Search Marketing FAQ

No - Universal Analytics was sunset July 1, 2024. UA properties stopped processing data. Historical data accessible until July 2024 in some cases. Migration to GA4 is mandatory; running both is no longer possible. Most sites should have been migrated by now. If still on UA in 2026, immediate migration is essential to avoid losing all measurement.

in GA4 Setup

Every interaction is an event. Page view = event. Click = event. Purchase = event. Each event has a name + parameters. Universal Analytics' rigid 'hit types' (pageview, event, transaction) replaced with flexible events. More powerful but requires deliberate taxonomy design. Each event can have up to 25 parameters. Parameter values are how you slice/filter data.

in GA4 Events

Enhanced measurement events tracked by default. page_view, scroll (90% depth), click (outbound), view_search_results, video_start/progress/complete, file_download, form_start/submit. Toggle in data stream settings. Some require modifications (form_submit needs form_id in data layer). Auto-tracked events give baseline measurement without code; custom events extend it.

in GA4 Events

Three approaches. Via GTM: create event tag, fire on trigger, send to GA4 measurement ID. Via gtag.js: call gtag('event', 'custom_name', {params}). Via data layer: push events, GTM picks them up. GTM is recommended for marketer-friendly maintenance. Send event name + relevant parameters (transaction_id, value, items). Mark high-value custom events as conversions.

in GA4 Events

Yes - UA event taxonomy doesn't auto-migrate. UA used Category/Action/Label/Value; GA4 uses event names + flexible parameters. Map old UA events to new GA4 event names (use GA4's recommended event names where possible: login, sign_up, purchase, add_to_cart). Migration is one-time work but the data model is more flexible going forward.

in GA4 Events

Three approaches. GTM: built-in click triggers + Click Element variables. Auto-tracking: enhanced measurement covers form submissions and outbound clicks. Custom events: data attributes (data-event-name) + GTM listener. Track phone/email clicks via outbound click trigger filtered to tel: and mailto: URLs. GTM makes this configurable without developer changes.

in GA4 Events

Two paths. GA4 Admin → Events → toggle 'Mark as conversion' for the event row. Or: GA4 Admin → Conversions → New conversion event → enter event name. Use specific events (purchase, signup_completed) not generic ones (click). Each conversion event tracked separately; up to 30 conversion events per property. Conversions become reportable metrics across reports.

in GA4 Events

Up to 30 conversion events per GA4 property. Most businesses use 5-10. Common conversion events: purchase, sign_up, generate_lead, contact, add_to_cart (sometimes), download. Don't mark every event as conversion - dilutes the meaningful ones. Reserve conversions for events tied to revenue or pipeline. Use audiences for other meaningful but non-conversion behaviors.

in GA4 Events

Event: any tracked interaction (page_view, scroll, click, form_submit). Conversion: an event marked as business-critical (revenue-tied). Same event, different status. All conversions are events; not all events are conversions. Conversions get special treatment: appear in Conversions report, available in attribution analysis, sent to Google Ads for bidding. Mark only revenue-relevant events as conversions.

in GA4 Events

Five report types. Realtime: live event stream. Engagement: events report shows event counts, users per event. Pages and screens: page-level view counts and engagement time. Conversions: conversion event counts and revenue. Exploration reports: custom funnels, paths, segments. Use Explorations for ad-hoc analysis; standard reports for ongoing monitoring.

in GA4 Events

Groups of users defined by behavior, demographics, or event criteria. Examples: 'Users who added to cart but didn't purchase,' 'Visitors from organic search who viewed pricing,' 'High-LTV customers.' Audiences sync to Google Ads (free) for remarketing. Audiences also segment analysis in GA4 reports. Build audiences for any segment you might want to analyze or remarket to.

in GA4 Audiences & Explorations

GA4 Admin → Audiences → New audience. Define inclusion criteria (events, parameters, user properties). Set lookback window (1-540 days). Save. Audience starts collecting users matching criteria. Allow 24-48 hours to populate. Use audiences in: Explorations as segments, Google Ads for remarketing, BigQuery for analysis. Up to 100 audiences per GA4 property.

