Back in July 2019, Google Analytics introduced it’s newest version of the tracking platform – Google Analytics 4 (or GA4 for short).
GA4 is the successor to the original Universal Analytics (known as ‘UA’), and added various new features to the platform. Using smart AI, the platform can now identify events on a website, unify app and website data, and made tracking events and engagement on a website much easier.
In a recent post from the Google Marketing Platform Blog, Google have announced that from next year, they will start to sunset all Universal Analytics accounts (UA), and that all UA accounts will stop recording data from July 2023.
When introduced, and even to this day, GA4 still receives criticism from the marketing community.
A new look does not always mean a better experience
With a brand new layout and interface, Google alienated long-time Google Analytics users, with a updated, confusing new version – replacing and renaming sections that had been a staple of the platform for years.
I feel that Twitter user @beanstalkim sums up most of the comments I have seen in the marketing community:
Dear Google.
GA4 sucks.
I’m not sure who there thought, “Let’s make a lot of the important data hard to access, and unintuitive to SEOs let alone regular business owners.” but please fire them and put it away with authorship and Google+ and let’s move on.— Dave Davies (@beanstalkim) June 23, 2021
Google Announce they will ‘Sunset’ Universal Analytics in 2023
This means that if you still use UA, it will literally stop working after July 2023. As I have previously worked with platforms like Datorama, I can only imagine how difficult it will be to move across and set up new connections, for the various platforms that connect with UA.
Why are Google sunsetting Universal Analytics?
With updates and advancements across the internet, websites are soon going to be ‘cookie’ free. No more cookie pop-ups or aimlessly clicking ‘Agree’ on every website you visit. Even this one!
With this move, the GA4 platform does not need cookies to record and collect data. Whereas UA does. So here it does seem logical for Google to move towards this change.
I would also argue that Google change things, and they stick to it. Whenever a new interface or update is released to a Google platform, it will slowly and surely be updated for all users – regardless of the feedback. For example, the removal of the Dislike button from YouTube.
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