In today's world, where data is critical to strategic decision making, advanced web analytics tools are indispensable. Google Analytics 360 (GA360) has established itself as a powerful and scalable solution, designed specifically to meet the demands of organisations that handle large volumes of data and need detailed and accurate insights.
In this article, we'll explore in detail what Google Analytics 360 is, its key features, the benefits it offers and the common challenges it faces.
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Google Analytics 360 (GA360) is a web analytics suite for businesses that offers more advanced and scalable features than the free version of Google Analytics (GA4). It is designed to meet the needs of large enterprises that need to collect, analyse and act on large data sets.
Google Analytics 360 (GA360) offers a suite of advanced features that make it a powerful tool for businesses looking to gain a deeper understanding of their data and make more informed decisions. Here are some of the key features of GA360:
Unsampled reporting:
GA360 allows you to generate reports from complete data sets, without the need for sampling. This means more accurate and reliable reports, giving you a better understanding of how your website or application is performing.
Export to BigQuery:
GA360 allows you to export your data to BigQuery, it's not just a data warehousing solution; it's a powerhouse that can transform the way you manage and analyse your data.
Google BigQuery emerges as a robust data warehousing and management system, streamlining the process of consolidating data from multiple sources for reporting and analysis. Its exceptional storage capacity and ultra-fast query capabilities are invaluable to data professionals.
Data-driven attribution:
GA360 allows you to use custom attribution models to assign credit for conversions to different touchpoints in the customer journey. This helps you understand which marketing channels are most effective and optimise your campaigns accordingly.
Although GA360's attribution is data-driven, it should be noted that the information it has is limited, as Google Analytics does not have the full range of brand information (contextual, offline, etc.). For this reason, you need to understand how to attribute correctly. Apart from the attribution offered by GA360, there are other attribution solutions such as Adsmurai Marketing Mix Modeling, which measures the omnichannel effectiveness of your marketing strategies.
Advanced segmentation:
GA360 allows you to create more complex user segments based on a variety of criteria, such as demographics, website behaviour and purchase history.
Custom models:
GA360 allows you to create custom models to analyse your data in deeper and more complex ways. This allows you to go beyond pre-defined metrics and dimensions, opening up possibilities to better understand user behaviour and optimise strategies.
Alerts and notifications:
GA360 allows you to set up alerts and notifications to alert you when important events occur, such as a sudden spike in traffic or a drop in conversions.
Integrations with other marketing tools:
GA360 integrates with a variety of other marketing tools, such as Google Ads, Campaign Manager and Search Console. This allows you to have a complete view of the performance of your marketing campaigns in one place.
Google Analytics 360 (GA360) offers a number of benefits for businesses that use it, including:
Get a more complete view of your business
GA360 provides a complete view of your customers' interactions with your business. It allows you to understand their behaviour, anticipate their needs and make strategic decisions to deliver exceptional experiences.
Get to know your customers
Analyse the performance of all your websites and applications with greater limits for data collection, reporting, retention and exports to BigQuery, plus intraday data that is constantly updated. Access advanced reporting and analytics to understand how users interact with your business and the impact of different channels in the process.
See smarter statistics to improve ROI
Google Analytics 360 (GA360) incorporates the power of machine learning to help you unearth insights that will enable you to make smarter, more strategic decisions.
Connect your data for better results
GA360 is designed to integrate seamlessly with other Google solutions (Google Ads, Search Ads 360, Display & Video 360, Google Cloud and Google Search Console) and partners, allowing you to make the most of your data and optimise your overall marketing strategy.
Get the most out of your data
Google Analytics 360 provides you with an intuitive interface and streamlined collaboration tools so you can analyse data quickly and work efficiently as a team.
In managing and analysing web data, companies often face several challenges with Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Here are some of these common challenges:
Manual and auto tagging: Auto-tagging prevails over manual tagging. It is crucial to respect the established nomenclature to ensure a correct grouping of channels.
Volume of key events in reports: The key event attribution model may vary from report to report. No report shows incorrect information; it is the focus of the data that differs.
Other" values in reports: The "other" parameter appears in reports, scans and the data API when there are dimensions of high cardinality (more than 500 different values). 360 accounts have higher cardinality limits and the option of Expanded Data Sets. To minimise cardinality, it is recommended to use predefined dimensions and maximise the use of standard reports.
Not set" values in reports: The "not set" parameter is reported when GA4 does not receive information for a particular dimension. This can be caused by incomplete configuration of auto-tagging or manual UTMs, or problems with event logging such as session_start or page_view.
Unwanted referrals: External payment processors or cross-domain transitions can register as unwanted referrals. In GA4, it is easy to exclude these domains directly from the user interface. The exclusion of self-referrals is automatic in all GA4 properties.
Sampling of data in reports: Sampling is applied when data extraction exceeds the limits set for each property type (10M standard, 1B in 360). To minimise the impact of sampling, it is recommended to adjust the volume of data requested, such as modifying the date range or re-evaluating the type of events reported. 360 properties have access to non-sampling scans and the ability to adjust the level of detail and speed of results.
A successful transition to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) requires a thorough audit and configuration. Adsmurai offers a GA4 configuration service. Here are the steps and strategies Adsmurai offers to ensure an effective migration:
GA4 and GTM Audit
We will create a detailed mapping of your current Google Analytics account, covering every aspect of your settings and data. While some functionality may not carry over directly to GA4, our mapping ensures a smooth transition as Google introduces new features.
Our team will conduct a comprehensive audit of your properties in GA4 and GTM containers. This audit will identify available data, suggest improvements for reporting and point out necessary updates to tags, triggers and variables in GTM.
Setting up GA4
We will begin by adding GA4 code to your website, setting up a new Google Analytics property and initiating data collection. Specific tasks include:
Account structuring and properties:
Creation of data flows for web and applications.
Integration with Google Ads and Google Search Console.
Additional custom configurations.
Data and event migration:
Migration of custom events, goals, conversions, key events and audience transfer.
Migration of ecommerce data collection.
Custom dimensions and metrics management:
Configuring referral exclusions and other metrics.
GA4 Tracking Strategy
We will design the ideal setup for GA4, including:
In addition, we will review, debug and correct any unnecessary or incorrectly implemented elements to ensure a smooth transition.
GTM Mapping and Migration
Our commitment doesn't end with the initial configuration. We will configure and deploy your GTM containers, meticulously testing and debugging all new tracking. This ensures that all tags, triggers and variables transfer seamlessly to the new environment, maintaining the integrity and functionality of the trace.
Looker Studio configuration
We'll help create dashboards in Google Looker Studio and setup Explorations in GA4, ensuring your team can easily access and analyse the data they need.
Whether you need custom metrics, in-depth analysis or specific visualisations, our team will tailor the dashboard to your requirements for better insight and data-driven decision making.
Google Analytics 360 is an essential tool for businesses looking for deep web analytics and strategic decisions based on accurate data. With advanced features such as unsampled reporting, BigQuery export and data-driven attribution, GA360 enables complex analysis and detailed insights into user behaviour. Its integration with other Google tools and advanced targeting capabilities provide a complete view of the business. For businesses looking to maximise their data analytics and optimise their marketing campaigns, Google Analytics 360 is a must-have solution for business growth and success.