



<p>In Universal Analytics, the data sampling threshold was set to 500,000 sessions via the property level. As for GA4, <strong>their data sampling threshold is 10 million events for every query</strong>. While Universal Analytics didn’t accommodate query time imports, user data and item data can be imported with GA4. When using Universal Analytics, it was possible to configure bot filtering. In GA4, bot filtering is automatically enabled and doesn’t need to be configured.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="678" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/lukas-blazek-mcSDtbWXUZU-unsplash-1024x678.jpg" alt="business goals and data processing" class="wp-image-4379" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/lukas-blazek-mcSDtbWXUZU-unsplash-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/lukas-blazek-mcSDtbWXUZU-unsplash-300x199.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/lukas-blazek-mcSDtbWXUZU-unsplash-1536x1017.jpg 1536w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/lukas-blazek-mcSDtbWXUZU-unsplash-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Switching_From_UA_to_GA4">Switching From UA to GA4</span></h2>



<p>It’s highly recommended that you switch from Universal Analytics to GA4 before Universal Analytics is retired in 2023. Keep in mind that the main benefit of this change is that GA4 will become the <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/google-analytics-expert/">new standard for Google Analytics</a>, which will benefit website owners and developers alike.</p>



<p>Universal Analytics properties will stop processing any hits on July 1, 2023, which means that you have around nine months to become fully accustomed to GA4 and how it works. If you have any experience with Universal Analytics, you shouldn’t find it too difficult to learn how to use Google Analytics 4. In fact, GA4 is meant to be <strong>a streamlined and more effective version of Universal Analytics</strong>, which might help you become acclimated to the program at a quicker rate.</p>



<p>At the moment, a large portion of marketers are set to continue using Universal Analytics as their main measurement standard, which makes sense while they get up and running with the GA4 program. During that period of time, these marketers will learn how to operate GA4 and create a new measurement environment. Now that you know that Universal Analytics is set to be discontinued, you should prioritize learning GA4 over Universal Analytics.</p>



<p>Since Universal Analytics will no longer be supported by Google, GA4 will become the new standard. While many of the features remain the same between these two programs, there are numerous changes that will render your knowledge of Universal Analytics moot. Keep in mind that GA4 is still changing on a regular basis and will continue to be updated until its full launch in July 2023. In the meantime, start using GA4 to become more comfortable with the user interface and all the new features you have access to.</p>


Google Analytics 4 vs. Universal Analytics: What are the Differences?


<p>Increasing the visibility and popularity of your website is a complex task that requires patience and determination.<strong> In order to obtain success for your website, it’s important that you provide users with a premium experience, relevant content, fast loading, and a range of additional features</strong> that will keep users engaged long enough to make a purchase or subscribe to a newsletter. If you want to create a website that’s successful, you’ll need to use the right tools for the job, many of which are provided by Google.<strong> Two of the more effective tools available through Google include Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager</strong>. </p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
                <a href="#" class="lwptoc_toggle_label" data-label="show">hide</a>
            </span>
            </div>
<div class="lwptoc_items lwptoc_items-visible" style="font-size:125%;">
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Differences_Between_Google_Analytics_and_Google_Tag_Manager">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Differences Between Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager</span>
    </a>
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#1_Website_Traffic">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">1. Website Traffic</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#2_Data_Sources">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">2. Data Sources</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#3_Container_Tag">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">3. Container Tag</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#4_Tag_Management_Tool">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">4. Tag Management Tool</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#5_Structure_and_User_Interface">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.5</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">5. Structure and User Interface</span>
    </a>
    </div></div></div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#How_To_Configure_Google_Tag_Manager_and_Google_Analytics_Together">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">How To Configure Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics Together</span>
    </a>
    </div></div></div>
</div></div>



<p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/provision/#/provision" target="_blank"><strong>Google Analytics</strong></a> <strong>is a highly popular tool that allows website owners to measure the traffic that arrives on their website.</strong> When you know <a href="http://brytdesigns.com/google-analytics-expert/">how to properly use this tool</a>, you can identify the pages on your website that are viewed the most, the areas of the website that should be improved, and total number of users who visited your website the day before. With this information, you can better understand how to make improvements to your website that will strengthen your business and brand. </p>