in GA4 Audiences & Explorations

Build audience in GA4 → link to Google Ads (Admin → Property → Product Links → Google Ads). Audience auto-syncs to Google Ads → use as targeting in Display, Search, Performance Max campaigns. Common remarketing audiences: cart abandoners, pricing page viewers, content readers. Audience sync requires linked Google Ads account. Standard practice for any e-commerce running paid ads.

in GA4 Audiences & Explorations

User property: a single attribute about a user (subscription_tier, plan_type, signup_date). Audience: a group of users matching criteria. User properties are inputs; audiences combine properties + events into segments. Example: user_property = subscription_tier; audience = 'users with subscription_tier=premium AND visited cancellation page.' User properties enable audience building.

in GA4 Audiences & Explorations

Custom analysis reports beyond standard GA4 reports. Templates: Free form, Funnel, Path, Segment overlap, User explorer, Cohort, User lifetime. Drag dimensions and metrics; filter and segment freely. Most powerful GA4 feature. Used for: custom funnels, user journey analysis, cohort retention, attribution analysis. Build templates for recurring questions; share with team.

in GA4 Audiences & Explorations

Explorations → Path exploration template. Set start point (event or page) and exclude bounce/exit. View top sequences users take from that starting point. Useful for: 'After viewing pricing page, where do users go?' or 'What happens after add_to_cart?' Path reveals unexpected user behavior. Filter by audience segments for deeper insight.

in GA4 Audiences & Explorations

Explorations → Funnel exploration template. Define steps (events in order). Configure: open funnel (any order) vs closed (in order), time between steps. See drop-off percentages per step. Use to diagnose checkout drop-off, signup completion rates, content engagement funnels. Most actionable GA4 report for CRO work. Combine with segments to identify problematic segments.

in GA4 Audiences & Explorations

Three reports. Path Exploration: see top paths from any starting point. Funnel Exploration: measure drop-off across pre-defined steps. User Explorer: drill into individual user sessions for qualitative insight. Combine all three. Path reveals what's happening; Funnel measures it; User Explorer shows specific examples. Each answers different questions about user behavior.

in GA4 Audiences & Explorations

Six models. Data-driven (default - ML allocates credit). Last click (default in last-click model). First click. Linear (equal credit each touchpoint). Time decay (more credit closer to conversion). Position-based (40% first, 40% last, 20% middle). Data-driven is recommended for most accounts. Different models surface different channels - same conversions, different credit distribution.

in Attribution & Export

GA4 Admin → Property → Attribution settings. Choose attribution model (data-driven, last click, etc.). Changes apply to conversion reports going forward (and retroactively in some reports). Default is data-driven. Test different models to see channel performance through different lenses. Compare attribution models in Advertising → Attribution → Model Comparison.

in Attribution & Export

GA4 Admin → Property → BigQuery Links → Link. Connect Google Cloud project (need BigQuery enabled). Choose daily export (free) or streaming export (paid). Tables appear in BigQuery within 24 hours. Query event-level data via SQL. Free tier covers most sites; streaming export adds latency-sensitive use cases. Essential for any data team beyond basic reporting.

in Attribution & Export

Five reasons. Access event-level raw data (not sampled). Query unlimited dimensions/metrics combinations. Join with other data sources (CRM, payment data). Build custom dashboards beyond standard GA4 reports. Permanent data retention (GA4 retention limits don't apply to BigQuery exports). Free tier supports most use cases. Enable BigQuery during initial setup, even if not querying immediately.

in Attribution & Export

Three ways. Direct GA4 connector in Looker Studio - select GA4 property as data source. BigQuery connector - query exported GA4 data (more flexible, less sampling). Custom data API integrations. Looker Studio reports = visualization layer on top of GA4 + BigQuery. Build executive dashboards, marketing performance reports, custom KPI views. Free for both GA4 connector and BigQuery.

in Attribution & Export

Data you collect directly from your users (site behavior, app usage, CRM, purchases). Distinct from third-party data (purchased from external sources) and second-party data (partner-shared). Critical because: third-party cookies are deprecated, privacy regulations restrict third-party tracking, first-party data is the only durable foundation. Build first-party data infrastructure as a strategic priority.

in Measurement Strategy & First-Party Data