Google will discontinue its current Universal Analytics (UA) platform by the end of June 2023. This means that all companies that rely on UA to collect and analyze website usage data will have to make the switch to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) by the end of the month.
von Sven Häberlin
Why the conversion to GA4 is essential
With GA4, Google is taking a big step into the future. This new platform offers more advanced tracking capabilities and is better suited for a world that is becoming more privacy-oriented. The previous model, Universal Analytics, will no longer be supported as of July 2023, which means that no more data can be collected or analyzed. So switching to GA4 is not an option, but a necessity.
Conversions in GA4 - better convert today than tomorrow
One of the biggest challenges in switching to GA4 is setting up conversions from scratch. In GA4, the concept of conversions or goals has been significantly expanded. Conversions must therefore be redefined and created. This is especially true for booking tools that hotels use. Many hoteliers already track conversions in UA, but not yet in GA4.
Other conversions should also be set up, such as calls, emails, and table reservations. The optimal setup would be via Google Tag Manager. You need all this data to understand which of your marketing efforts lead to bookings and ultimately revenue.
The importance of importing GA4 conversions into Google Ads
Google Ads is a powerful platform for online advertising. By importing your conversions from GA4 into Google Ads, you can get a more accurate picture of how your ads are performing. By importing your GA4 conversions, you can understand the full customer journey triggered by your ads. This can help you better understand the impact of your advertising strategy and optimize your ad decisions.
The importance of the primary setting of conversions
When you set a conversion to "primary" in Google Ads, you signal to the platform that this conversion is especially important to your business. Google Ads uses this information to optimize the performance of your ads and ensure that you're meeting your most important business goals.
In practice, this could mean that Google Ads puts more emphasis on ads that lead to primary conversions, and less emphasis on ads that lead to secondary or less important conversions. This can help you use your budget more efficiently and achieve your marketing goals. Currently, many accounts still have UA conversions set to "primary".
Conclusion
The transition to GA4 brings a number of changes, including the need to redefine and manage conversions. Importing your conversions from GA4 into Google Ads and setting your most important conversions to "primary" is an essential step in realizing the full potential of your online advertising.
By integrating your GA4 data into Google Ads and marking your most important conversions as "primary," you can get a clearer picture of how your ads are performing, optimize your advertising strategy, and ultimately achieve your business goals more effectively.