<p> As for <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/tag-manager/" target="_blank"><strong>Google Tag Manager</strong></a>, <strong>this is a marketing platform that acts as a tag management system</strong>. A tag is JavaScript code that can be used to obtain data from your website or mobile application. This data is then sent to some kind of third-party tool, which could include Google Analytics, Twitter, Facebook, and Google Ads. Google Tag Manager gives you the ability to edit, add, remove, enable, or disable a tag from your website. </p>



<p><strong>These tools are meant to be used together if you want to get the most out of your website.</strong> The only way for Google Analytics to track data and provide you with useful reports is by using the tracking code and tags that are placed on each page of your site. Many website owners will allow the Google Analytics tag to be placed on their website without changing or editing it, which will still provide these individuals with bounce rates, referrals, page views, and other pertinent information. </p>



<p>However, you can use Google Tag Manager in conjunction with Google Analytics to change how the Google Analytics tool views your website. For instance, you can edit the tag to start tracking overall sales or form submissions. <em>This article offers a detailed guide on the importance of using both Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics when </em><a href="http://brytdesigns.com/b2b-vs-b2c-marketing-differences/"><em>running a website</em></a><em>. </em></p>



<p style="text-align:center"><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p>



<ul><li>Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager are both helpful tools used by many to increase visibility to your website.</li><li>There are many differences between the two, but when they are used together you will be able to track and analyze data to improve your website in many ways.</li><li>There are two ways to properly install GA and GTM together and we provide step-by-step information on how to do so below.</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Differences_Between_Google_Analytics_and_Google_Tag_Manager">Differences Between Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager</span></h2>



<p>Before you start using Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, it’s important that you understand the differences between these two tools. For one, <strong>Google Analytics is designed to track and measure the performance of a website by </strong><a href="http://brytdesigns.com/what-is-coding/"><strong>looking at its code</strong></a><strong>.</strong> On the other hand, Google Tag Manager allows site owners to add or edit the tags that Google Analytics uses to measure this data. While there are some similar components to these two tools, they are most effective when used together. Google Tag Manager can help you get the most out of Google Analytics and other tools. <strong>The primary differences between the two tools involve website traffic, data sources, container tags, structure and user interface, and tag management tool.</strong></p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="1_Website_Traffic">1. Website Traffic</span></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="http://brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pexels-photomix-company-106344-1024x683.jpg" alt="increase website traffic" class="wp-image-3188" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pexels-photomix-company-106344-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pexels-photomix-company-106344-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pexels-photomix-company-106344.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p>The main difference between Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics is that Google Analytics is able to track and report on traffic data for a website. On the other hand, Google Tag Manager does not support this function.<em> The things that can be determined by measuring website traffic include:</em></p>



<p></p>



<ul><li>The number of people who visited your website on a given day or month<br></li><li>Which pages people viewed on your website<br></li><li>What your best-selling products or services are<br></li><li>The number of leads that your website has generated from marketing channels like Instagram and Facebook<br></li><li>The number of products that were sold throughout a seven-day period<br></li><li>What your website sales have been during a 30-day period<br></li></ul>



<p>As mentioned earlier, tag management tools are primarily used to edit, add, remove, enable, or disable the tags from your website that can eventually be sent to Google Analytics. <strong>Keep in mind that Google Analytics also provide extensive reports on traffic data to your website,</strong> which you can use to determine which areas of your website might need improvement.</p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="2_Data_Sources">2. Data Sources</span></h3>



<p>Another area of difference between these two tools involves data sources. <strong>Google Tag Manager is able to send data from a single source to another.</strong> However, this tool isn’t considered to be a data source because it doesn’t directly store any data. When looking at Google Analytics, this tool is considered to be a data source because data is stored on servers that Google Analytics maintains. <em>Some of the more popular examples of data sources include:</em></p>



