● The short answer
Google Analytics 4 is Google's free web and app analytics tool. It records user actions as events and replaced Universal Analytics, which stopped processing standard data on July 1, 2023. Most businesses should track a handful of key events (calls, forms, bookings, purchases), traffic by source including AI referrals, and landing page performance, and ignore most of the rest.
Key takeaways
- GA4 is Google's free event-based analytics tool and replaced Universal Analytics in July 2023.
- Own the property, set data retention to 14 months and filter internal traffic on day one.
- Choose three to five key events tied to revenue, such as forms, calls and bookings.
How GA4 works
GA4 is built around events. A page view is an event, a scroll is an event, a form submission is an event. You mark the events that matter to the business as key events (Google's current name for what used to be called conversions). Reports then show which sources, pages and campaigns produce those key events.
Google replaced Universal Analytics with GA4: standard Universal Analytics properties stopped processing data on July 1, 2023. If someone still references old "bounce rate goals" or views, they are describing the previous tool.
The how is where we come in.
What we walk through with you, for your business:
- Fix these settings first
- What to actually track
- What GA4 will not tell you
- Our take
Every business is different, so the plan is too. Tell us where you want to show up and we will show you what it takes.
Talk to usMore questions
Is Google Analytics 4 free?
Yes, standard GA4 is free. Google offers a paid enterprise version, Analytics 360, with higher limits, longer data retention options and service agreements, but small and mid-sized businesses rarely need it. The free version covers everything most companies should be tracking.
Why do GA4 numbers not match my ad platform numbers?
Each platform counts differently. Ad platforms often credit conversions to ad views or clicks over longer windows, while GA4 uses its own attribution model, and consent choices and blockers affect each tool differently. Expect gaps. Pick one source of truth for each decision and watch trends rather than chasing exact matches.
Sources
- Google Analytics Help: Universal Analytics has been replaced by Google Analytics 4
- Google Analytics Help: Data retention
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