Web & App Measurement in a Single Google Analytics Property with the all-new User Unification Update

The wait is finally over! 

Google has launched a new beta version of Google Analytics where we can now uniquely track users across Web and App without userId implementation

Yes, you read that right. Isn’t that a game-changer?

With Firebase as the backbone to this platform, Google has changed its lens to measure user data. Reporting will now be more focused on Users and Events

Google had given signals for Users and event-centric reporting in the past with the release of User-Centric reporting in Google Analytics and Firebase Platform. It was the perfect move by Google I would say, for setting an expectation for users like us!

Being a business user, If you are wondering what changes will it bring to your analytics reporting, then you are the right place! In this blog, I am going to provide an overview of this new update and what it means for the business focussed team rather than delving into the technical bit of the same.

What is additional in newly launched Google Analytics

Here are the Enhancements of newly launched version of Google Analytics (Web+App)

  • User Unification across platforms (Mobile Web + App)

This is by far the biggest ask of business users.

How Google will identify users. According to Its standard documents, It will use Device ID. If App and Website are being opened on the same device (mostly mobile, Tablets), using a Device ID, Google will unify the users. So insights for Cross-platform single device can be generated 

If we are using both Device ID and User ID (UserID was earlier available), It will give us the ability to generate insights for users cross-device, cross-platform.

Image 1: Data Collection Mechanism

Source: Google Standard Document

The insights that we generate in the current Web analytics, for e.g.Direct conversion channels, Channels assisting the final conversion & Channels acquiring quality traffic has a direct relation to marketing budget but now that we get additional insights of the platform with these channels, the marketing budget will be optimized to the level of platforms. It will be a combination of channels and platforms.

Let us read exactly what Google says about the data collection mechanism for this update

Image 2: Data collection Method

Source: Google Standard Document

  • Event and Custom Event Parameters

The reporting in this version of Google Analytics will have Events only. No pageviews and Sessions. 

The event will have custom event parameters to enrich the reporting.

  • User Properties

Custom Dimensions and Metrics will not be available. User Properties can be set with event data being sent to Google Analytics

  • Enhanced Measurement Mechanism

Tracking and implementation which were common across the customers were included in the initial setup part.

Data collection will be started without any code once we enable it from the UI

Image 3: Enhanced measurement

Source: Google Standard Document

Bonus: Analysis Feature

This is THE motivation to use this platform. The analysis is Only GA360 feature but available for free under the new version of GoogleAnalytics There are 6 different features under analysis tab which will make every marketer’s life productive. 

  • Access to analysis hub [Data studio Module]
  • Segment Overlap
  • User Explorer
  • Exploration

Image 4: Exploration

Source: Google Analytics blog website

  • Funnel analysis

Image 5: Funnel

Source: Google Analytics blog website

  • Path Analysis [will become most popular and most asked for a feature]

Image 6: Path analysis

Source: Google Analytics blog website

To know more about setup, implementation, and reporting, please refer to this link.

Tatvic’s Recommendations on how to best use the User Unification Feature

  • Replicate the data collection in this property by following the best practices as per the standard document
  • Use this property as additional property for user unification insights. 
  • Play with Analysis module to get more granular level insights

This property is in beta and expected to have more features. It is better if we have replicated our reporting to this property, We will be able to take benefits of existing features and new feature updates in the future.

Happy Learning, experimenting and improving!!

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