<ul><li>A website</li></ul>



<ul><li>A mobile application<br></li><li>Google Ads<br></li><li>Facebook Ads<br></li><li>Data warehouses<br></li><li>LinkedIn<br></li><li>Twitter<br></li><li>Excel <br></li><li>Google Sheets<br></li><li>Adobe Analytics<br></li><li>YouTube Analytics<br></li><li>Bing Webmaster tools<br></li></ul>



<p> The <em>four separate sources</em> that Google Tag Manager can send data to include Google Ads, Google Analytics, Facebook, and Twitter. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="3_Container_Tag">3. Container Tag</span></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" src="http://brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pexels-negative-space-160107-1024x682.jpg" alt="container tag" class="wp-image-3191" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pexels-negative-space-160107-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pexels-negative-space-160107-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pexels-negative-space-160107.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p> A core difference between how Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager work involves a container tag. <strong>Unlike Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager is considered to be a container tag</strong>. Container tags are <em>designed to hold at least one analytics and marketing tag</em> as well as the corresponding variables and triggers pertaining to the tag. An example of a marketing and analytics tag is Google Analytics tracking code. </p>



<p>Container tags are able to implement Google Analytics on your website. <strong>The container tag can give you all of the functionality that you require for the Google Tag Manager tool to run tags on your website.</strong> If you want to properly install the GTM tool on your website, the tag must be hard-coded on each website page. Container tags are comprised of two separate parts, which include the first part that’s positioned in the head area of each web page and an additional part that’s positioned just after the “body” tag of every website page. <strong>While Google Analytics is considered to be a tag, it’s not a container tag. </strong></p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="4_Tag_Management_Tool">4. Tag Management Tool</span></h3>



<p><strong>Google Tag Manager is referred to as a tag management tool, while Google Analytics is a site performance tool that uses tags to gather data.</strong> As mentioned earlier, you can add, remove, edit, enable, or disable a tag on your website when using Google Tag Manager. If you add tags to your website with the GTM tool, you can<em> gain control over</em>:</p>



<ul><li>Where the tag should be fired<br></li><li>Where the tag should not be fired<br></li><li>When the tag should and should not fire<br></li><li>What the tag will need to do when it’s fired<br></li></ul>



<p>
Google Analytics is a tag, which means that you can change how Google Analytics will work when added to your website. If you want Google Analytics to measure only certain facets of your site and business performance, you can use the Google Tag Manager tool to better meet your needs.</p>



<p></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="5_Structure_and_User_Interface">5. Structure and User Interface</span></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" src="http://brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pexels-photomix-company-95916-1024x682.jpg" alt="structure and user interface" class="wp-image-3192" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pexels-photomix-company-95916-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pexels-photomix-company-95916-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pexels-photomix-company-95916.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<p> The structure and user interface with these two tools are also considered to be very different from one another.<strong> The Google Analytics user interface consists of at least one property, which represents your website or mobile application</strong>. A property can consist of more than one “view”, which is what your website is referred to. Every view can be made up of numerous reports. <strong>As for Google Tag Manager, its user interface consists of at least one container tag</strong>. Every container tag will represent a mobile application or website. Container tags can consist of numerous triggers, variables, and tags. </p>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="How_To_Configure_Google_Tag_Manager_and_Google_Analytics_Together">How To Configure Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics Together</span></h2>



<p>When you want to use Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics together, there are<em> two options available to you.</em> Keep in mind that Google Analytics can be installed with or without GTM. For Google Tag Manager, the only method that you can use to install the tool onto your website is to hard-code the container code for GTM on each website page. With Google Analytics, the first installation method involves hard-coding the tracking code for Google Analytics on each page of your site. <strong>The second and simpler installation method involves deploying the tracking code for Google Analytics through the Google Tag Manager</strong>. To install Google Analytics with the Google Tag Manager, <em>you’ll want to:</em></p>



<ul><li>Click on “Add” in GTM, which will allow you to add a new tag once a new window opens<br></li><li>Choose a name for the tag, which would be Google Analytics<br></li><li>Select the tag-configuration section before choosing the tag type, which would be Google Analytics<br></li><li>Choose a setting variable<br></li><li>Create an entirely new variable for Google Analytics, which would be named “GA PROD”<br></li><li>Enter the complete tracking ID for Google Analytics, which is UA_XXXXX<br></li><li>Save your changes<br></li></ul>



<p>
Now that Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics are installed on your website, you can effectively track website data and generate reports that will help you strengthen your website and bolster traffic.            
        

