Josh asks, “In GA4, how do we properly understand the paradigm shift when it comes to filters? In the past, we could provide access to data across numerous groups just by setting up a filtered and customized view for users – but that looks like it has all gone away in favor of data streams.”…
Summary In today's episode, I explain the paradigm shift in Google Analytics 4 around filters and reporting workflows. Here's what this means for you. You need to rethink how your team delivers insights because GA4 now treats analysis and visualization as separate functions, pushing more work onto analysts. You'll also learn these concepts: why GA4…
Summary In today's episode, I walk through how to find the best time to post on social media by analyzing your own audience data using Google Data Studio and Google Analytics. Here's what this means for you. You'll gain a repeatable method for replacing guesswork with evidence-based posting schedules tailored to your specific audience rather…
Jakes asks, “I’ve moved 5 sites To Google Analytics 4, set up a host of custom events in Tag Manager to recreate what I’m missing from GA3, but where do find Source Medium Campaign In Data Studio With GA4? Am I missing something obvious?” Yeah… it’s not there yet. That connector is still in beta,…
Summary In today's episode, I walk through a workaround for accessing source, medium, and campaign data in Google Data Studio when using Google Analytics 4. Here's what this means for you. You discover a practical way to retrieve critical traffic attribution data that's currently missing from the GA4 API by leveraging BigQuery and Firebase as…
Summary In today's episode, I break down how Google Analytics 4 completely restructures the Universal Analytics hierarchy and explains where all those familiar features like views, goals, and channels ended up. Here's what this means for you. You stop creating new properties for every internal team and instead leverage GA4's data streams and Google Data…
Summary In today's episode, I explain why Google Analytics 4 feels so different from the old version and what that shift means for your workflow. Here's what this means for you. You'll learn to think of GA4 as an analysis engine rather than a reporting tool, which changes where you build your dashboards. You'll also…
Tristan asks, “How are you getting on with the new Google Analytics 4 interface and data collection?” Google Analytics 4 represents a sea change in how Google thinks of its marketing platform. Instead of an all-in-one application, it’s now part of a suite of 3 major pieces that every marketer will need to consider. Google…
Summary In today's episode, I break down the major changes in Google Analytics 4 and what marketers must do to prepare. Here's what this means for you. You get a clear picture of why GA4 shifts to an event-based model and splits the marketing stack into three distinct tools, so you can start collecting data…
Jennifer asks, “Do you know how to use Google Data Studio to look at website traffic in a 10 minute window before and after a television commercial air time?” The field you’ll be looking for in the API is ga:dateHourMinute, and it’s formatted in YYYYMMDDHHMM format. There are a couple of gotchas about how to…
