Coming back, or at least it feels like it, in 2019 Google announced Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the definitive replacement for Universal Analytics (UA).
As of March 2023, Google has initiated the transfer of the former website. opt out From UA to GA4. By July 2023Universal Analytics will permanently stop processing new website data, but previously processed data can be exported for the time being.
Why are you switching from Universal Analytics to GA4?
This article describes the features of GA4 and its state-of-the-art real-time reporting capabilities.
What’s so special about GA4 and real-time reporting?
This is a very welcome move for us, as GA4 will bring significant changes in how website owners monitor and use data from visitor activity.
google analytics
Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Currently, this is a program within the Google Marketing Platform brand.
read more
Whereas UA records every individual request to a website server, GA4 tracks all user interactions across both websites and apps almost instantly, capturing richer context around them. These interactions are called GA4 events. This approach enables website owners, marketers and developers to gain a deeper understanding of the actual journey of users as they interact with off-site advertising, on-site content, conversion points, and more.
GA4 also provides more metrics about your visitors and is easier to use as you can see both web and app data on the same screen. And there is another important difference. It’s the real-time element.
GA4’s real-time reports are the only place you can see who is actually interacting with your website or application. like it’s happening.
This means, for the first time, you can instantly understand who the user is (what device they are on, where they are coming from, their location, etc.) and what they are doing. What you want to get out of their visit (see pages they’re interacting with, events they’re triggering, etc.).
It is true that this real-time functionality has some limitations, which we will discuss next, but this detailed report is based on the use of websites and applications to purchase, download, and fill out contact forms. , and invaluable to anyone driving conversions. other kind.
Keep reading for insights on key features, caveats, and use cases of GA4 Realtime.
A few notes about GA4
Naturally, when you see a name like “real-time” on a feature, you have certain expectations.
This section describes the few quirks and differences from UA that website owners and administrators should be aware of when getting started with GA4.
A small delay is expected for some data
Google says Data from the app is batched to save battery life. This means that the data will be served with a delay, but only by a few minutes. In our opinion this is nothing to worry about, but we would like to clarify that for applications the term “real time” is a bit of a misnomer.
Using a filter means your traffic may look different to the UA
GA4 is intended to filter out traffic from spam and bots. This is a good thing, but it can make traffic reporting look a bit lighter than it does in UA, and it may take some getting used to (and it’s important to know if you’re handling analytics on behalf of the site owner. It takes time to understand.)
Personalization limits
GA4’s real-time report screen is not very customizable. Sure, you can take a closer look at your data using the compare and snapshot features, but we’ll show you how to do that later. However, the personalization ends there.
The nature of real-time is that it is fleeting
One of the core features of real-time reports is to show user activity for the last 30 minutes, and this report can only be shared via a link. There is no option to export the data as it is no longer real time from the moment it is downloaded.
So it may be difficult to collect and report what you learn from Realtime in the same way you’ve done with UA so far.
Realtime and debug view
Interestingly, another feature was added to GA4 known as DebugView. This feature allows you to see your data in a way similar to real time.
Both support web and app data streams, but Realtime lets you view data from specific streams using Compare, and DebugView lets you filter by device. DebugView can also show more than 30 minutes of his user activity, but it doesn’t have a compelling user snapshot view like Realtime (more on that later). Because DebugView requires more setup, it is mostly used by developers who focus on detailed metrics and marketers interested in technology.
Whether you use Realtime or DebugView depends on your preferences and goals, but if you want to learn more, check out the following links: Google’s guide to getting started with DebugView.
How to navigate to real-time reports in GA4
Want to take a peek at our unique GA4 real-time reporting dashboard?
First, if you haven’t switched from UA to GA4 yet, here’s everything you need to know.
Once you’re sure you’re up to date, start by navigating to the account and GA4 properties/apps you want to analyze. On desktop, you’ll find this near the Analytics logo in the top left corner of your screen. Suppose you want to display “All Accounts > Accounts you want to work on today”.
You should now be at GA4 home. Click the Reports icon in the sidebar to open the Reports Snapshot page.
Look at the left sidebar again and select “Realtime” which will eventually open the realtime overview.
What you notice here is a series of “cards”. Some of which can be changed from the drop-down menu and will show you all the data GA4 real-time reports provide.
- Users in the last 30 minutes: Desktop, mobile, and tablet users in the last 30 minutes
- Users by Source: View active users by a number of filters, including first user source, first user media, first user source/media, first user source platform, first user campaign, and more.