</p>


Google Tag Manager vs. Google Analytics: Why You Need Them Both

How to Become a Google Analytics Expert

Explaining the Different Acquisition Channels in Google Analytics

What Kind of Hits Does Google Analytics Track?

The Best Google Analytics Plugins for WordPress

11 Best Google Analytics Plugins for WordPress [2020]

<p>Google analytics is an incredibly powerful data analytics platform that can give you invaluable information about your customers when utilized properly. From website traffic metrics, to user behavior and page flow — <strong>Google Analytics can track customer through your sales funnel and show you how to properly capture value on your website through usability testing and customer insight.</strong></p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
                <a href="#" class="lwptoc_toggle_label" data-label="show">hide</a>
            </span>
            </div>
<div class="lwptoc_items lwptoc_items-visible" style="font-size:125%;">
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Setting_up_Google_Analytics">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Setting up Google Analytics</span>
    </a>
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Create_a_Google_Analytics_account">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Create a Google Analytics account</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Get_your_Google_Analytics_tracking_code">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Get your Google Analytics tracking code</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Adding_the_Google_Analytics_tracking_code_to_your_website">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Adding the Google Analytics tracking code to your website</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Ensuring_successful_Google_Analytics_setup">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1.4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Ensuring successful Google Analytics setup</span>
    </a>
    </div></div></div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Setting_up_Conversions_in_Google_Analytics">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Setting up Conversions in Google Analytics</span>
    </a>
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Creating_Goals_in_Google_Analytics">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2.1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Creating Goals in Google Analytics</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Adding_tracking_code_to_the_conversion_target">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2.2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Adding tracking code to the conversion target</span>
    </a>
    </div></div></div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Viewing_Conversions_in_Google_Analytics">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Viewing Conversions in Google Analytics</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Conclusion">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Conclusion</span>
    </a>
    </div></div></div>
</div></div>
<h2><span id="Setting_up_Google_Analytics">Setting up Google Analytics</span></h2>
<p>Setting up Google Analytics is a rather straightforward process. <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/5-best-google-analytics-plugins-wordpress-2018/">Many WordPress themes and plugins will facilitate the process of setting up your Google Analytics</a> but we’re going to show you how to manually set this up for any web platform.</p>
<h3><span id="Create_a_Google_Analytics_account">Create a Google Analytics account</span></h3>
<p>First, you’ll need to <a href="https://analytics.google.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">create a Google Analytics account</a> and add a property (aka website). Once you’ve created a Google Analytics account, you’ll want to visit the admin page to add your first property to start tracking website data. Click “Create Property” and follow the on screen prompt to complete setup — including your Website Name to identify this property among other future Google Analytics properties and Website URL (the web address of your website). Once you’ve entered the website information and clicked “Get Tracking ID” — you’ll then want to get your Google Analytics tracking code.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1247 size-large" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/create-property-google-analytics-1024x647.jpg" alt="Google Analytics Admin Dashboard" width="640" height="404" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/create-property-google-analytics-1024x647.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/create-property-google-analytics-300x189.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/create-property-google-analytics.jpg 1197w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></p>
<h3><span id="Get_your_Google_Analytics_tracking_code">Get your Google Analytics tracking code</span></h3>
<p>Once you’ve created the property, click “Tracking Code” under property settings “Tracking Info” (or if you just created the property, you’ll be taken there automatically). Here you’ll look for “Global Site Tag (gtag.js)”. If you’re not familiar with javascript, don’t worry, you don’t need to understand the code — simply highlight and copy this entire code block. Next, we’re going to add this code to your website.</p>
<p><em>The code block will look something like this:</em></p>
<pre>&lt;!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --&gt;
&lt;script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=[YOUR ID HERE]"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
&lt;script&gt;
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
 gtag('js', new Date());

