Autumn Analytics Digest

Let’s explore the latest updates to their web analytics tools and how to make the most of them. Let’s get started!

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Saved segments for all users

One of October’s major GA4 updates was the introduction of saved segments accessible to all users within a property. Editors and users with advanced permissions can now save segments, making collaboration across teams much easier.

Why is this useful? Save segments within a property to give team members quick access. Compare metrics across user groups (e.g., new visitors vs. returning customers).

Share insights within the team—after all, you can never have too many!

Real-time page report

Something no one explicitly asked for, yet it appeared—a new real-time page report in Google Analytics. Now, you can see which pages on your site or app are being viewed at any given moment. This feature will help you evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and respond to popular pages promptly. This record improves the previous functionality of real-time reports, allowing you to analyze the dynamics of individual page usage in more detail.

Why is this useful? Monitor user activity during campaigns or promotions in real time.

• Identify the most popular pages in real time.
• Address technical issues or overloads on specific pages.

Your supporters are under the spotlight with the new report! Remember to use this feature cautiously, as it occasionally lags or displays inaccurate data.

Increased data export limits

In October, Google Analytics raised its data export limits, enabling up to 10,000,000 cells for unsampled data in TSV and CSV formats and 100,000 rows for data in reports in CSV or Google Sheets. Hooray! More spreadsheets for the spreadsheet god!

On a serious note, this enhancement significantly improves flexibility when working with large datasets, allowing comprehensive analysis using external tools like Excel or Sheets. This update addresses previous constraints on data export, enabling analysts to work with larger volumes of information. Enjoy these expanded possibilities!

Why is this useful? Analyze large datasets using tools like Excel, Sheets, or BI tools.

• Export detailed reports for in-depth analysis using external platforms.
• Add visualizations or make predictions based on data in CSV format.

Recommendations for misconfigured deep links

In September, a recommendation system was introduced to identify misconfigured deep links in your app. By leveraging this feature, users can now navigate seamlessly to in-app content, significantly improving the user experience (UX). Marketers and developers can now promptly fix deep link issues, ensuring a smooth journey for app users.

Why is this useful? If your mobile app supports deep links, utilize the recommended fixes to resolve misconfigurations.

Improved data import in GA4

GA4 users can create and manage multiple data import sources, making it possible to handle complex import scenarios without overwriting existing information. Additionally, historical data can now be retained while new records are added. This update ensures secure management of multiple data streams, which is a critical improvement for analysts and marketers working with diverse data sources.

GA4 in action: Historical data remains intact, new data gets added, and marketers celebrate!

Customer Match in Google Analytics

On November 20, 2024, Google launched Customer Match, enabling the use of personal data to expand audiences in Google advertising products like Google Ads, Display & Video 360, or Search Ads 360.

By leveraging hashed user data with user consent, you can increase your campaign reach even when other identifiers are unavailable. Customer Match helps maximize remarketing efforts, ensuring your campaigns target the most relevant audiences.

How to set up Customer Match:

• Enable user data collection on your website.
• Link Google Analytics with Google Ads or other advertising products and activate personalized advertising.

GTM

Improved tag diagnostics in GTM

In October, Google Tag Manager introduced new diagnostic tools for faster and more efficient identification and resolution of tag issues. Key diagnostic messages include:

• Tag has stopped sending data appears if a tag has not transmitted data in the last 48 hours. Use Tag Assistant to verify the tag setup on each page.
• Tag found too low on a page indicates a tag located too far down the page, which can impact load speed and activation. This can lead to the loss of signals, which will affect data collection and analytics functionality.

Previously, these problems could go unnoticed for longer, resulting in data loss. Given the new diagnostic indicators, analysts can quickly detect and correct tag-related issues. No error escapes the sharp eyes of these diagnostic tools.

Looker Studio

New partner solutions in the Looker Studio connector gallery

In September and October, Looker Studio expanded its connector gallery with several new integrations, giving users broader options to connect with diverse platforms. New partners include:

• ReQuest by ReGuest Srl;
• Insightly by Windsor.ai;
• GitLab by Windsor.ai;
• Meta Ads by Detrics;
• CoinMarketCap by Windsor.ai;
• Pinterest Organic by Reporting Ninja.

If you’ve been waiting for these connectors, now is the time to integrate and enhance your reporting capabilities!

New funnel charts

A new chart type (funnel) has been added, allowing users to track how a metric evolves through various process stages. This is particularly helpful for analyzing sales or multistep activities. With funnel charts, it becomes much clearer where losses occur during a process, enabling you to optimize these stages swiftly.

And the best part? You no longer need additional connectors to achieve this! Enjoy exploring your data with these vibrant, pyramid-like visualizations.

Connector for Microsoft Excel

One of September’s highlights in Looker Studio is the Microsoft Excel connector, providing direct access to data stored in Excel files. This integration simplifies workflows for those who rely on Excel as their primary data tool. What did we say above? More spreadsheets for the spreadsheet god!

Gemini public preview in Looker Studio

In September, Looker Studio launched a public preview of Gemini in Conversational Analytics. This feature allows users to easily extract and share insights without advanced SQL skills or other query languages. Users can now access analytics faster by simply entering their questions in their languages.

Now, your personal AI assistant can empower you to:

• Ask data-related questions via conversational analytics (preview): Use Gemini to explore data, uncover answers, and share insights using natural language.
• Add Looker Studio content to Google Slides (preview): Use Gemini to import components from Looker Studio Pro reports into Slides’ presentations.
• Create calculated fields (preview): Get assistance from Gemini in crafting custom fields and computations in Looker Studio Pro reports, even without prior experience in Looker Studio formulas.

AI all day, every day! Let’s just hope these integrations don’t glitch their way into chaos.

Additional updates in Looker Studio

• Text wrapping for pivot tables: You can now adjust text wrapping in column headers, improving the display of large datasets within pivot tables.
• Automatic reports in Google Slides: Looker Studio Pro users can leverage Gemini to automatically create reports in Google Slides.

Autumn has been rich with upgrades for Google’s analytical tools. The latest analytics updates give marketers and developers more ways to work with data, improve reporting, and identify issues faster. Whether it’s saved segments in GA4, new diagnostic tools in GTM, or partner connectors in Looker Studio, each update makes our work more efficient and accurate. So, it’s time to use all these new features to the fullest and keep conquering the world of analytics!