- Users/New Users by Audience: The audience that the user belonged to when the event was triggered during the date range of the report. (Learn more about viewers here.)
- Views by page title and screen name: App screen/web page view count, repeat count.
- Number of events by event name: How often a visitor triggers a particular event. (Learn how to create an event here.)
- Conversions by event name: The number of times a web or app visitor triggered a conversion event. (Learn more about measuring conversions here.)
- User per user property: Audience attributes you want to track, such as location, language, etc. Google Analytics already tracks some. predefined dimensionsbut it can also be Add custom properties [管理]>[カスタム定義]when you move to
The dots on the map indicate your location and you can click on these to learn more about our visitors in different regions. Clicking a dot also creates a comparison. So let’s go ahead and explore its features.
Deliver content directly to your inbox
Subscribe to our blog and get great content like this delivered straight to your inbox.
Digging deeper: Realtime advanced features
GA4 real-time reports may not have the same customization capabilities that you’re used to in UA, but they do have some features that allow you to subdivide your data in interesting ways.
comparison
Comparisons allow you to compare specific subsets of users. Add a comparison by navigating to the Add Comparison button in the top left of the real-time screen.
A sidebar slides out on the right where you can select dimensions such as Age, Region, Device, Time, and Traffic Source. Also select dimension values. So if the selected dimension is Platform, the value options include his Android, iOS, and Web.
[適用]Click to display the real-time overview page, with the default[すべてのユーザー]You’ll see the group and the comparison you just created.You can create and view up to four comparisons at once, the default[すべてのユーザー]You can remove groups and replace them with your own custom comparisons.
user snapshot
Real-time allows you to see the actual live (like) behavior of an anonymous random user on the user snapshot screen. Use the “View User Snapshot” button on the top right of the screen to get there.
Now I need to get visuals showing the events triggered by this user along the timeline and information such as devices, locations, properties, etc.
How to get the most out of GA4 real-time reporting
Use real-time to fully understand your audience and their preferred journeys, deliver the kinds of content and features they really want to interact with, and implement campaign tracking that facilitates continuous iteration and improvement.
Fund the most effective features and campaigns
Yelling into the void may be an effective tactic for venting stress, especially after a long work week, but it’s crucial. has no effect When it comes to marketing and creating features.
GA4 Realtime gives you one of the most accurate representations of your audience’s interest. actual Engage on your website or app. Use it to launch content and features and run lightning-fast tests to determine if they’re reaching your intended audience.
No more guesswork. You no longer need to cross your fingers to connect with your audience by throwing carefully crafted digital marketing messages and cool new app experiences into the sky. Real-time guidance on where to turn from what isn’t working and where to focus on articles, CTAs, buttons, product pages, and other elements your audience is engrossed in.
Resolve ICP reliably
When it comes to audiences, knowing your core ideal customer profile (ICP) for your business is another key factor in building campaigns and products that reach the people you want to convert and retain.
Realtime provides real-world ICP insights by revealing user demographics and patterns, preferred channels, types of technology users use, types of content they engage with, and more.
Make sure your campaign tags are working properly
Using Google Tag Manager, marketers can “tag” campaigns with tracking codes to see who is clicking on content and from what channel (social media, guest blog posts, email marketing, etc.) can.
Realtime gives you a quick and easy way to make sure your campaigns and campaign tags are working as intended. If you’re starting a new campaign and you’re not seeing any traffic, your setup may need a little work. Or, if you’re getting traffic, but it’s not the kind you want, you can quickly adjust to hit the right ICP and be more effective right away.
Learn more about adding events to Google Analytics using Google Tag Manager.
Build for *real* user journeys
Again, real-time reporting is about taking the guesswork out, cutting out the noise, and building what moves the needle in your business.
User snapshots are one of the many tweaks that make GA4 so distinctive compared to other analytics tools. Gain insight into real-world user journeys. that’s right Know how your visitors behave and what they want to engage with. It is immune to observational bias and is more accurate than third-party heat mapping and other tracking tools.
This allows us to build features and content that align with the actual journey of our users, rather than ambitious ones based on outdated data or best guesses.
The insights we get from GA4 real-time reports and their use cases are very robust, but we know how much time is left in the workday. it’s not.
Admittedly, mastering GA4 and making the most of its real-time potential can take considerable time and effort. as a helping hand, Make a schedule marketing consulting or start chatting with our team marketing Strong Points. DreamHost’s mission is to help our customers succeed.
Get more visitors and grow your business
Our marketing experts help you get more traffic and convert more website visitors, allowing you to focus on running your business.