gtag('config', '[YOUR ID HERE]');
&lt;/script&gt;</pre>
<h3><span id="Adding_the_Google_Analytics_tracking_code_to_your_website">Adding the Google Analytics tracking code to your website</span></h3>
<p>While this will vary depending on your website platform, it’s still rather straightforward. You’ll want to navigate to your website code via FTP or backend management system and find the website file that contains the header information of your website (in WordPress this is header.php). You simply want to paste the Google Analytics code block that you copied earlier above/before this closing head tag (the closing head tag will be &lt;/head&gt;). Typically you want to include javascript files in the footer to avoid render blocking javascript and improve page performance but in this case, Google Analytics code needs to be in the head to load prior to page elements for improved data measurement.</p>
<h3><span id="Ensuring_successful_Google_Analytics_setup">Ensuring successful Google Analytics setup</span></h3>
<p>While it takes a moment to fully start tracking website data, you can verify that your tracking code is working by visiting the Reports &gt; Real Time &gt; Overview of your Google Analytics dashboard. If you or your users are currently viewing your website, you should see user data populate the Real Time view on Google Analytics.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1248 size-large" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/real-time-view-1024x316.jpg" alt="Real Time View on Google Analytics" width="640" height="198" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/real-time-view-1024x316.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/real-time-view-300x93.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/real-time-view.jpg 1175w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></p>
<h2><span id="Setting_up_Conversions_in_Google_Analytics">Setting up Conversions in Google Analytics</span></h2>
<p>Now that you have website data populating your Google Analytics dashboard, you’ll want to make use of this new data by setting up goals and conversions. <strong>A conversion is the process of converting a website visitor into a lead or customer.</strong> By assessing where your customers are at in the sales funnel and where there may be falloff, you can adjust your web strategy and increase conversions — generating more revenue for your business!</p>
<h3><span id="Creating_Goals_in_Google_Analytics">Creating Goals in Google Analytics</span></h3>
<p>First, visit the admin page of your Google Analytics. Next, click <strong>Goals</strong> in the right “View” column of this page. This Goals page is where we’re going to tell Google Analytics what a conversion means on our website. A conversion can be a purchase, a form submission generating a lead for your business, or a simple button click. These actions are called Events and we want to tell Google Analytics which events are worth tracking and which events generate conversions for the business.</p>
<p>On this page, click “New Goal”. First, you’ll be on the Goal Setup page — from here you can use a predefined template created by Google Analytics or you can create a custom Goal, we’re going to create a <strong>custom goal</strong> by clicking “Custom”. Next, we’ll need to attribute a <strong>Goal description</strong> to this new Goal. You’ll want to use a name that appropriately identifies what value this action provides to the business. For example, in this example, we’ll be creating a Goal which tells us when a user has submitted a contact form which generates a lead for our business. We’ll call this goal “Contact Form Lead” and we’ll set the Type to “Event”.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1249 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/google-analytics-goal-setup.jpg" alt="Google Analytics Goal Setup" width="695" height="607" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/google-analytics-goal-setup.jpg 695w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/google-analytics-goal-setup-300x262.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 695px) 100vw, 695px"></p>
<p>Next, in the Goal details page, we’ll need to add a <strong>Category</strong>, <strong>Action</strong>, <strong>Label</strong>, and <strong>Value</strong> to the Goal. A Category helps identify the Goal if it were to be categorized among other future website goals, the Action is the user action that takes place (for example, a user clicking the submit button on our contact form), a label helps your website recognize the action, and the value is the business defined value you’d like to attribute to this action (this value is completely up to you, you can leave this blank — or if you have an idea of what a lead is worth to your business, you can assign a dollar amount to this action here). Once you’ve filled out the necessary fields, <strong>click Save to complete the Goal setup</strong>. Next, we need to include tracking code on the button we want to connect to the Goal.</p>
<h3><span id="Adding_tracking_code_to_the_conversion_target">Adding tracking code to the conversion target</span></h3>
<p><em>This is the part Google does not show you how to do — which can be incredibly frustrating for any website owner!</em></p>
<p>Depending on which website platform you’re using, you’ll need to access the code of your website once more. What we want to do here is find the HTML element we want to add our tracking code to (in this example we’re looking for the code of the submit button on our contact form). Once you’ve found the element, we’re going to add an onClick event to tell Google Analytics when a user action is taking place.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1250 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/submit-button-html.jpg" alt="Submit button HTML" width="715" height="319" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/submit-button-html.jpg 715w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/submit-button-html-300x134.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 715px) 100vw, 715px"></p>
<p>The onClick code that we’re going to add uses the Goal data that we set up in Google Analytics and is structured as follows:</p>
<pre><span class="webkit-html-attribute-name">onclick</span>="<span class="webkit-html-attribute-value">ga('send', 'event', 'Category', 'Action', 'Label');</span>"</pre>
<p>In our example, we’ll be adding this code to the contact form button and the result will look like the following:</p>
<pre>&lt;input type="submit" value="Send Message" class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-submit" onClick="<span class="webkit-html-attribute-value">ga('send', 'event', 'Form Submission', 'Click', 'Contact Form Submission');</span>"&gt;</pre>
<p>Once you’ve added the onClick event to your button or action element, you’re all set! Moving forward, whenever someone takes the action you defined in your Google Analytics Goal, your Google Analytics data will display a new conversion! Next, we’ll show you where to see this conversion data in your Google Analytics dashboard.</p>
<h2><span id="Viewing_Conversions_in_Google_Analytics">Viewing Conversions in Google Analytics</span></h2>
<p>While the data can be structured and viewed in incredibly complex ways to give you powerful insight about user behavior and user action, we’re going to show you the basics.</p>
<p>First, navigate to your Google Analytics admin page and click Goals once more. Here you’ll be able to view current Goals and their individual structured data metrics including Goal, ID, Goal Type, and Past 7 day conversions (“Recording” shows whether or not the goal is currently active and tracking).</p>
<p>For further conversion data, you can navigate to the Google Analytics dashboard and click Behavior &gt; Events &gt; Overview to get a simplified overview of your current Events and Conversion metrics.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1251 size-large" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/behavior-event-overview-google-analytics-1024x453.jpg" alt="Google Analytics Behavior Events Dashboard" width="640" height="283" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/behavior-event-overview-google-analytics-1024x453.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/behavior-event-overview-google-analytics-300x133.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/behavior-event-overview-google-analytics.jpg 1176w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></p>
<p>Lastly, you can view even more data from your Conversions &gt; Goals &gt; Overview dashboard, see below an example of some of the data you can extract from this view.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1252 size-large" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/conversions-page-google-analytics-1024x356.jpg" alt="Conversions overview Google Analytics" width="640" height="223" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/conversions-page-google-analytics-1024x356.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/conversions-page-google-analytics-300x104.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/conversions-page-google-analytics.jpg 1182w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></p>
<h2><span id="Conclusion">Conclusion</span></h2>
<p>If you’re a marketer, code can be intimidating — if you’re a developer, knowing what’s valuable to the business may be difficult to determine. Although we’ve tried to simplify the process and data down to make sense for all parties involved — hopefully the above information puts you in the right position to dive deeper into customer data and extract valuable information to make your business a success online! If you need help getting started, or would like to talk to us about setting up a similar data analysis and conversion profile for your website, <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/#contact">contact us today</a> or shoot us an email directly at <a href="mailto:info@brytdesigns.com">info@brytdesigns.com</a>!</p>


Tag:"Google Analytics"

Tag:
"Google Analytics"